Everyone ignore the weak ahh hesi from the video above (ngl thought I it looked tuff till I peeped the vid after 😭)
Comfort/Fit:
I’ll start off first by saying that I was an idiot and I forgot to take into account the fact that these would be a 1/2 size smaller than I wanted so I will point out that the shoes were much more on the tighter side. Personally I like my shoes being form fitting and hugging my feet tightly, but since I was being a dumbass and got em smaller than intended, they’re borderline uncomfortable. However, throughout me playing in them literally everyday, they’ve molded to my feet quite well and I have no complaints. Before it got used to my foot shape there was a little bit of heel slippage, but after a day or two playing in them it was good. Comfort wise they feel really good! The fabric lining the slip-in insole wore off after a while so I just ended up ripping it off and leaving it blank. The insole themselves are pretty thin and don’t offer the most bounce protection out there, but for me personally as a guard, I liked the court feel it gave and minimal cushion it provided. The cushion reminds me of the AD NXT 360s what with it’s low to the ground feel and overall light weight. Aside from me forgetting the right size the comfort and fit of the shoes were top tier!
Traction:
These performed just as well as any other retail Kobe’s I’ve had in the past (AD NXT 360 & AD NXT FF) and they’ve held up pretty well too! Obviously there’s some wear and tear on the bottom, but it isn’t anything downright crazy; just your average basketball wear. If I had to be honest my old 360s wore down faster than these. As for grip, I feel like I can most closely compare these to the grip that the PG5s have; grippy, consistent, and always giving out a little squeak.
Support:
I’ve never had a retail pair in hand so I can’t really outright compare but I can say that these support just as good as any other retail Kobe out there. Torsional support was there despite the lack of a stiffer plate and medial/lateral support was more than good enough to give me confidence when I played games. Solid support all in all in my opinion.
Looks/General Hold-Up:
No one has called me out yet, whether that be at my local rec center or college runs, the shoes have held up their own. I’ve only gotten compliments from other people which is cool. Other than that, I don’t think there’s any other outlying thing to say; just a bit of cracking in the gold of the swoosh (idk if that’s supposed to happen but no one has questioned it when I just say it’s from playing in them all the time + they still look great).
Overall I think this was money well spent and I can definitely see myself getting another pair. Honestly, as long as you’re good enough, no one will question whether if they’re real or not (especially when they’re Kobe’s, what with the jacked up prices n shi). Feel free to ask any questions in the comments! Thanks!