Yuku free message boards

Finally got around to playing in these today:


Comfort/Fit: 4.5/5 - Seeing as a lot of the upper of the shoe is patent leather, I was worried that there might be some discomfort while an initial "break-in" period passed but these were smooth, plush and flexible right out of the box. I also heard of some people having ventilation issues with these shoes but my experience today did not confirm any such problem and the gym for our game today was really hot. The only reason these didnt get a 5 out of 5 for this category is because one shoe felt a little 'looser' than the other (you should however, realize that almost every person has one foot bigger than the other) but this looseness was not a problem at all (just laced the shoe a little tighter).

Cushioning: 4.8/5 - walking, jogging, dead sprint, big jump, jumpshots, lateral slides, any movement you might make in basketball and these performed well in this department. The DHIP in the heel + forefoot zoom provides excellent support during any of these moves. My only concern would be long-term durability. In older basketball sneakers with foam-based midsoles, the foam wears down over time (which is why Nike came up with air bags which do not wear down nearly as much over time as foam alone). I'm not too familiar with DHIP (I've been trying to find some reading material on it) but I'm pretty sure its not some form of air (otherwise they would've called it "air" something) and without this air bag, I would be weary of this DHIP not being as responsive at some point down the road. By then of course, I'll be playing in something else so this is not that big of a concern.

Traction: 4.9/5 Let me start of by saying these are excellent in any stop and go, shake n bake, hard cut situation. The ONLY reason these arent 5/5 in this category is because I don't get the "squeaky-squeaky" type traction which is just a personal preference of mine. Despite this, I was by no means slipping and sliding around the court during any movements. The modified herringbone pattern on the outsole provides excellent traction.

Ankle Support: 5/5 I laced these up through the second to last hole (again my personal preference; I like my ankles to have a little freedom even though it's a midcut shoe). The padded foam collar around the collar as well as along the back of the foot (top of the achilles) provided great coverage for my ankles and feet. I was never worried about tipping or turning my ankle as the subtle outriggers along the lateral forefoot as well as along the heel (both lateral and medial side) provided a wider base for your feet and thus, a very stable feel underfoot.

Overall - I would say these are definitely a guard shoe (and perhaps slashing forwards) just based on the cushioning systems intact (and come on - its a shoe designed for Chris Paul). With that being said, these are one of the best guard shoes I've played in for sometime. Cushioning was great to me compared to the hyperdunks (which were a little on the "mushy" side) and overall support and fit were great. I had a great experience playing in these on the very first run and a good shoe should be excellent right out of the box which these were. If you are looking for a great guard shoe, you cannot go wrong with these. $118 isn't too big of a hit on the wallet and with F&F's pretty much every month now, you may be able to get these at a great price.