Kicksnet Basketball Shoe Reviews

As the N.B.A. Finals begin we are reminded of great basketball tradition and heritage. Today’s players are standing on the shoulders of giants. Giants like Bird, Magic, Jordan, Taylor, Malone, Maravich, Chaimberlain and so many more. These players that have made the game become what it is today. Similarly, basketball shoe technology and design stands on the shoulders their own giant predecessors. Shoes are one of the keys that allow great players to become greater yet. Try going out and playing in a pair of old school Chuck Taylors today… you might just kill yourself! An amazing array of research, technological advancements and new materials have contributed to ever increasing value. Basketball shoes now protect, support and comfort players better than ever before.

The BBII is one of those great shoes that just keeps on giving.

The Nike Air Zoom BBII does just that… possessing the latest in materials, comfort and design. The BBII is one of those great shoes that just keeps on giving. They quietly provide ultimate comfort and support in a Tim Duncan manner. They simply do the J.O.B. without reminding you that they are even there… At the top of the Uptempo family of shoes, the BBII’s give the support, grip and cushioning needed to qualify highly for both big men and quick and Nashty guards. While they appear to have an extremely low profle sole, they possess the hidden full cushion and support needed to pad big men. They are also low to the ground and light giving lightning quick response through the full length zoom air unit.


The great overall comfort and support of the Zoom BBII explain its wide adoption throughout the N.B.A. and NCAA teams. After the BBII’s release in late February, almost every single game of basketball on TV reveals at least one player in action wearing the second generation Zoom BB. What is strange is the limited production and buy in from the large footwear retailers. Currently the Nike Air Zoom BBII is available at NikeTown (nikeid + 1 colorway), Champs – in one colorway (white, black and yellow) and Eastbay (3 colorways). Come on folks… this may be the best all around basketball shoe ever made!

This is a strange exclusion especially since it was changed after the shoe was in production.

The shoe fits true to size with one small caveat – the heel cup is slightly larger than it needs to be. It feels fine when wearing two pair of socks, but is noticeable when trying on for the first time. An interesting note - The first pair of bbII’s released have a sock liner that wraps the full heel and protrudes up the Achilles (in the black on black full grain colorway). This sock liner would take up the millimeter or so of extra space in the heel cup, which explains the extra space in our test pair (the red, black, and white colorway). This is a strange exclusion especially since it was changed after the shoe was in production.

Ankle support

The high cut of the Zoom BBII’s give excellent ankle support. Reminiscent of the vintage Nike Air Force Highs and the Air Jordan VI, the BB’s have heat molded leather bubbles on each side of the ankle mallalis. High lacing lockdown around the ankle is great. The high cut wraps high above the ankle and provides extra support with the latest technological enhancements – a slightly supinated stance, achillies notch above the heel cup and also an external heel cup seam.

One thing missing from the BB’s is the anti inversion mechanism. Having a stiff internal construction (monkey paw) on the inside of each foot helps reduce rollover angle. Nike used this technology consistently for several years, but now appear to be moving away from it. This one of the key components I liked having in my pair of sneaks. Where did it go!?

Construction

Upper

The upper is constructed of three major components – sole to mid, mid, and ankle sections. In the colorway tested, the sole to mid foot section is made of patent leather (non-stretching) which provides extra lateral support at the highest stress points – wrapping the girth of the foot. The Zoom BBII breathes well through the full length set of circular holes cut into the mid upper – made of full grain leather. The ¾ length inner sock allows air in and sweat out. Foot temperature was perfect while testing indoors. The tongue is full mesh with the exception of the top leather pull tab.

This external seam in combination with the extremely low profile look are the trademark characteristics of the Nike Zoom BBII.

The sole to mid and mid foot external components are connected by a unique external seam. It resembles the external stitch from the Jordan XX3. This new seam technology allows for seams with unusual placement because there is no extra padding needed inside the shoe where high pressure areas can cause discomfort for the foot. This external seam in combination with the extremely low profile look are the trademark characteristics of the Nike Zoom BBII.

The Zoom BBII’s unique characteristics require the upper to perform a more supportive role than is normally expected. This results in a little bit of extra bulk around the lower (sole to mid) part of the foot, especially the heel. Thus the shoes form has a slightly pillowy look when fully locked down with laces. You can push through a couple millimeters of external padding through the patent leather wrapping the heel cup from the outside. These shoes are not sleek with tight lines, other than the lines created by the seams. They look solid and they are… solid. This extra bulk bulges out with waves of compression during high angle cuts especially on the medial or inner side of the foot – in the ankle area. The internal comfort is not compromised by this extra baggage.

Sole

The sole is comprised of a full foot extra large herringbone pattern. The ball of the foot has a more typical herringbone pattern enclosed in a circle. The lateral or pinky toe side of the foot has a rubber “wing” protrusion that provides extra tight traction for hard cutting guards. The heel is slightly up curved for hard quick stops.



The low profile look is the shoes main supportive feature. Constructed of a harder composite rubber – it runs the full length of the sole and provides the BBII’s responsive spring. The shoe lacks a visible graphite arch shank – but there is definitely extra support below the slightly lifted arch.

The solid rubber non-marking outsole wraps up and around key traction areas in the medial forefoot and medial heel. It is also stamped with a micropattern for traction enhancement.

Footbed

As already mentioned – the footbed is constructed using zoom-air technology. Consistent with the last several zoom soled shoes – the Zoom BBII has a thinner zoom air sole. While this decreases bulk and decreases the sponginess (think Flightposit), it raises questions about the longevity and lifespan potential for these shoes. Maybe Nike will start selling Zoom Air insoles to help replace worn out footbeds. It appears that the shoes sole and upper construction will outlast the comfort provided by the footbed.

Summary

The second generation of Nike’s Zoom BB’s have imporved upon their predicessor. They are a solid contender for our shoe of the year. The BBII basketball shoes perform extremely well for all players and have a solid built to last consturuction. And all this for only a ‘C’ note - unless of course you won’t wear anything that doesn’t have your name on it… you can also custom build a pair with nikeid for $125. We look forward to the next release - Zoom BBIII

- Fiji


Tags: Basketball, Basketball Shoes, N.B.A, Nash, Review, Shoe, Zoom Air