Nike Sabrina 1: An Excellent First Signature Shoe

The Sabrina 1 is Sabrina Ionescu’s first signature and a very solid one at that. It’s very reminiscent of the Nike Kobe 5 and the Nike Kobe AD Exodus. If you enjoyed those models you’ll love the Sabrina 1.

The Nike Sabrina 1 looks and feels like a Kobe. In fact, it would have been really cool to see Sabrina repping the new Kobe brand, but at the same time, it’s nice to see her get her own signature line.

Nike did a very good job with these, balancing the Kobe influences while creating a shoe and a new signature line with its own personality and unique vibe, and at the same time producing a top-notch performance basketball shoe. They even nailed the materials of the shoe that are synthetic and performance-driven, but still feel nice in hand, but more on that latter.

Nike Sabrina 1 Review

Nike Sabrina 1 Specs:

Nike Sabrina 1 Traction

The Nike Sabrina 1 features a solid, no-nonsense, traction setup. The traction pattern, for all intents and purposes, is full-length herringbone. It is a slightly more artistic and funky rendition of herringbone, but at the end of the day we have an aggressive triangular pattern with lines going in every direction, so it should perform very well on court.

The sole combines solid and translucent rubber, but it’s predominantly translucent. This means it won’t be a great outdoor option, but indoors it should offer excellent grip. Even if Nike gave us a fully solid running shoe type outsole or even a sole predominantly built with solid rubber, it still wouldn’t be great outdoors in terms of durability.

Nike Sabrina 1 Cushion

The cushion on the Nike Sabrina 1 is excellent, assuming you are looking for a reactive, low-profile setup. The Sabrina 1 features a full-length React midsole with a hefty Zoom Air unit in the forefoot. This configuration is perfect for lighter shiftier players who enjoy a quick, low-to-the-ground experience on court with just enough impact protection.

This setup might not be enough for bigger more powerful players who put a beating on their joints every time they are on the hardwood, but it should be enough for the vast majority of players out there.

Nike Sabrina 1 Materials

Materials on the Nike Sabrina 1 are what you would expect from a modern hoop shoe and also not at all what you would expect. Shoes built with synthetics and textiles can feel cheap and flimsy in hand, but that isn’t the case here. The textiles used along the upper feel nice, perform tremendously, and add a lot of depth and texture to the overall design.

If you are going to go with textiles on your shoe, this is the way to do it. The materials are layered in such a way that it boosts the shoe’s lockdown, which combined with the lace cables and the lacing system itself, is going to provide a very secure feeling ride on court.

Nike Sabrina 1 Support

Support is also a strong point of the Jordan 1. It all starts with the cushioning setup which is very stable and low to the ground. Then we have that very wide, Kobe 5-esque outrigger and a substation TPU shank plate in the midfoot, both of which will also boost stability while playing.

On top of that, we have those really nice materials that conform to your foot and lock it down effectively, those lace cables on either side of the shoe that draw your foot back into the footbed, and lastly the lacing system itself and the heel counter which works together to lock in your heel.

Nike Sabrina 1 Fit

The Sabrina 1 fits true to size and offers a great 1 to 1 fit. HOWEVER, they do come in woman’s sizing so, if you are looking for your Men’s size you will need to go a size and a half up (12 Men = 13.5 Women). If you don’t want to risk it, try them on in-store.

Nike Sabrina 1 Overall

The Nike Sabrina 1 is a great first signature shoe for Sabrina Ionescu and is one of the best basketball shoes Nike has to offer in 2023/24. It’s a shoe that visually, and in terms of performance, could easily be a Kobe shoe, so if you’re looking for a shoe that will give you that “Kobe” feeling on court this one is a safe bet.

The Sabrina 1 is a top-notch guard-style shoe that will give you great traction (indoors), a speedy and reactive cushioning setup, along with elite lockdown and support. If you’re looking for a basketball shoe with beefy and plush cushioning, this might not be the shoe for you, but that is hardly a drawback.

Anta Shock Wave 5: Kyrie’s New Shoes

Kyrie Irving left Nike to join Anta, and the Anta Shock Wave 5 is his first shoe with the brand. The Shock Wave 5 is a very well-built, Kyrie-esque hoop shoe.

Kyrie Irving had an unceremonious and notorious breakup with Nike in 2023 and since then, sneaker fans have been wondering what sneaker brand would land him. Kyrie Irving’s signature line was immensely popular, and Nike’s best-selling signature (basketball) line, so it would be a huge asset for whoever signed him.

After a brief courting period, it would ultimately be Anta that would come away with the W. Anta has been producing top-notch, high-performance basketball shoes for years at this point, so here at WearTesters we were excited to hear the news.

Kyrie’s first shoe with the brand will be the Air jordan 1. It isn’t a signature shoe, and it wasn’t even designed for Kyrie specifically, it is only the most Kyrie-esque shoe Anta has. But it is a very well-thought-out performance basketball shoe with all the bells and whistles. Let’s jump into the review and see how these will perform on court.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Specs:

Anta Shock Wave 5 Traction

The Anta Shock Wave 5 has a durable solid rubber outsole with a shark tooth traction pattern that offers excellent multidirectional coverage. The rubber is thick and firm, and the shoe’s sole is flat, making these a perfect choice for playing outdoors. There are also some portions of the outsole that wrap around the front end of the shoe, for some added grip on specific moves on court.

This setup will work equally as well indoors, if not better because of the enhanced durability, but there is an indoor-specific version of this shoe. The Anta Shock Wave 5 Pro also features a solid rubber sole but the traction pattern is slightly different and the rubber is not formulated to withstand outdoor use, so it’s a bit softer.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Cushion

The cushioning on the Anta Shock Wave 5 is what you would expect from a Kyrie shoe. What we have is a full-length slab of nitrogen-infused foam. It’s shaped like a wedge so it’s thinner towards the forefoot of the shoe. The foam is wrapped in TPU for added stability and reactiveness on court. That foam offers a very nice mix of impact protection and court feel.

It’s very reminiscent of the cushioning that was featured on the Harden Vol. 1 which was a great basketball shoe. If you’re looking for a reactive and agile, guard-style shoe that offers a bit of spring and impact protection this will be a very good option.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Materials

Materials are perhaps the shoe’s worst quality. They are very functional, but they do feel very plastic and cheap in hand. The Shock Wave 5 is built with a textile upper with TPU and fuse overlays for added containment and durability. The textile portions keep the shoe lightweight and breathable and allow the shoe to break in quickly and conform well to your foot.

The fuse and TPU portions are strategically placed along the upper to keep your foot well-restrained as you play. There are also portions of the midsole that wrap up the upper to act as containment walls that also boost lockdown. Again, these materials all work very well in terms of on-court performance, however, they do feel particularly plasticky in hand.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Support

Support on the Shock Wave 5 is on point, and very detail oriented, which is refreshing to see. Everything on the Shock Wave 5 is very well thought out. Through the very wide and flat sole of the shoe, we can see a blue TPU spring plate in the forefoot and a carbon fiber shank plate in the midfoot.

Wrapping the midsole is a TPU cage that adds stability to the cushioning system and some torsional support as well. In the midfoot, we have 2 straps integrated into the lacing system for lateral containment, and several lace cables towards the top of the lacing system as well. And last but not least the shoe is equipped with a heel counter as well. This is a top-tier setup, to say the least, but that’s not all.

There’s also the build of the shoe. The medial side of the Shock Wave 5 is rounded for added mobility, and the lateral side is much flatter and wider for stability. This is a great configuration, especially for an electrifying player like Kyrie Irving.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Fit

The Anta Shock Wave 5 fits like a glove. The textile upper adapts very well to your foot, and there is plenty of sculpting in the heel as well. So, go true to size, but, since Anta is a Chinese brand, the safest bet is to go with your Euro size, so keep that in mind.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Overall

Even though the Anta Shock Wave 5 wasn’t designed specifically for Kyrie Irving, it’s a very “Kyrie feeling” shoe. If you liked Kyrie’s Nike shoes you will like this one as well. Anta really has thought of everything when designing this model and has created an elite guard shoe.

So, if you were looking for an agile, low-profile, reactive hoop shoe, with a dash of impact protection underfoot, the Shock Wave 5 is going to be a very good option.

Jordan 38 Review: A Flagship Jordan Done Right

The Jordan 38 is a big improvement on the Jordan 37 and just might end up being the best basketball shoe of 2023-24.

Colorway: Gym Red/Fir/Black/White

Release Date: 2023

Price: $200

9/10

Total Score

The Jordan 38 is one of the most highly anticipated models of 2023, as most flagship Jordans are, but on top of that, these just might be the best basketball shoes of the year.

The Jordan 38 serves as a sort of revamp of the flagship Jordan line, as it does away with all of the tech that the Jordan Brand has been featuring in these models in recent years: No eclipse plate, no unlocked Zoom, and no see-through hole in the midsole.

It is also one of the better-looking flagship Jordans that we have seen in a while and the tribute paid in the design of the shoe to 0 is subtle and very well done. So, having said all of this, let’s jump into the performance review and see whythe Jordan 38 just might be the best hoop shoe of 2023.

Jordan 38 Review

Jordan 38 Tech Specs:

Jordan 38 Traction

In this colorway, the Jordan 38 comes equipped with a translucent rubber outsole, with an aggressive, full-length herringbone traction pattern, which is a tried and tested pattern that offers great multidirectional coverage on court. After a brief first test on a hardwood floor, this traction feels super grippy and should work great.

That translucent rubber and the relatively shallow traction pattern do not bode well for outdoor use, however. We have seen some colorways of the Jordan 38 that do feature solid rubber, which may be more outdoor-friendly, but, for now, we’ll have to wait and see. But also, who is buying the Jordan 38 for outdoor use?

Jordan 38 Cushion

This might be the best feature of the Jordan 38. First, we have a full-length Zoom Air Strobel, which Jordan seems to have commandeered from Nike at this point. Nike’s (or Jordan’s) Zoom Air Strobel is an excellent piece of tech that provides a very well-balanced ride on court that will give you more than enough impact protection and reactiveness as you play.

Underneath the Zoom Air Strobele=, we have an injected Phylon midsole which is firm and bouncy, and underneath that, we have Cushlon 3.0, Nike’s top-tier foam cushioning. This Cushlon unit is full-length, plush, and responsive. Just great.

Jordan 38 Materials

The Jordan 38 has a very minimalist, lightweight build that combines textiles and synthetic leather. In fact, a good portion of the shoe is see-through. But the good news is that, unlike the Jordan 37, this part of the build feels like it will be able to offer all of the support and containment you’ll need on court while keeping the shoe lightweight, very breathable, and with a very minimal break-in time.

We have synthetic Nubuck and leather in the heel and toebox of the shoe for added containment. It’s nothing premium but it does feel good in hand which is a plus.

Also, the logo on the neoprene tongue of the shoe pays tribute (loosely) to the Jordan 8. The tongue of the Jordan 38 is very comfortable and has huge perforations punched out to add ventilation and reduce weight even further.    

Jordan 38 Support

The stand-out support feature on the Jordan 38 also pays tribute to the Jordan 8. The 8 had that iconic cross strap on the midfoot of the shoe, and in the 38 we have an X-shaped spring plate that you can see through the sole of the shoe.

This X plate covers the midfoot and forefoot of the shoe. The “arms” of that X shape provide torsional rigidity while the axis point will give you springy reactiveness as you move. A great little piece of tech, and a very clever implementation.

Everything else in terms of support and containment is what you would expect from a modern hoop shoe (wide base, outriggers, heel counter, etc.) and should perform well.

Jordan 38 Fit

The Jordan 38 fits true to size, so go with whatever size you usually wear. For those shopping online, don’t be alarmed if the shoes look a bit small, it’s just an optical illusion, try them on and you will see that they are the right size.

Jordan 38 Overall

The Jordan 37 was a bit of a disappointment in terms of on-court performance, and aesthetically it is one of the least “Jordan-looking” Jordans of all time. The Jordan 38 on the other hand feels like a grand slam of a shoe. The new tech that they have packed into this model feels great and should offer a premium experience on the hardwood, and it just looks and feels like a flagship Jordan should. The Jordan 38 has a great shot at becoming the best basketball shoe of 2023-24.  

TheNike SB Dunk Low review

Everyone who likes sneakers knows this one, and even Skateboarders who aren't into Nike SB have at least heard of it or maybe seen it in the Nike SB movie "What the Super Mario" . The characteristical toebox has been copied many times by every skateshoe brand out there. Since day one, it has been the flagship of the whole SB line.

This is a review of the Nike Sb Dunk low from a skateboarder’s view.

To start at the beginning: If you decide to get some Dunks for skating be sure to get the right size. The recomendation is to buy them true to size. The shoe will stretch after several wears, especially the suede models, but also the leather ones, because the cusion in the heel will lose its original dimentions when put under pressure. If you buy them half a size too big, the cababillity of the shoe to hold your foot tightly in the right position will be lost, which might leed to ankle twists or other such injurys.

The break-in time that the Dunk takes is almost non existing, especially the suede models,
which are ready out of the box.The full leather ones might take a bit longer to break in, but after a few walk in them before you start skating them they are fine as well. If the still feel a little stiff, just bend the sole in all possible directions a few times to increase the flexibility.

Durability:

The durability of a shoe is largely affected by the way it's built in the key areas. More layers of strong and
resistant material will last longer than fewer layers of weaker material, such as canvas. The Dunk has a 4-layer toebox. From the outside there is a layer of suede/leather, a layer or durable
rubber/plastic, a second layer of suede or leather and finally a layer of the inner material, normally some kind of woven canvas.

The Dunk is really durable compared with shoes by other companys in the same category. How long a pair will last will depend on how often they are skated in and the tricks people do, but they hold up very well for their construction and the boardfeel they provide.

Some other shoe models have soles that wear out faster than the upper. The sole gets holes in them, the
grip wears away, while the upper remains intact.

This is not the case with the Dunk. The sole of the Dunks is durable but still provides a great contact with
the board. The design of the sole is roughly structured and the grooves are deep, so it takes longer to become slick. Although there's no optional physical lace protection or hidden lace loops, the laces last longer than most compareable models because of the high cut of the inside and outside panels of the Dunk. This means the laces need to be tied relatively tightly, which provides some protection for the laces.
Before the introduction of the SB line, the Dunk had been improved for skateboarding from the original basketball model with the Pro B range. However, there are some weak areas that, although they don’t effect the over-all performance, do cause the shoe to look worn out faster.
The first weak spot is the toebox, which is secured with double stitching.. Since the layers of the toebox area aren't glued together, the shoe will start to fall apart once the stiching (that admittedly do hold up pretty well) are worn through.

The swoosh isn't glued on either, or is just single stiched, the same thing will happening to it. This is especially the case when doing a lot of heelflips or general tricks that involve the back part of the shoe.
Another weakness is caused by the inner lining of the Dunk, which bends slightly to the outsides of the shoe, and the mesh tongue. Both sections rip quickly when in contact with griptape.
Although these weak spots, and the swoosh problem, don't affect the performance of the shoe, they make it appear kind of ugly after only a few wears. A much more substencial problem is the unglued toebox, which could be easily fixed by Nike in the future. Until then, it can be reduced by putting a thin line of super glue on the toebox stiching, which will add protection to the stitcing.

Breathability:
Breathability is an often-underrated element of skateshoes, especially since the revival of minimalistic vulcanised shoes that classicaly lack materials that allow airflow out of the shoe. But whoever has skated on a hot summers day for several hours knows the feeling of "cooking feet" that breathable shoes can reduce.
Since most Dunks, with a few exceptions , don't use mesh on their uppers, the breathability is completely dependent on the few holes in the toebox and the tongue. And since the tongue is stuffed, the airflow here is reduced. As a result, the breathability of the shoe isn't too good. The part of your feet that is covered by the tongue especially gets critically hot in the summer, up to the point where it's a
pleasure to take the shoes off.

Boardfeeling/Shape/stickyness:

The boardfeeling and stickyness of the sole used on the Dunk is extremely good for ashoe with a cupsole.You could even go so far as to say that there are vulcanised shoes out there that provide less boardfeeling and stickyness.
Although my goal is to write an as objective review as possible, i'm very picky when it comes to soles. I can't stand slippery soles at all, and was very pessimistic about the Dunk in the beginning. However, it satisfied my high expectations completely.The good boardfeeling has its roots in the low design of the midsole and the fact that there's simply not much material between sole and the inner part of the shoe. The 5 mm zoom air airbag supports this whole concept. On one hand, it protects your heels against heel bruises, on the other, it keeps your foot as close to the board as possible. I wouldn't recommend skating a 12 stair with Dunks though, because the shoe isn't specifically designed for it. Another important feature is the shape of the toebox, since that's the part of the shoe that you "work" with the most, from doing an ollie to complex flip tricks. The toebox of the Dunk combines the best from two different shapes, it's in the middle between an arrow shaped toebox (think Lakai Manchester) and a round toebox, like the Lakai mj-3 or the Adidas Campus. Because of this combined shape, most skaters feel comfortable with it, perhaps even when they normally would prefer a clear arrow/round shaped toebox.

If you compare the overall impression of the Dunk compared with shoes of other brands they have a rather tight and narrow shape. If you lace them really loose they get a "fatter" shape, but several skate shoes of other brands are still way bigger and more stuffed.

The described cut is especially an advantage for skaters with narrow feet that normally "get lost" in shoes by other companies. Dunks still fit quite close to your foot if you like your skateshoes laced loose. If a narrow shape is important for you, you should, in general, pretty much choose between either Lakai, Vans or Nike SB.

Comfort/Support:
The Dunk feels comfortable on your feet. The stuffing is concentrated in key areas, which means only the heel has thick stuffing. The middle and front don't have stuffing materials except for in the tongue.

On one hand, this composition is supportive for the overall boardfeeling of the shoe, on the
other, your feet will get hurt easier. A main disadvantage of the Dunk is the lack of support
in the heel area. This area generally consists of more than just leather and suede layerssewed together.

In many skateshoes you'll find an additional support element, which is made out of either plastic or a special cardboard. The bigger and stronger this element is,the more support the whole shoe will provide, preventing twisted and bruised ankles. This element in the dunk is neither big nor very strong, you can test it by simply squeezing the heel., If you compare different shoes and brands you'll find that the Dunk is pretty weak in this area. You can diminish this weakness by lacing them tight and up until the last whole, but it will be a higher risk for your feet compared with stiffer shoes.

Improvements:
Althought it seemed that Nike SB wants to keep the original shape and feel of the Dunk, there are some minor improvements that would improve the overall performance without changing the shape.
The toebox area could have hidden stiching, like Nike already do with the Harbor shoe.

This means the toebox doesn't need to be glued on but the durability would be much better. This is also the case for the swoosh, which falls off far too easily.

The tongue straps could be bigger and maybe placed a bit higher up the tongue to stop it bending in an almost horizontal way if you just lace the first 5 holes, which most people do.
This would also add some support.

Finally, there should be more leather or suede tongues instead of mesh. The mesh looks ugly after a few sessions because it gets destroyed so quickly. The mesh doesn't even provide much breathability anyway. So a perforated leather/suede tongue would be more durable and allow just as much airflow as the already-existing mesh tongue.
Another solution might be a top part of the tongue made from leather, while the rest of the tongue that's hidden under the laces stays mesh.

“One sentence summary”:
The Dunk low is a basic and universal shape that most skateboarders will like. Except for the breathability and the heel support the Dunk is a great skate shoe that is grippy, has a balanced amount of board feel and is quite durable.

Thanks to Tim Weissberg who had a look at the grammar and spelling

Nike Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf: Grass Volleyball Review

The Nike Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf is a fairly unassuming shoe (despite a very long name). It’s not exactly a huge line and it doesn’t have a big name attached to it (Zoom Trout review coming soon). To start this summer off, I tested the Zoom Trout, the Nike Dunk Low What the Super Mario (the .5 was unexpectedly incredible in the grass. The 6 loses that magic traction and also is way too warm to use in the sun), and the Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf.

I didn’t expect the latter to be not only my favorite grass shoe of the group but also possibly my favorite overall. Keep reading to find out what makes the Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf such a great grass shoe.

Nike Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf

• Rundown: The Nike Nike Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf is a turf shoe meant for baseball that also works great for grass volleyball.

Pros

• Traction
• Lockdown and Stability

Cons

• Cushion
• Mud

Pros

Traction

Traction is always the most important feature in a sport performance sneaker. In the grass, it’s so important that other features are really afterthoughts. Grass gives some cushioning by itself, and on uneven ground, most shoes are pretty unstable no matter what. The best thing your shoe can do is provide traction.

The Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf has soft rubber cleats that give traction in multiple directions. This is an advantage over trail runners, which are primarily meant to grip when moving straight forward. These cleats are soft, loose rubber, so they’re safe and legal (regular cleats are frowned upon because they can hurt other players’ feet and if they grip too well you are risking serious knee injuries). I have tried these on grass that was dry, wet, long, short, thick, sparse, and even mostly dust/dirt. They aren’t perfect, but they are the most surefooted I have felt in grass shoes.

I will add that there is an exception to this: thick mud. I’ll expand on this in the cons section.

Lockdown and Stability

The Nike Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf is not the most high-tech or flashy sneaker, but it’s well-designed. Sometimes the fundamentals are all you need. One of the most important roles of sports footwear is providing confidence in movement. Traction is the first piece of this, but then comes lockdown and stability. You can think of it from the ground up. The outsole should grip the ground without sliding (traction), it should stay relatively flat on the ground (stability), and your foot should stay in place in the shoe (lockdown). If all three of these things happen, you can focus on the sport instead of your footing.

In the Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf, your foot sits a little low into the midsole, which helps it stay in place inside the shoe. There’s not really an outrigger on the shoe, and there’s no added lateral containment, but it’s definitely as stable as any shoe can be on grass. The laces are very basic, but they work great. The Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf has simple, effective stability and lockdown. They’re not as fun or exciting as something with air jordan 38 playoffs or a carbon plate, but they’re good enough that you forget you’re wearing them and feel confident moving around.

Cons

Cushion

The cushion in the midsole is nothing special. It’s Nike Dunk, a relatively stiff foam, and since you sit low in it, there isn’t much under your foot at all. In the grass, this usually doesn’t matter. In fact, it’s generally better for stability if there isn’t too much cushioning since grass can be soft if it’s rained recently. But on dry grass, or mostly dead grass and dirt courts, you can really start to feel the landings adding up. Just think about what the grass you usually play on looks like, and decide based on that.

Mud

The traction on these shoes is among the best I have tested in the grass. Trail runners might have a slight advantage, but they have other issues (they’re not designed for direction changes and jumping). These performed excellently in almost all conditions. The exception is mud.

I tested these in a particularly rainy tournament (shout out to the Pottstown Rumble), and they held traction well at first. As the ground became muddy, though, the soft rubber cleats were completely caked in mud, deep into the seams that the rubber comes out of. This happens with other shoes and even trail runner lugs, but not as fast and as severely as with the rubber “cleats”. I tried to keep scraping the mud out, but I ended up switching to other shoes I had with me.

Nike Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf Summary

The Nike Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Turf is not a flashy sneaker (I do wish it came in brighter colorways). It does what it needs to do though, and for that reason, it’s an excellent choice for grass volleyball.

I feel like every shoe I’ve tested in the grass has had a trade-off of some sort. For indoors, most shoes are good and some are great. For grass, most shoes are kinda bad and some are good. This is an example of a good shoe. Its only trade-off comes in either extremely dry weather or extremely muddy weather. In those extremes, you’re probably going to have issues anyways. For that reason, these are my current pick for the best grass volleyball shoe.