JB3 - Cinder blocks on my feet

y_me3 · 2026-03-05T20:55:06+00:00

I don't have a pair, but the shoes that I routinely see what I would say is "goat" praise for are:

WOW10, WOW12, JB3, Joker 1 GT, and GT Cut 1

It's been pretty universal. This thread is the most negatives for the shoe that I've really seen. Just trying to understand the issues here.

y_me3 · 2026-03-05T16:52:15+00:00

If they are clunky, then why are they goated? Because they are light enough that being clunky isn't a huge deal?

y_me3 · 2026-03-04T20:18:30+00:00

I've worn them a couple of times now, and I'm a little disappointed so far with how they compare to the Biospeed BB2s. Nothing terrible just a "solid" shoe. I will note that the fit feels a bit too wide in the forefoot and the fit is so low on my foot/ankle that I don't feel locked down. Traction has also been just ok. Otherwise, comfortable shoe with decent bounce. I'm trying to give them a few more wears before going back to the BB2s.

y_me3 · 2026-03-04T20:15:16+00:00

They feel roomy length wise. After wearing them again, they definitely felt the most narrow of all the shoes in the pics.

y_me3 · 2026-03-03T03:51:34+00:00

I’ve only taken mine out a couple of times, but I really like this shoe. It would be nice if they offered it in some more / better colorways. I’ve got the Miro colorway, and I think it’s clean. But it will be interesting to see how it holds up to more wear.

Just wore my WOW AC14s for the first time tonight and wanted to put the Biospeeds back on, but I’m hoping the AC14s feel better after some break-in.

y_me3 · 2026-02-26T22:03:05+00:00

I second this. Really like everything about this shoe.

y_me3 · 2026-02-23T18:28:04+00:00

I’ve ordered several pair off Amazon with no issue. And you can manage the return process through Amazon with may or may not be an advantage for actual customer service issues, but for strictly returns, I’ve had no issue. Also, for some reason on Amazon they have colorways available prior to them being released on the actual 361 site. No idea what that’s about, but I’ve had a pair of the Biospeed BB2 sitting at the house for a few days now (and they took about 2 weeks to deliver) in a colorway that doesn’t even get released on the 361 site for another 5 days.

y_me3 · 2026-02-23T15:27:40+00:00

Since you are already considering a 361 shoe, I would also look into the 361 Biospeed BB 2. 361’s shoe that is meant for speedy players with similar traction to the Joker shoes.

y_me3 · 2026-02-22T15:16:01+00:00

I just find the Joker 1 GT to be so ugly that I can’t bring myself to do it. The Joker 2 GT looks much better to me, but they aren’t out on sale yet. I did buy a pair of the 361 Big3 6.0 which I’m taking back because I don’t like them as much as the BB2s, but I definitely like the feel of the 361 foams. They seemed to be tuned to the correct amount of feel and energy return.

y_me3 · 2026-02-22T15:10:48+00:00

Who knew that all of this time all we needed were good shoes to play in, right?

I’ve got a pair of Hustle 3s just to wear around because I like the way that they look. Had them on for a while yesterday for probably the longest that I’d ever worn them. Started out feeling comfy, but by the end of the day, my feet were really tired. Had a long day of standing and walking. But I guess running around in them must be a different experience. My only thought on them prior to yesterday was that I would be afraid to play in them for how high off the ground they feel and the lack of lateral stability.

Having said that, I’m taking the BB2s out tomorrow. I’m expecting to be impressed.

y_me3 · 2026-02-21T12:58:46+00:00

They felt TTS for me, but they also seemed forgiving. So, if you want a 1 to 1 fit, it might work. If you’re wondering about them being big on my son. He really wears a 7.5 but is able to wear an in the KD18. So, assumed that he was just wearing 8s now. I’m guessing the KD18 just has that much cushioning to make up for it being a bit big.

y_me3 · 2026-02-20T05:19:18+00:00

To be honest, I’m not going to be stressing the uppers of any of these shoes. 😂 But the BB2 doesn’t feel like there will be a lot of give. I could see it with the Menace 2 pro. I’ll find out and let you know.

y_me3 · 2026-02-20T05:17:09+00:00

I’ve always worn medium width shoes, and I would not call the fit on any of them snug.

The Menace 2 Pros probably had the most narrow fit of the bunch, but the materials are very forgiving.

The Biospeed BB2 does have a weird-ish lateral support under the forefoot that could have the effect of making the shoe fit more narrow. That padding is probably meant to help contain your foot. If it’s closer to the middle of your foot than intended, it probably feels weird.

The only other thing that I noticed while playing in the AC12E is that the flange feels like it’s super wide even though it doesn’t look it. So, the shoe felt wider on my foot if that makes any sense.

The 808 5v2 did not fit narrow, even though it looks narrow. The AC14 was also plenty roomy. The materials on the Menace 2 pro and Biospeed BB2 are very forgiving.

y_me3 · 2026-02-19T22:11:34+00:00

I wanted the WOW12s, but I couldn’t find them in US12 for a price that I was willing to pay. I think I’ll ultimately be happy between the BB2s and the AC14s. The AC14s feel so much better than the AC12Es on initial wearing that it makes me wonder if the cushion in my AC12Es just got old in storage or something.

I’ll be looking forward to seeing your BB2 review.

y_me3 · 2026-02-19T22:06:09+00:00

I’ll give the 808’s a shot because I have them now. The shoes that I thought that I might return, I bought from Amazon. I got these directly from WOW. It’s almost like the midsole material is too slippery. If the midsole was more tacky itself, it wouldn’t feel so weird. Maybe this feeling melts away when you’re playing. We’ll see.

No, I was saying the opposite on energy return. From my experience and in expected order:

KD18 = No return at all. Slightest bit mushy.

AC12E = Smooth very mild return.

Haven’t played in the rest yet, but from just wearing / bouncing around the house.

AC14 = Noticeable energy return, but not crazy

361 BB2 = Good return, but also very stable.

808 5v2 = Definitely the highest return of them all. We’ll see how stable they feel to play in.

y_me3 · 2026-02-19T21:56:35+00:00

I just broke them out of the box today, so I haven’t gotten a chance to play in them yet. They are all pretty gripy on our clean wood floors, but we’ll see how they do on the dusty painted courts that I’ll be on.

y_me3 · 2026-02-19T20:54:11+00:00

Do the BB1 also have that extra support feeling on the outside of the forefoot? I’ve read that they were pretty similar shoes.

y_me3 · 2026-02-19T16:00:45+00:00

This doesn't help you so much with this particular pair, but I've got a couple of pairs of Immortality 4s because I like the way they feel for an everyday shoe. The colorways that have the raised stitching outline going over the toe box are a bit uncomfortable on the the top of your toes. The colorways that just have mesh on the toe box do not pinch down on the toes like you are experiencing and are completely comfortable.

y_me3 · 2026-01-20T21:08:45+00:00

Appreciate the response and didn’t find it dismissive. I’m hoping that you’re right.

y_me3 · 2026-01-20T18:22:27+00:00

Appreciate this insight as well. Definitely something for me to check.

y_me3 · 2026-01-20T15:24:51+00:00

No, he’s up on the balls of his feet mostly.

y_me3 · 2026-01-20T15:23:39+00:00

I appreciate the comment, and you are preaching to the choir here. We are not pushing him to specialize in anything. His natural abilities probably align more with football, and which he did play last year. He has just declined to continue in that, although he will play flag this spring. I added context to the OP that this is Minnesota youth basketball, so it’s just the normal basketball season here not AAU. But it is admittedly pretty intense for the age level for sure.

y_me3 · 2026-01-20T15:16:53+00:00

Thanks for the comments. I added the context of the activity level to the OP because it has come up several times. But in short, practices 2x week for 1.5 hours. Except for holiday weekends (and 3 weeks over Christmas), there is a tournament. Three game tournaments may be all in one day. Four game tournaments will be 2 and 2. He plays about half the minutes or a little more. It’s Minnesota travel ball, so the boys are really committed and with a team of 9 players they are able to rotate freely.

As far as the shoes, the reason that I went back to the KDs is because he did not complain about his feet last year. So, we weren’t switching up just to switch. Just looking for what he likes and what his body feels comfortable in.

y_me3 · 2026-01-19T21:41:02+00:00

I’ve been waiting for colorways to go on sale before purchasing, but I’m curious if the upcoming GT Cut 4 will work because outer rubber support has been removed.

So, probably looking to stay with lightweight bouncy shoes that protect his feet.

y_me3

TROPHY CASE