Performance Review: Nike Zoom Shark-A-Laid (Sharkalaid)

The Zoom Flight Club was the first of Nike's Re-Fresh collection to appear on the feet of many NBA players. The Zoom Shark-A-Laid seems to be the next in line, as rising superstar Rudy Gay wore them to tear up the Team USA scrimmage earlier this summer.



A hybrid of the Snake N'Destrukt and the Air Raid, this shoe combines outdoor durability, upper stability, and in-your-face style. Staying true to the Re-Fresh idea, Nike offered these shoes in the classic and irresistible black/white/carbon fiber colorway reminiscent of the Zoom Flight 95.



As I struggled slightly to lace the shoes up, I couldn't help but hope that the two stylish but cumbersome straps that cross over the top of the shoe had some functional purpose. I laced the shoes up to the second-to-last eyelets and found that they were very loose around the ankles. Feeling safer with more ankle support, I tried lacing them all the way to the top. This actually yielded so much ankle support that movement was restricted; I had tightened the laces so tight that the plush ankle collar dug into my Achilles. I loosened them a bit and found a perfect balance of ankle support and mobility.



Since the Shark-A-Laids posess the same midsole setup (Phylon with heel Zoom) and outsole pattern as the Phenoms, my expectations of the same cusioning, heel-toe transition, and traction were verified. Zoom Air in the heel softened my heel strike, heel-toe transition was effortless, and traction was great on both indoor and outdoor surfaces. I noticed almost immediately that the lateral stability of the shoes is amazing, as the two straps actually prevent the upper from shifting outwards during lateral movement, allowing for sharper, more precise cuts. The interior forefoot was slightly on the slim side, but not ridiculously slim like the Foamposite Lites. They're just about as roomy as the LeBron Soldier III's, and the arch height matches that of most Nike shoes (Huaraches, Flight Clubs, Phenoms, Zoom BB's, etc.) The mesh tongue and mesh panels on both sides of the upper allowed for good breathability (the straps didn't seem to suffocate my feet), and the ankle support was very reassuring throughout games - so much so that these shoes can probably even accomodate power forwards and centers.


The straps provide great lateral stability while still allowing the mesh tongue to do its job.


Same outsole pattern and cushioning setup (Phylon midsole with heel Zoom) as the Phenoms



I can't really call this a complaint because the Shark-A-Laids did perform very well, but the ride isn't as low to the ground as shoes like the Phenoms, Zoom BB's or Huaraches. I actually put the Phenoms on my left foot and the Shark-A-Laids on my right foot for a side-by-side comparison, and the Phenoms are definitely lower to the ground. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing; think of it as a BMW's handling vs a sport-tuned Range Rover's. Of course, the Shark-A-Laids are still more nimble than anything built for big men with a full Max Air unit (Air Max Tempo, Air Max Elite).



The Bottom Line: The Nike Zoom Shark-A-Laid is a very good shoe that's best suited for mobile forwards that crave ankle support but still want a smooth ride in a quick shoe. Overall, they're a tad heavier and slightly clunkier than the Zoom Phenoms, but this level of lateral stability and ankle support in a shoe that forwards and even big guards will appreciate is tough to match.




Rudy Gay wearing the Nike Zoom Shark-A-Laid (custom Team USA colorway) at the Team USA scrimmage in Las Vegas

Weapon of Choice: Nike Zoom Shark-A-Laid

Continuing with the Nike Re-Fresh trend, I've decided to hoop in the Nike Zoom Shark-a-laids this week. Just can't get over the Flight '95 black/white/carbon fiber colorway of this shoe. If I can find the Alpholutions in this colorway in my size, it'll be snatched up quickly.

Performance Review: Nike Zoom Phenom

If you're following this blog, I know you're a big enough basketball fan to have tried to piece together your idea of the perfect basketball player. Jason Kidd's court awareness, Tony Parker's blinding speed, LeBron's build, Iverson's handle, Gilbert Arenas' range, Kobe's clutch and perimeter offense, Hakeem's inside offense, Gerald Green's vertical leap, Dwight Howard's strength and shot blocking, Chris Paul's pickpocketing, Dennis Rodman's rebounding... you get the idea.



It's this principle - combining the best traits from multiple entities - that resulted in the Nike Zoom Phenom. A hybrid of the Shake N'Destruct (outsole) and the Air Max Sensation (upper), the Zoom Phenom has a lot to offer as a very good basketball shoe.





Upon taking them out of the box and prepping them to be put on, it was refreshing to realize that the Phenoms don't have any gimmicks - no midfoot straps that get in the way or zip-up shrouds that have you wondering where the laces should be placed. You simply slide your foot in, and with one or two quick tugs on both lace ends, the speed-lacing system (borrowed from the Air Max Sensation) has your foot locked, loaded, and ready for battle.



During shootaround, the midsole proved to be very flexible out of the box. However, I noticed that as the shoes bent with each step, the somewhat stiff patent leather forced the uppers to crease inwards and press on the tops of my feet at the base of the toes. My remedy was to physically pull outwards on the upper where it was bending inwards, while simultaneously bending the shoes so that the upper creased outwards away from the feet (it's easiest to do this while wearing the shoes). After bending the shoes in this manner a few times, they naturally started to crease this way without manual help, and they no longer dug into my feet. (This trick not only worked with these shoes, but with many other shoes as well.) *EDIT* I will be posting photos to illustrate this technique.



The Phenoms during game play are, well, phenomenal. They feel very light on your feet, and while the outsole may appear bulkier than desired around the toebox, I didn't feel that my quickness or first step were hindered at all. Lockdown and ankle support were terrific as well, as I felt completely safe wrapped in the plush supportive upper, yet unhindered with the shoes laced all the way to the top. The outsole pattern seem more suited for outdoor courts, but I had absolutely no problems with traction on our well-maintained indoor court. A large visible Zoom Air unit in the heel cushioned every heelstrike, and while I would've loved Zoom in the forefoot, the Phylon forefoot provided a nice, gentle ride.





I should give a little extra focus on the Phenom's interior. They're generously roomy and perfect for players with flat, semi-wide feet. The roominess reminded me of the Flight Clubs, but thanks again to the speed-lacing system, the Phenoms have much better lockdown.

The Bottom Line: It's no wonder that Deron Williams, Rudy Gay, and Brandon Roy stuck with these shoes throughout the entire season. They look sharp, perform very well, are ready to go right out of the box, and seem capable of maintaining durability through longer periods of time. And at a very affordable $50 with F&F + sale price on Eastbay, the Zoom Phenoms are a great shoe to add to your rotation.

A closer look at the Nike Zoom Phenom Deron Williams PE:

Welcome to Sneaker Livestock!

Welcome, sneakerheads! As some of you know, I started sneakergallery.blogspot.com a few weeks ago, and thanks to you all, it has gained enough popularity to justify taking this to the next step. So without further ado, I present Sneaker Livestock.

Why Sneaker Livestock? Because none of the shoes I write about are deadstock. All of the shoes on my site are worn and tested by me in a basketball setting in an effort to provide insight into how they perform. I'm not sponsored, and I don't get paid for this. I buy all my shoes with funds out of pocket. Hopefully, one day, cost will not be an issue in providing you, the readers, with more reviews on more sneakers. But for now, I'm doing my best to review the more popular models, and I hope you find the reviews helpful in your sneaker choices.

Of course, I'm just one opinion; if any of you have worn the shoes that I review and agree or disagree with anything, please shoot me an email at sneakerlivestock@gmail.com and let me know. I'm always open to other opinions and constructive feedback.

I'm quite active on message boards, so look for me on NikeTalk and Sole Collector Forum (username Whiplash).

And don't forget to follow Sneaker Livestock on Facebook and Twitter (links are in the left-hand navigation bar) to stay current with new review posts and other news, such as when I get new shoes.

I've said enough; I'll let the reviews do the talking now. Thanks again for reading, and keep the encouraging emails coming!

Performance Review: Nike Zoom Flight Club

In 1998, Nike released the Nike Zoom Flight 98 - the signature shoe of Gary Payton, a.k.a "The Glove". The shoe featured a glove-like shroud that covered the entire upper, secured by a zipper which spanned the length of the top of the foot. Eleven years later, the Zoom Flight Club is born with design influence on almost blanant-ripoff levels. However, while I never had the priviledge of balling in the Zoom Flight 98's, I can say that the Zoom Flight Clubs are terrific performing basketball shoes.



When I took the shoes out of the box, I couldn't help but notice the shroud's remarkable flexibility. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who thought the shroud might be a thick, unforgiving, rubber-like material that would require plenty of break-in, but it's actually incredibly thin and pliable.



My feet slipped into the Flight Clubs very easily, and the shoe's generous width and low arch were a treat to my semi-wide, flat feet. After tying the laces, it occurred to me that I really had no idea where they were supposed to sit. Outside the shroud? Nah... it has to be inside, but where? Wouldn't it press uncomfortably into my feet during play? I tucked half into the medial side and the other half into the lateral side and zipped up the shroud.



As I started warming up, I noticed how amazingly flexible the shoes were. The outsoles felt as if I had been playing in them for half a season (I actually took the shoes off again and tried bending them in half by hand, which was accomplished with very little effort - I encourage everyone to try this with the display model next time you see them in stores), and the shroud did absolutely nothing to hinder any of my movements. After a few minutes, I noticed some slight pressure on the tops of my feet, so I unzipped the shrouds, re-tucked all of the laces into the medial side, and re-zipped; that proved to be the best placement for the laces, as they no longer put pressure on any part of my feet.



The Flight Clubs were an absolute pleasure to play in. Of course, the Zoom Air in the heel provided top-notch cushioning, and though the forefoot does not contain an air unit of any kind, the midsole was foamy enough to allow a little bit of cushioning (a similar feel to Lunar Foam) along with a great low-profile feel for the court. The shroud combined with the velcro strap provided pretty good lockdown, but since this is a wider shoe, my feet moved around a tiny bit, but it was definitely an allowable amount to sacrifice for the great comfort. The shoes feel lighter on the feet than what the listed weight would suggest (15 oz), and they're very quick, nimble shoes with very sticky traction.



One problem that I encountered was that the zipper kept unzipping during play. I experimented with a few different ways of placing the zipper and found a method that held up for the rest of the night. When the zipper is pulled all the way up, it sits just above the velcro strap that goes across the top of the ankle. The trick is to pull the zipper up, secure the velcro strap, and then flip the tab of the zipper back over the velcro strap (see the first photo). What this does is essentially anchor the zipper so that it's less likely to slide back down under the strap.

After about 2.5 hours of play, I took off the shoes and noticed that my feet were quite drenched. I typically sweat very heavily, but I've rarely noticed this amount of moisture in my feet. My guess is that the shroud, while perforated, still hinders the breathability that the mesh inner boot would allow. It wasn't a big problem for me, though.



The Bottom Line: The Zoom Flight Clubs were quite a surprise on the basketball court. They require absolutely no break-in time, as they can go instantly from box to killer crossover. I would've loved having Zoom Air in the forefoot, but there was sufficient cushioning there nonetheless. My greatest concern is durability. Will the forefoot cushioning bottom out over time? Will the super-flexible outsole peel away from the super-soft shroud at the side of the shoe? I'll definitely be looking to answer these questions with continued playing time.

Performance Review: Nike KD1

For me, there's nothing better than the smooth, responsive, springy, low profile ride of Nike's Zoom Air technology, especially if present in both the forefoot and heel. That said, Zoom Air isn't for everyone, so Nike doesn't put it in every shoe - and that's completely understandable. But explain to me why Nike likes to produce shoe after shoe with Zoom Air in the heel, but not in the forefoot?

Basketball is a sport that requires quick, drastic changes of direction at the blink of an eye. Anyone who has played any kind of sport knows that in order to make these kinds of movements, you need to stay on your toes. So if players are spending most of their court time on the balls of their feet, why do the Hyperize, Shark-A-Laid, Zoom Kobe IV, Zoom Flight Club, Zoom Phenom, Zoom FP, Hyperdunk, and Zoom Sharkley all contain Zoom Air in the heel but have nothing in the forefoot??

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the KD1 would be one of a rare breed that has Zoom Air in the forefoot but not in the heel. This attribute combined with the very affordable price tag (on sale at footlocker.com for $59.99 + Friends & Family = $53 shipped!) made it easy to grab a pair for testing.

I actually laced these up last week and warmed up in them, but they were much too stiff to play in straight out of the box. The midsole felt great (like a Huarache without Zoom Air in the heel) but the upper was very stiff and unforgiving (constructed with leather on the lateral side and a stiffer, patent leather-like material on the medial side). On top of that, the thin mesh tongue did nothing to improve comfort. So, I went back to the Soldier III for the day and spent a full week wrestling with the shoe, bending it and manually trying to wear down the upper by hand.


The thin mesh tongue helps breathability, but does nothing to cushion the tops of your feet from the thin uppers.


Stiff patent leather-like medial side (top shoe) vs the leather lateral side (bottom shoe)

Already knowing how thin and uncomfortable the uppers of these shoes are, I came prepared this week with a double layer of socks. This time around, they felt much better after they were laced up. The double socks provided the plushness that I craved, the uppers were considerably softer thanks to my manual labor, and the Zoom Air felt terrific under my forefoot.


The outsole pattern allows great flexibility while providing excellent traction.

The best way to describe the performance of the KD1 is that they're basically a poor man's Huarache 08. Midsole cushioning and flexibility was quite good, and ankle support was decent. I thought there was a slim chance that I would miss not having Zoom Air in the heel, but it never bothered me at all. Responsiveness was surprisingly good, as the traction actually felt slightly stickier than the Huarache 08. The footprint profile isn't narrow like the 2K4, but not super-wide like the 2K5, and with a listed weight of 15 ounces, the KD1's are a fairly nimble shoe. Lockdown could improve, as the upper isn't very sculpted and there are no straps to help the shoes hug the feet (early photos of the KD2 show a strap across the top of the foot).



The Bottom Line: The KD1 is a decent performing shoe for the price. For $88 (retail), you're getting a great midsole with Zoom Air cushioning, a very sticky outsole, and a clean looking signature shoe. However, the stiff and uncushioned upper makes the shoe uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. Its minimal construction leads me to believe that this shoe will take years of punishment without breaking down, but obviously it'll take much more testing for me to prove that. I plan to continue wearing these and will follow up with an update down the road.

Performance Review: Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier III 3

I already know you're thinking it. A review for a LeBron shoe? Another heavy, bulky, boot-like excuse for a basketball shoe that only LeBron James himself can wear and not become exhausted after running up and down the court once?

Well you may have heard that the Soldier III is unlike any other LeBron shoe ever released. I was very skeptical when I went to Eastbay.com and saw their listed weight of 13.4 oz. It couldn't be possible - that's damn-near Hyperdunk-light (13.2 oz)! The previous year's Soldier II's weigh in at 17.4 oz... four beefy ounces heavier.

So what gives? Was it a typo? Could a LeBron shoe actually be that light? And even if it really is, does the shoe even perform well on the court? As the performance reviews started appearing on the internet, I read as many as I could find. Most were surprisingly positive, and after reading Nick DePaula's gushing review on Sole Collector, I just had to lace up a pair and see for myself. When I walked into Champs and asked the sales rep for the Soldier III's, he asked, "You're going to ball in them??" As I explained that I had read positive reviews, another sales rep overheard and said, "You're actually gonna play in those boats? You're gonna have massive calves by the end of the night!"

After 2 outings, I'm happy to report that their assumptions were wrong.

Before I begin with performance, I'm compelled to comment on how great these shoes look. They don't look like big, heavy work boots like the other LeBron shoes; the shape is very practical and sensible, and no part of the design feels forced. The swooping, curved line from ankle to toebox combined with the two large velcro straps are dramatic, yet clean, and most of the colorways are very sharp (I could do without the black/camouflage).

Out of the box, the shoes feel amazingly light but solidly built. I contemplated cutting the straps off as Nick DePaula did, but I wanted to try the shoes out as Nike had engineered and intended them to be worn (and this particular colorway doesn't look right without the straps). After I had my feet in the shoes, I wrestled with the straps as they did indeed get in the way of lace tying, but that was easily remedied by simply stepping on the straps.

With the laces tied and straps in place, I noticed right away that the lockdown throughout the entire shoe was very good. Nike's use of a ballistic mesh upper was a great choice since it trims weight off the shoes while providing durable, consistent flexibility (leather continuously breaks in and eventually becomes too soft). I paid special attention to the upper strap, as I squeezed the area around the ankle part of the shoe before securing the strap; I found that extra step to provide amazing heel lockdown.

During play, the familiar forefoot and heel Zoom Air cushioning provided a great and responsive ride. Traction was terrific, and the straps really helped lock down the shoes. I thought the width of the straps might restrict bending of the feet, but it was never a problem. Lateral stability was very good with help from the straps and patent leather. The shoes were initially laced all the way to the top, but I found that it put unnecessary stress on the tongue, which in turn pressed on the top part of my ankle. Lacing them up to the second-to-last eyelets proved to e perfect.

These feathery-light shoes were true extensions of my feet as I never once noticed the "presence" of the shoes (except to think, "Damn, these are amazing shoes!"). Yes, I'm saying this about LeBron shoes!

The Bottom Line: The Zoom LeBron Soldier III really does prove doubters wrong with its amazing light weight, playability out of the box, forefoot and heel Zoom Air cushioning, and terrific foot lockdown. Not only did these immediately carve out a spot in my top 5 performers list, but they'll also turn heads whether worn casually or on the court. As the different colorways hit outlets and sale racks, I'll definitely be adding more pairs of the Soldier III's to my playing rotation.