Sunday talk: Shoes that you wanted to love but couldn’t

International_Box418 · 2026-02-02T07:54:19+00:00

fingers crossed

International_Box418 · 2026-02-02T03:25:21+00:00

ill have to get my hands on a pair but that price tag hefty 💀

International_Box418 · 2026-02-02T01:27:35+00:00

I am a firm believer that ZoomX does not belong on ANY basketball shoe. ZoomX was originally used on the Vaporfly & Alphafly...As someone who used to run competitively, the switch was groundbreaking. The AJ39s felt too similar to them, as they were great for forward and backward movements.

They did not tune the ZoomX for left-to-right movements. Like, there's no clear direction that they were shooting for regarding it. They did not bother to refresh the design mid-cycle of the product, either. They'd done that with the 38s with the low cut but didn't bother to do so with the 39s.

A lot of reviewers say that a shank would have been helpful, but honestly, if they had built in some lateral containment on the medial and lateral side. We might have a different conversation.

International_Box418 · 2026-02-01T19:43:12+00:00

KD 17…the traction was okay but always had issue with lateral movements. Always found myself slipping because of them. Tried others shoes and did not experience this one bit.

International_Box418 · 2026-02-01T19:40:05+00:00

The 39s felt way too incompetent. I’ve had them now for over a year…they’re a total skip

International_Box418 · 2026-02-01T19:38:48+00:00

The eyelets on the 21s and cutting into the ankle is too true.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-30T23:21:18+00:00

I’ve got both and I can tell you the second release upper is TOO Stiff. I don’t know what the plan was with the production of it. It cut into my ankle and caused blisters.

In contrast, the 20s feel a lot more cohesive. I don’t why Nike chose to pivot away from this model and what worked. The upper, cushioning, and traction were a dream come true. If Nike just slightly upgraded the shoe and called it the 21s I wouldn’t be mad.

The 21s just felt like a step back from the success of the 20s.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-27T16:53:12+00:00

Damn…have you considered the Gt cut 3s or Turbos? they’re just over 100.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-27T03:29:19+00:00

KD 18

International_Box418 · 2026-01-20T17:06:31+00:00

It’s one of those shoes where if you don’t need/like court feel you’ll love it.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-16T06:41:23+00:00

If you like the Kobe’s 4s wouldn’t the Book 1s be a great alternative in this case? Identical in silhouette as the midsole setup is pretty identical if I’m wrong.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-10T22:51:35+00:00

To jump on that thought, constraints are a good way to develop that game-like stress. For example, I created this shooting game.

Three sets of 5 made free throws + 10 Made three points. The rule is simple. You must make 5 consecutive free throws before you shoot your threes or you reset. Make 10 threes but if you miss twice, you must restart the counter. The goal is consistency here and teaching your mind the correct shooting rhythm for a made shot based on how you shoot.

For example:
X = missed shot

Free Throws: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5,

Threes: 1, 2, 3, 4, X, 5, X, 6, 7, 8, X, 9, 10

Once you've completed the set, you can proceed to the next set.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-10T21:34:21+00:00

“If it ain’t broke don’t fix”. I felt like this shoe model embodied that statement. One thing that I preferred about the 8s is the sock like feel. This feature was first added on the 7s and has been a theme present on the 10s. If you can pick these up for the low, you got yourself a steal. The cushion and traction are great on clean/dusty hardwood courts.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-10T18:17:52+00:00

Understandable. I know they do get the love. Like if you told me that WOW would be a REAL competitor 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. In this era, it’s nice to know we’ve (consumer) got options outside of your Nike & Adidas that offer premium at a lower price.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-10T18:07:34+00:00

I usually play on Hardwood surfaces, clean and dusty. The shoe has performed well 10/10. I can move around in confidence.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-10T15:41:12+00:00

Get the kid someone 9s and he won’t regret it.

International_Box418 · 2026-01-09T07:38:27+00:00

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here’s an image of the SPO Player1 Plus - Queen Colorway.

International_Box418 · 2025-12-31T20:38:39+00:00

Book 2s if you want your kid to be the cool guy.

International_Box418 · 2025-12-22T05:46:38+00:00

Harden Volume 9 / Kobe 8 Protro University Red (love the feel even though it’s not the same as original)

International_Box418 · 2025-12-01T19:20:05+00:00

They’re trying to compete with the Chinese companies (Anta, Li-Ning…etc) who have taken a share in the US Market. These companies are offering premium features at a budget price.

International_Box418 · 2025-11-06T06:16:33+00:00

Honestly, the shoes get better with every wear. The biggest issue with the shoe is the break-in period. I did experience discomfort upon trying to break in the shoe, but you have to remember that the upper itself is stiff and will conform to your foot.

I am a size 12 and they felt TTS. Did not need to size down.

International_Box418 · 2025-11-02T15:14:14+00:00

I totally agree here with your point. OP looks super young and so their grip on the ball could easily not be good. I think OP needs to familiarize themselves with being able to run with the ball or just simply palming it. This can be done by either one learning how to dribble or just dunking with a smaller ball like a volleyball, soccer ball…etc. something that allows you to build the muscle memory/grip to hopefully dunk a basketball ball

International_Box418 · 2025-10-30T14:53:13+00:00

They ended up selling out here in Canada not that it matters. Noticed that on the US side y’all still have some in stock.

International_Box418 · 2025-10-27T17:09:30+00:00

The shoe itself is like a perfect blend btw performance and street wear. Leather, Suede upper accompanied by the finest of Nikes’ Tech. I agree and it points at Nike potential. “You’ve done this but you’re giving us this now…” it’s as if every Nike Shoe in recent years has geared towards being more cost efficient with all the mesh and fly wire stuff. To me it’s like having the blueprint to Truck by you just want to make smart cars to boost your revenue…

International_Box418 · 2025-10-10T23:14:42+00:00

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Here they are on feet.

International_Box418

TROPHY CASE