TGRR Blog: First Impressions of the Nike Barkley Posite Max

Prose: Finch (@Sir_Stymie)

When I go into work at my Footlocker, I like to look around and see if there is anything new beside the normal Air Max 90’s and Air Force 1’s before I clock in. On one special day last week, in shipment, we had the Nike Barkley Posite Max in the Eggplant colorway. Although I was unable to  give this highly-touted shoe a full detailed review because Footlocker is doing a raffle, I felt I would be doing you the reader and myself a disservice if I at least didn’t give you a run down or my first impression as it were; so let’s get to it.

The Barkley Foamposite is a hybrid shoe in the same lineage as a 1/2 cent which was a Penny/ Foamposite combination. I myself am not a huge fan of most hybrid shoes because I find them more of a novelty item than a functional shoe. But in that same breath, I am fan of Barkley shoes and and Foams so I figured I may give these a shot.

When I got the shoe out of the box I was immediately drawn in by that details that the shoes have to offer. The eggplant color is very vibrant and the “Not a Role Model” spelled out on the bottom was a very nice touch. That combined with the speckled Air Max bubble, paracord laces and nice color blocking make it an aggressive and classic Barley silhouette. I couldn’t help thinking to myself that this should could be a problem, in a good way. I thought I would have to cop this shoe and I was caught up in all the hype. I quickly asked my manager if I could try it on and I was ready to see what this shoe was really all about.

When I had the shoe on foot I realized a number of things. First, this is one heavy shoe. In terms of the heaviest shoes I’ve ever had on foot, the Nike Air Total Foamposite Max is numero uno for obvious reasons, followed closely by the Nike Hyperposite. This is not a negative or a positive, but more of an observation that I thought was relevant. Usually I connect weight with reliability and overall quality of materials, but I have been wrong before.

Another thing that I found more concerning was how flimsy the upper was was although it is supposedly a Foam and synthetic combination. I was expecting more in terms of rigidity and the Foam on the upper seemed to be too pliable at the flex points of the shoe. I personally am not a fan of a lack of cushion and padding throughout the upper, and the Barkley Posite Max was disappointing in this department. This was surprising because I have owned a pair of Foams and several pairs of Barkleys over my life and I am usually very happy with the padding and comfort through the upper.

The outsole is a mixed bag to say the least. On one hand the words and designs were very nice from an aesthetic standpoint, but traction as it is relates to performance this shoe is horrible. The lettering is the only part of the shoe with any type of pattern for grip and that is in the form of very light herringbone. The space that is not taken up by lettering has a very light stippling and a few wavy indentations that I believe are there more for style that actual functionality.

In closing, I feel that this shoe aesthetically is a work of art – definitely one of the best hybrid models Nike has come out with. On foot the Chuckposite will definitely turn some heads. With that said, its shortcomings from a quality standpoint as well as a functionality standpoint don’t make this shoe worth it’s hefty $235 price tag. I wish I had the opportunity to actually hoop in these to let you guys know how they really perform for what nature intended. I hope this will be suffice for now, and I urge you to head to your local retailer and ask to see them for yourself – I can only give you my opinion of my short firsthand accounts. Don’t let my words make or break your decision to cop or drop; check em for out yourself thanks for the read.