Kobe 11 – The Gym Rat Review

Prose: Jake Sittler (@jtsittler)

As I wrapped up my testing of the Kobe XI Elite, I have to admit I didn’t feel great about the whole thing. It’s definitely been one of the tougher reviews I’ve done in awhile. I was pretty conflicted about the shoe and how it performed and while I really liked playing in it at times, I always felt like there were things that it could have done better. As I write that, I think that’s theme that will run through the XI as we go.

Fit
As I mentioned in the preview, I went with my normal off-court size of 11.5 rather than my usual 11 in hoop shoes. Things get a little narrow in the toe box and I’d suggest going true to size.

The biggest tech innovation on the Kobe XI Elite is the use of TPU-reinforced Flyknit for the upper, rather than the pure knit weave. You can see the little iridescent strands woven into the upper upon close inspection and you can definitely feel them. This version of Flyknit is much more rigid and structured than any setup I’ve seen before. It works too – the upper containment and support is good, as is lockdown from heel to toe. I didn’t necessarily love the laces and lacing system (really would have liked some paracord laces or something heavy duty) but it’s a small gripe.

This version of Flyknit feels closer to Fuse than original Flyknit, and that’s not a bad thing on a hoop shoe. I hope they stick with the TPU weave, although I do have my doubts as I’m sure it adds some complexity to the manufacturing process.

Once the heel molded to my foot more, the collar area became very comfortable; it’s stiff and well-padded in order to lock the heel down and eliminate slippage. Overall, it fits really well and inspires confidence from a low top. I didn’t find any issues with containment, lockdown or stability.

Heel-Toe Transition
Transition is extremely smooth and natural. The outsole and drop in Lunar midsole are flexible – maybe too flexible – but nonetheless make for a very natural footstrike.

Cushioning
I have a feeling this will be the most polarizing aspect of the shoe, so here it goes with my opinion.

First, the shoe is plenty comfortable on foot. Lunar begins as a pretty responsive platform and the Zoom bag in the heel is definitely noticeable and plays a role in impact protection in the footstrike. It’s plenty of midsole for casual wear or if you only hoop intermittently (but then why drop $200).

Day in and day out, over the course of a 40-minute game, I just don’t think a drop in Lunar midsole is the answer for me. Some folks may be able to tolerate it – I’d like to see what Kobe actually plays in and whether it’s a stock midsole – but it’s just not for me. That slab of Lunarlon (which has a bunch of geometric flex grooves in the forefoot) is basically the only thing between me and the gym floor, and it’s just not enough protection or support over the course of a game.

My complaint here is this: a full Zoom midsole is already and option for NikeID, why not make it THE midsole for your Elite version? I feel like it would make a world of difference to beef up that midsole with a full Zoom bag. And yes, I tried swapping in the LeBron 11 midsole and it did not fit.

It’s difficult because it is a comfortable shoe and the cushioning overall isn’t bad at all. It’s pretty responsive and definitely stable (two lateral outriggers aid lateral stability also). But I have never found the drop in system to work all that well, especially long term.

Traction
Without a doubt the weakest area is the traction. The outsole is extremely thin and flexible (two things that made the Kobe IX have fantastic traction) and the pattern features a deep flex groove down the middle of the foot surrounded by a multi-directional pattern.

These things absolutely collected dust and I was constantly wiping and worried about sliding laterally if the courts were even slightly dirty. On a good, clean court it was adequate but not the level I’d expect from a Kobe model.

Materials/Durability
The upper is sturdy and well made, and is sewn into the outsole – similar to the old double lasting technique. I couldn’t find any glue spots or loose strands in the upper, and I the XI holding up pretty well to normal wear and tear. I would hesitate to use them outdoors because of the thin outsole and a traction pattern that is not very deep. I dinged the materials a bit because I would have liked to see full Zoom on a $200 Elite model – especially when the midsole setup already exists.

Good but almost great is probably how I’d characterize the Kobe XI Elite. With a different midsole and a better traction design, these would have been fantastic. The lockdown, fit, transition and some aspects of the cushioning platform were all very good. The shoes are gorgeous in person too. But unfortunately, these will probably be relegated to casual wear and passed up for the HyperRev 2016 or Lillard 2 next.

Prose: Jake Sittler (@jtsittler)

I picked up the Kobe XI on release day at my local House of Hoops in the Achilles’ Heel colorway. The shoe is gorgeous in person, and I was struck by the very minimal design. Time will tell how they perform but here are a few initial impressions after a shooting session yesterday.

You can find my first impressions along with tons more performance review content over at tackl.com as well

Fit
I went with an 11.5, my normal size in off-court shoes. I started with an 11 but the toebox was pretty cramped both width and length wise – definitely go true to size if you’re thinking about ordering. I’ll get into it more in the full review, but the XI Elite features an improved Flyknit setup with TPU fibers woven into the knit. I’ve been critical of knitted uppers and their ability to support and contain the foot during high intensity basketball games, but it appears to be a step in the right direction.

The shoe feels a lot like the Kobe IX EM in terms of the upper – supportive and more “stiff” than a knit upper in that it does have some structure. This is absolutely a good thing. It’s pretty well padded at the heel but I had some early heel slip as it hasn’t yet molded to my foot.

Heel-Toe Transition
Extremely smooth. It’s a highly flexible shoe – probably too flexible for me – but it makes for a smooth, soft transition.

Cushioning
I have a certain beef with drop-in insoles, and that’s what we get once again with the XI Elite. It’s a pretty substantial block of Lunarlon with a Zoom bag in the heel. It borderline infuriates me that a $200 shoe doesn’t have full Zoom, when that insole is obviously already in production since it’s an option on the ID models. Hell, give me TWO insoles at that price – one with Lunar + Zoom and the other full Zoom.

It’s great as far as step in comfort but I’ve never been a huge fan of Lunar on court. I didn’t like the feedback from the midsole upon first wearings but it does need to be broken in. I should have a better feel after some pickup ball tonight.

Traction
The YMCA floor I played on was fairly dirty from high kid use on a Sunday afternoon and traction suffered because of it. On a clean floor, combined with the flexibility of the outsole, I think they’ll be just fine.

Materials
The aforementioned Flyknit is excellent – much closer to Engineered Mesh or Fuse that to traditional Flyknit. Still salty about the midsole tech. But the fit and finish is very nice, and it’s a sweet looking shoe. The next week or two will see heavy use out of them and I’m excited to see how it holds up.

Tag: Kobe 11

Performance Review: Nike Kobe XI 11 Elite

First Impressions: Kobe XI Elite