Nike Hyperdunk 2012 Low – The Gym Rat Review

December 28, 2013May 18, 2014 jtsittler Performance Reviews

TGRR Year in Performance Reviews

Prose: Jake Sittler (@jtsittler)

With the end of 2013 quickly approaching, I thought we’d take a quick look back at every shoe we’ve reviewed here at TGRR. With Finch and I both wrapping up our college days and entering the real world, this site has been a great creative outlet and a way to keep both of us in the shoe game. It helped me get my first real job and kept me writing and editing.

Finch and I both also still play a lot of competitive ball (our latest league championship was won just two weeks ago) and we’re always looking for the best performance products. Focusing on how a shoe really performs – not just the colorways or hype that it gets – is something that gets lost in the sneaker community at times. At TGRR, we try to keep on-court performance at the forefront.

Hyperdunk 2012 Low

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Fit and lockdown; plays smooth and low to the ground; lightweight
Cons: Traction could be better; midsole/cushioning breaks down too quickly; not enough impact protection
Verdict: A nice alternative to the midcut Hyperdunk, the Hyperdunk Low gives you great fit and court feel. But the cushioning wore out much too quickly for my taste and I felt the lack of impact protection in my knees and hips after just a couple months of wearings.

Nike Zoom Hyperdisruptor

Reviewer: Finch
Pros: Heel lockdown; lightweight; traction; plush Zoom cushioning
Cons: Midsole is too flexible, creating various issues; outsole separated from shoe after a couple of weeks
Verdict: A lightweight shoe that’s nice to play in initially, but the flimsy midsole hurts performance in a variety of ways. The Zoom bags aren’t as responsive as they should be, there’s not enough structure or rigidity through the heel-toe transition, and there’s simply a lack of support due to the soft midsole and no shank. Plenty of durability concerns. Also probably overpriced at $130.

Jordan CP3.VI

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Podulon cushioning has been refined and improved; traction is top-notch; smooth transition and low to the ground feel
Cons: Upper a little stiff, leading to fit being not quite snug; Achilles pad is comfortable but tough to get full heel lockdown
Verdict: The CP3.VI is an elite guard shoe. It featured some of the best traction and cushioning of any shoe I’ve tested and the whole shoe just played well. I wasn’t a fan of the fit – I couldn’t get a glove-like, snug fit with the Fuse upper being kind of stiff – but I do have a narrow foot and that may be more a reflection of my own needs than the shoe itself. If the shoe fit me better through the midfoot and heel, I really would have loved it. It’s an extremely comfortable shoe as far as cushioning goes, and it was immediately added to the off-court rotation.

Nike Flyknit Lunar1+
Reviewer: Kim

Nike Air Way Up

Reviewer: Finch
Pros: Ankle, tongue and heel padding; supportive midsole
Cons: Poor transition; traction doesn’t meet modern standards; bulkier shoe than most of today’s models
Verdict: It’s probably better served as an off-court shoe, but it was still fun to see how a 90s retro compares today. The leather build and interior padding were great from a quality standpoint, but the shoe just doesn’t play like the current options out there.

adidas Crazyquick

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Flexible and low to the ground; excellent traction and lateral stability; fit is the best of any shoe I’ve ever had
Cons: Midsole doesn’t have a ton of support (it’s not built for that); runs very narrow – good for me, bad for a lot of folks
Verdict: The Crazyquick is shoe 1b for me this year. I absolutely loved it. I’ve never worn a shoe that played so low to the ground and allowed for such quick changes of direction. The shoe actually gave me confidence, in the sense that I knew I could play and move exactly like I needed to with it on my feet. The fit, with a Techfit upper and extended Sprintframe, was like a glove.

Nike KD V Elite

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Snug fit from heel to toe; quality materials used throughout
Cons: Stiff and rigid midsole; cushioning neither soft nor responsive; traction not as good as most I tested
Verdict: The KD V Elite was the one Elite model I was most excited to try out this year (because it differed so much from the base shoe) and I was wholly disappointed. While I loved the lockdown and support from the premium upper materials (including plenty of carbon fiber), the transition was poor thanks to a very stiff chassis. The cushioning was overly firm – from the outsole to the midsole, it just wasn’t an enjoyable setup underfoot.

Nike Hyperdunk 2013

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Excellent fit, flexible with great lockdown; overall comfort
Cons: Midsole support leaves some to be desired; Lunarlon cushioning
Verdict: The Hyperdunk 2013 will probably the shoe you see on court more than any other this year, and for good reason. It’s a great all-around performer that will fit a variety of player types. It’s good – but not great – in a lot of areas, with the most glaring being a lack of support in the midsole. A more substantial shank would have been a huge bonus. But the fit and lockdown are great, and it’s a shoe I’d recommend.

Nike Zoom Hyperquickness

Reviewer: Finch
Pros: Zoom cushioning setup; traction is excellent; overall value at $105
Cons: Fuse upper is a little stiff, doesn’t hug the foot; Fuse isn’t quite as high quality as other models
Verdict: At $105, the Hyperquickness is a good value for budget-conscious hoopers. You’re not going to get an overly refined shoe from a fit standpoint, but the cushioning and traction are solid and the Hyperfuse upper is plenty durable.

Nike Free Flyknit
Reviewer: Kim

Under Armour Micro G Anatomix Spawn

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Midfoot support system is excellent; Micro G cushioning is responsive as ever; lockdown is perfect
Cons: Traction pattern is not deep enough and is poor on even slightly dirty courts
Verdict: Along with the Crazyquick, this is shoe 1a for me. The fit and lockdown are as good as any shoe on the market. Micro G cushioning doesn’t get enough respect, and it proves to be both responsive and stable in the Anatomix Spawn. The midfoot TPU frame is one of the coolest support systems I’ve seen and it actually works too. A great overall shoe that will probably be ignored by too many people.

adidas Adizero Crazy Light 3

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Extremely light; plays low to the ground
Cons: Cushioning is firm and a little slappy; lacing system and fit are sloppy; midsole is barely there
Verdict: The Crazy Light 3 is, in fact, light. But that’s just about all the benefit I could glean from the shoe. The cushioning is fairly responsive considering how thin it is, but it just doesn’t offer much impact protection or general comfort/support. I could never really get true lockdown thanks to a poorly designed lacing system (needs more eyelets) and the upper itself felt too thin and cheap.

Jordan CP3.VII

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Excellent use of materials; cushioning provides both impact protection and responsiveness; traction is very good
Cons: Couldn’t get perfect lockdown; shape of the footbed didn’t personally suit me
Verdict: The CP3.VII is undeniably a great on court option – but it didn’t fit me all that well. Each aspect of the shoe was very good, even excellent, except for the fit and that is too crucial for me to ignore. Make sure you try them on first before ordering, but you’ll get great cushioning, traction and quality from the CP3.VII.

Jordan XX8 SE

Reviewer: Sittler
Pros: Midfoot support with Flight Plate chassis; heel fit and overall fit; Proplate Zoom setup is awesome
Cons: Lack of customization with 5 eyelets in the lacing system; Zoom bag blew out within 10 wearings
Verdict: I loved everything about the shoe until the Zoom bag blew out. Normally, it could be chalked up to a freak occurrence but I’ve seen a pair of regular XX8s – with same cushioning/midsole setup – have the same issue. Both shoes had a huge bulge develop along the vertical line in the forefoot Zoom bags. Other than that, the shoe was awesome. The Zoom setup was super responsive, carbon fiber was used strategically and effectively; it was simply a great performer on-court.

Moving forward, we have a couple of reviews on deck. Finch will be supplying us with a Jordan Super.Fly2 review in the near future, and is excited to cop the Nike Zoom Crusader for his next review. I’ll be copping Kyrie Irving’s Zoom HyperRev (as soon as my voucher comes back from Nike for my XX8 SEs that blew out) and reviewing them next. The HyperRev is certainly a unique silhouette, but I’m interested to see how much support will come from a Phylite midsole (with a full-length Zoom bag). We’re looking forward to a new year and a plethora of new shoes to review here at TGRR.

June 30, 2013September 21, 2013 jtsittler Performance Reviews

Performance Review: Long-term Updates

Prose: Jake Sittler (@jtsittler)

We’ve got performance reviews for seven different models already in our archives, with yours truly responsible for four of them. The Nike Hyperdunk Low 2012, Jordan CP3.VI, adidas Crazyquick and Nike KD V Elite are the four models I’ve had the pleasure of hooping in. While you can hit any of the links and read the full review, I wanted to give you guys a quick update on how each of the shoes progressed in terms of performance over time.

Nike Hyperdunk Low 2012
Review posted: 1/29/13

The Hyperdunk Low really impressed me in terms of fit and lockdown, with the Dynamic Flywire doing a better than expected job in both departments. Fit is an important aspect of the performance of any pair of shoes, but is especially crucial in a low-top basketball shoe because so little material is used for lockdown. The Hyperdunk Low did not disappoint and I continued to feel secure and strapped in when it came to the fit, no matter how many games I put it through.

However, after 5-6 weeks of playing in them, I really noticed the Lunarlon cushioning go flat. I felt that the foam used simply compacted and lost a lot of responsiveness. I know plenty in the sneaker community are fans of Lunar foam, and I’ll admit that the cushioning setup does form to your foot – thus improving the fit even more. I simply don’t think it holds up as long as it should, especially given the price of the shoe. It got bad enough on my knees that I eventually switched over to the CP3.VI full-time, as its Podulon cushioning setup was one of my favorites so far.

Jordan CP3.VI
Review posted: 3/15/13

The CP3.VI was really close to being an elite performance shoe – and it was still really, really good. The Podulon cushioning, as mentioned before, was awesome. The targeted zones were well-placed and allowed for excellent responsiveness and transition through the footstrike. Traction was top-notch too, with a deep herringbone pattern featuring flex grooves at precisely the right points. The traction remains some of the best I’ve had on a performance hoops shoe.

The only complaint I had with the shoe had to do with the fit, especially near the heel. The achilles pad, so often used in the CP3 line, really hindered the lockdown at the heel. It was just impossible to get total lockdown with the pad in the way. It’s great for comfort; not so great for lockdown. I also felt that the Fuse upper – while proving to be extremely durable – didn’t give me a perfect either simply because the material was too thick or stiff to fully conform to my foot.

adidas adipure Crazyquick
Review posted: 5/13/13

The Crazyquick is easily my favorite shoe of the bunch and one of my all-time favorites in terms of performance (alongside the Kobe VI, Zoom BB2 and Zoom Drive). I’m currently playing in it for all competitive games and have been switching it out with the KD V Elite for workouts. The fit is simply fantastic. It’s snug and locks you into the midsole from heel to toe thanks to the Techfit upper and Sprintframe chassis. There’s been a lengthy debate concerning the cushioning and whether it’s plush enough, but to me it allows the shoe to function perfectly. The Crazyquick plays low to the ground with excellent court feel – thus giving up some impact protection – but the shoe’s responsiveness and lateral stability are unrivaled.

Nike KD V Elite
Review posted: 6/11/13

While it’s not as “long-term” of an update, here’s a few final thoughts on the most recently tested model, the KD V Elite. The KD V Elite was a shoe that I was eager to test out, but simply didn’t meet the expectations set up by the Elite title, high-end materials and price point. The technology isn’t in question – it’s riddled with high-performance parts. Caged Zoom Air, carbon fiber shank and heel counter, and a Flywire-based upper are more than enough when it comes to tech. It’s just those pieces don’t function as well as they should.

The Zoom cushioning is hampered by poor, slappy transition that saps its responsiveness. The chassis was simply too stiff to allow for smooth heel-toe transition for those of us that are heel-strikers. The fit was extremely snug and lockdown was tight, but there wasn’t a comfort level that I was used to in the CP3.VI or Crazyquick. I loved the low cut and the fit, but the shoe simply felt too stripped down for its high-performance elements.

January 23, 2013February 11, 2013 jtsittler Performance Reviews

Performance Review First Look: Nike Hyperdunk 2012 Low

Prose: Sittler (@jtsittler)

I picked up the Hyperdunk 2012 Low today (s/o Caselton Finishline) and got a short shooting workout in at the local YMCA with them on foot. Very, very early impression: the fit is tight and narrow; Lunarlon makes for a smooth heel-toe strike; heel lockdown initially leaves something to be desired and the jury is out on the traction (and all these aspects) until I get some more runs in on good courts.

The full review will be ready in the next 7-10 days; I’ll get three or four competitive runs and several individual workouts in by then. In the meantime, enjoy the first look!