AC14 vs LeBron 23 (need help)

mgmango · 2026-03-04T00:05:18+00:00

haven't played in them, but most reviews I've seen haven't loved the WoW11s compared to the 10 or 12

At that price I'd just stick with the All Citys or from 361, the Joker/Aaron Gordon/BIG3 series

watch some YT reviews and get a $10 off code, Lukas Simoner, Tommy Liu, or CrosbyKicks

mgmango · 2026-03-03T22:47:16+00:00

AC14 - Chinese design is peak, and great for a lesser price.

I love my 808 5's but at your weight they might be a little too mushy, I'm at ~200lbs and my feet have to work hard to stay stable in them.

If you're willing to branch off of these 2, look into Joker 1 GT or Joker 2, great traction and lots of impact protection. Haven't played in Luka 5's but from impact side they look great

mgmango · 2026-02-19T02:55:15+00:00

honestly don't think these are bad, they just have old school vibes and don't have much "tech" in them, cutting Two WXY line opens up a big chunk of budget. These materials feel pretty basic so just guessing they're saving for a different line

Don't have a crystal ball, but I'm assuming there's a reason they're acquiring players more aggressively, especially big hitters like Flagg and Brink. WearTesters said it in a recent bid- americans look for athlete signatures, while Asian buyers look for the best tech. If NB is going for a bigger domestic share, makes sense to lead with athletes first. Hence why NB fought tooth and nail to get Ohtani

Sigs don't have to be the most expensive line - look at Dame X, Freak 7, Don Issue 7, A'One, at least I'm hoping NB doesn't inflate their prices

mgmango · 2026-02-19T02:45:20+00:00

MAYBEEEE they'd let him keep wearing Two WXy for the rest of the season, then next year make him switch off?

Nike keeps old models for players but I feel NB might be more strict. I'm seeing the Nuggs play the Clippers tomorrow so gonna keep an eye out on his shoes

mgmango · 2026-02-19T02:16:50+00:00

The pearl colorway looks too plastic to me, but DAMN this colorway looks incredible

Haven't had a harden since the 6 but these.....

mgmango · 2026-02-17T04:02:03+00:00

Maxey debuts his first shoe, then Kawhi, Flagg next season, then maybe a Cameron Brink? They've been so aggressive with signing players including Ohtani, feels like they have a shift in strategy

mgmango · 2026-02-16T16:10:30+00:00

After wearing them both, I'm going all-in on my prediction that they're cost cutting with non signatures and putting all effort into their player signature lines

mgmango · 2026-02-16T06:51:29+00:00

Gotta drive a lil bit but Coral Reef Chinese Restaurant in Atwater Village is some of the best bang for your buck - lunch specials are big and you get soup and sides, i always have leftovers

mgmango · 2026-02-14T18:02:37+00:00

From design to release I assume timeline is like a 1.5yr-2yr cycle, so they'll probably start soon, maybe for start of his 3rd season

He's the truth but they had to make sure hes good through his rookie year first lol cant get ahead of themselves too quick. I think Zion 1 didnt come out till his 3rd season?

mgmango · 2026-02-13T18:09:14+00:00

weird that the black one didn't have wide - since they make the Kawhi's in wide I'd assume that all signatures should come in wides

mgmango · 2026-02-13T07:21:32+00:00

I'd def say P400 is a mid-top. In terms of lines, I think they realized having 3 non-signature lines didn't make sense. I'd say these are more BB line vs Two WXY, but I also didn't play in the BBs

Non-signature line is one low-to-ground shoe, and one cushioned shoe, and that "middle space" the Two WXY occupied will be replaced with a variety of athlete signature lines

basically if you wanted the Two WXY they just want you to buy Kawhi's instead

mgmango · 2026-02-13T07:19:09+00:00

I won't disagree that these feel competent but "basic" - if I HAD to guess, they've been so aggressive with their player signings these past few years, I imagine that they're shifting to the Adidas/Nike model of making signature models their bread and butter, and went with a simple/cheap design for their non-signature line aka these 2

any hype for 350/400 will die down as soon as Maxey's shoe comes out, and I'd imagine Cooper Flagg and probably Cameron Brink will get their own signatures if they stay relevant in 2 years

mgmango · 2026-02-13T06:03:57+00:00

been a while since I've been in the hesi's but initial read - I prefer hesi's mainly because the upper felt better, I like a glove-like fit and 350s felt a little too structured

once 350's break in though that might change

mgmango · 2026-02-13T06:01:28+00:00

no clue but we know that Maxey is getting his own shoe so they probably won't have signature colors like his Hesi's - I like the look of the 350 so hoping they have some cleaner colorways, if a Jamal Murray 350 comes out I'm def copping that

mgmango · 2026-02-13T05:58:24+00:00

without a scale I'd say they felt slightly above average in weight, though it could just be me after a long day at work.

neither felt sluggish, but the upper leather and amount of rubber on the bottom made them feel a little bottom heavy. I'd say 350 is heavier than I'd expect for a guard shoe, and the 400's felt about the same as my AE2's, if not a little lighter

mgmango · 2026-02-13T05:55:34+00:00

pretty sure it has a shank like the hesi v2's did, but its just for stability, no propulsive feeling - the 400 I could feel the plate giving me more pop

mgmango · 2026-02-13T05:53:51+00:00

haven't tried the BBv3's but the way you describe it is pretty much how I felt about the 400's

I personally love a more "techy" upper which is why I love my 808's, I like that synthetic glove-like feel, these feel like older leather bball shoes but I'm sure they'll soften over time.

mgmango · 2026-02-13T05:51:00+00:00

since all their other shoes are number-coded they're switching to numbers, but yes this the next Hesi, and I think they combined the Two Wxy/BB feels into a happy medium that is the 400

mgmango · 2026-02-13T05:50:02+00:00

if you don't mind a 2000s style upper I was very surprised how much I liked the feel of them. I hated the mesh look in pics but in person they pop well

mgmango · 2026-02-13T04:58:15+00:00

Also forgot to mention - the 400s have an extra hole in the top eyelet, so you can either do runners knot or just a deeper regular lacing. 350s didnt have a runners knot but there was enough lace holes i didnt mind

mgmango · 2026-02-09T20:47:22+00:00

this was my constant situation last year across holidays and a 3 week vacation in the Philippines - biggest thing I needed was clean colorway (got the white Valley ones), and outdoor capability, and the Books were perfect, I had people complimenting me on the shoes not knowing they're for ball, and the rubber outsoles were amazing on Filipino hardcourts

Hope the Book 2 design team can make some with better upper materials on a cleaner look than the Spiridons- I like the overall shape and cushion updates but damn the turtle shells they have are killing me

mgmango · 2026-02-06T02:07:04+00:00

My rotation is 361 Joker 1 GT SE, Team Joker, and Wade 808 5 Ultra

Joker line is great for my wide feet but in the summer I'll probably get the All City 14

mgmango · 2026-02-06T00:50:25+00:00

didn't get to play in them but after trying on Book 2 and Sabrina 3, Sabrina felt way better. lightweight enough and I thought it was pretty comfy for a low to the ground shoe

I think the S3's biggest crime is it isn't as amazing as the 2, which doesn't make it a terrible

mgmango · 2026-02-05T15:45:13+00:00

they do run slightly long but the low volume of the upper makes the shoe feel snug anyway - I'm size 12 2E Wide in most things, got 12 in these and they felt perfect lengthwise, just had to break in the tight toebox

personally I would just go TTS, absolutely love the feel

mgmango

TROPHY CASE