DJTaurus
Hall of Fame
What basketball shoes would you recommend then?
Nike Air Zoom Zero (summer 18 release)
- Thread starter DJTaurus
- Start date
What basketball shoes would you recommend then?
rader023
Rookie
Have you tried any adidas? heard some people mention adidas crazylight boost?
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
does the cushioning have good energy return ?? does it make you jump higher ?I went ahead and acquired a pair as an experiment and just spent 2 hours on court with the Zoom Zero.
Cosmetics
I opted for women's all white version in my standard size (men's 9). I personally don't find shoes that are overwhelmingly black in color that appealing so it was an easy choice for me to go with the current women's version. The shoe is attractive but not so much for it being sculpted in detail but because of the overall form it takes. It's "big" and sleek with not many detail transitions carved into the upper. The canvas-like upper is indeed a questionable design choice but it's not a deal breaker for me.
Fit
I went with my normal shoe size and while I still have more than what I might like in spacing between my big toe and the front of the shoe, I recognize that going a half size down would definitely make the fit around the rest of my foot unbearable. The bootie is snug and does present a challenge to inserting your foot but once you master the practice of grabbing the bootie by the front and back and sliding it on, it becomes a non-issue. The snug fit of the bootie is comfortable and the overall shoe design does hug the foot. My heel felt sufficiently locked in even before I tied the laces which is a good thing because these shoes don't have the extra eyelet for lace locking. It's easy to tie these too tight as my first time tying them with my usual level of effort was like applying a tourniquet. I re-tied them with less pressure and all is good.
Comfort/Feel
The ride in the Zoom Zero sits noticeably higher off the ground. Much more so than any Vapor models, the Cage 3s and probably as high as the Cage 2s. Even though it sits higher, the stability was great due the outsole of the shoe being pretty broad in width. I never felt as if the shoe was going to roll on me unexpectedly or without little effort. The cushioning in this shoe was great but I can't say that it's any better than the Cage 3s. I actually found it slightly firmer than the Cage 3s and much firmer than the Lunar Ballistecs. Compared to the Cage 3s, the firmer feel was neither a negative or positive, but compared to my Lunar Ballistec experience it was a huge improvement. I found the Lunar Ballistec cushioning to be lacking in support and the Zoom Zero definitely remedies that issue. The shoe had no break-in period. They're supportive without being stiff. There is no ventilation and these get noticeably warmer than my Vapors and Cages over the same period of time.
Performance
It's still too early to give a complete performance assessment after just one session but I will say that I was as comfortable and confident in my movement in the Zoom Zeros as I am in my Vapor 9/9.5s and Cage 3s, but I was well aware that I was not as connected to the court as I'm used to being.
Overall, I think this shoe best suits people that favor the Lunar Ballistecs but want something just a bit lighter and quicker feeling. I can't see these converting Vapor users as these are indeed bulkier shoes that lack the court feel you get with Vapors. Some Cage users might crossover to the Zoom Zeros but I think the Cage 3s still present the best balance between durability, stability and speed that Nike has to offer. My overall opinion..if you're a Lunar Ballistec user, this is the shoe for you.
Jump higher?? Me, personally..no. But your mileage may vary. I'm three weekends into playing in this shoe and the best positive attribute of this shoe is the overall cushioning. I do think I'm experiencing less fatigue in my legs overall due to added cushioning, so that may be some sort of energy return relative to the cushioning.
the_faceless_player
Professional
I'm enjoying my pair so far. I was a little hesitant on how snug they were at first but the upper stretched around my foot pretty quick and I re-laced them with the wide forefoot style and that helped as well. The cushioning is great on court and I echo the feeling of less fatigue. My biggest complaint is the utter lack of ventilation. Releasing an all black shoe in the middle of July just seems stupid, especially when there is little to no ventilation on the upper. My bet is that like the Lunars, there will be a 1.5 or 2.0 version next year that tries to address this issue.
The ventilation is definitely the biggest downside of the shoe in general and it's not just the black ones. Also, like someone else mentioned, my right shoe has developed a noticeable creaking/squeaking noise. It's probably due to some sort of midsole separation. Not enough of an issue to ditch the shoes as I can only hear it indoors when things are completely quiet. Also, these aren't my primary shoes so they'll be relegated to shoes I wear for cold weather play.
Last edited:
the_faceless_player
Professional
Agreed. The black just makes it that much worse, especially when it's 100+ outside in Idaho almost every day right now. I haven't had any issues like the creaking so far. The cushioning is keeping these toward the top my list right now (that and the fact they are less $ than the Asics Court FF, which I love). I'm also testing the Uber 3 currently but need more court time to firm up my opinion.
Noticed this when walking the dog yesterday, but sporadically makes the noise. No biggie as the cushioning still seems fine.
I did not like the Ubersonic 3's at all. There was nothing redeeming about it but I'll save that assessment for another thread.
rader023
Rookie
Have the creaking in the right one as well!
Curious about the ubersonic 3s. Do you mind sharing what you did not like about them?
This latest iteration of the Ubersonic doesn't seem to have enough structure to it if you have a truly medium foot. With most shoes that either have the sock-like upper or bootie-inside-of an upper design, there always seems to be some sort of "constriction" around the foot that gives support (and sometimes that support can be tight to the point of being uncomfortable). With this shoe, even with the bootie, I got none of that support/constriction. It was literally like wearing a casual slip-on shoe for me and not an athletic shoe. I, normally, wear a men's US 9. Trying on the Uber 3's in that size had my toes jammed easily against the front of the shoe. When I went up a half size to the 9.5, the length was perfect but the fit around the rest of my foot was sloppy even with the thick Nike Elite basketball socks I was wearing. Lastly the insole/midsole of the shoe seems really flat. No shape or areas of noticeable support. That being said, my foot is a medium width and I could see this shoe being a perfect fit for someone with a wide foot which would take up that extra room.
Last edited:
Thanks a ton! You just saved me money. Sticking with the zoom zeros as I really like these a lot.
No problem. Each person's experience is subjective so I try to give insight as to why something doesn't work for me based on my physical characteristics.
DJTaurus
Hall of Fame
I would like to hear your opinion on Uber 3 but also compared to Uber 2’s which was my favorite shoe of 2017....to me it took the throne of lightweight shoes from speed solution 2. So i was looking forward to hear more comparison views between Uber’s 2 and 3’s.....and i am very curious why zverev still uses Uber 2.
Ventilation is also mediocre with Cage 3 but overall it’s the best shoe i ve used this year so far....better than Vapor X which are more suitable to wider feet.
Ps- those who hear a squeezing sound from zeros sole don’t be afraid of it. Same behavior has been appeared on new Nike reacts. It has sth to do with the material. It doesn’t affect playability. If it bothers you Nike is aware of it and you can ask to replace it.
the_faceless_player
Professional
Loved the Uber 2. The Uber 3 is definitely wider in the front of the shoe. I didn't find it sloppy personally but it didn't hug my foot like the 2 or the Court FF. I thought the lateral stability of the upper was a bit better as the Dyneema and Vectran fiber patterns give it a bit more structure than the upper of the 2. My biggest issue is with the new midsole. My feet have hurt after each test with them, something that never happened with the 2. While you can tell there is more material there compared to the 2, I don't think its a case of more = better. Feels overall like Adidas went form over function compared to the last model. Perhaps I haven't gotten it broken in enough but the Uber 2 was a zero break in shoe. The Zoom Zero upper (which I was concerned about) stretched out immediately on court and it kills the Uber 3 in terms of cushion. My current opinion between those 2 is actually the reverse from what I was anticipating.
The Big Kahuna
Hall of Fame
Why wouldn’t Nike have addressed that BEFORE release - they had pros wearing these last December! This issue seems like something that should have been identified early on and CORRECTED long before release. Wouldn’t you agree?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist when it comes to things like athletic shoes/cell phones. I think Nike already has design changes in flight and this initial release was simply to bring the next generation shoe to market as quickly as possible to re-capture that Ballistec market.
Last edited:
XFactorer
Hall of Fame
Good eye! I completely missed those racquets in my initial viewing.
Guess it depends on how you move or prioritize in shoes. Would rather concede some in durability for comfort. Find these shoes very comfortable.
The shoe doesn't have a durability guarantee so it sounds like Nike was never expecting this shoe to carry the durability label that other shoes have. One of the concessions of making the shoe lighter/speedier than its predecessors I would assume.
XFactorer
Hall of Fame
If you wear through Vapors, you'll probably wear through this, too.
Why not try it risk-free direct from the manufacturer? They'll let you try a shoe for 30 days and you can return it for any reason...
Last edited:
peteyswift
New User
I played in my ZZ for a couple of weeks. Coming from Vapor Xs, I just couldn’t get used to the muted feel and the lack of lateral support from the upper/squishy feeling from the inner bootie. I know some of that is subjective, but I felt my feet and knees aching a day after sessions where that was not a problem before, maybe from different muscles needing to be used with ZZ.
Anyway I sent them back to Nike for another pair of Vapor X. Oddly, this new pair of Vapors is easier to lace up than my previous pair. YMMV.
Anyway I sent them back to Nike for another pair of Vapor X. Oddly, this new pair of Vapors is easier to lace up than my previous pair. YMMV.
XFactorer
Hall of Fame
Yup, I had that same achy feeling in my legs. The squishiness of the cushioning takes a little time to acclimate to. But I'm fine now. I do think there's less lateral support compared to the Vapors, too.
Filipinotennis
Rookie
Does anyone know if or when these are coming out?
peteyswift
New User
Thanks, I thought I was being crazy!
The Big Kahuna
Hall of Fame
That’s bad news. It sounds like there is a lack of support and stability in the ZZ - given the shoe was supposed to replace I think that is quite disappointing.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
XFactorer
Hall of Fame
No, I think the stability is there. The cushioning just takes a little getting used to - it's just unlike anything else on the market that I've tried.
the_faceless_player
Professional
These continue to climb to the top of my list. On court performance and cushion is just money for me. Hard pass on the burnt orange ones but I'll snag the gray/pink ones on Monday.
Same. Have no idea what they were thinking with the burnt orange ones.
the_faceless_player
Professional
I guess the orange are the "Work Wear" and the gray/pink are the "Cut & Sew" styles that were mentioned in the tennis.com preview article. Orange ones are just sooo bad.
The Big Kahuna
Hall of Fame
So on a scale of 1-5, what would you rate these shoes in terms of stability? Are they up there with a Barricade or are they something more like an Ubersonic?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
It's on TW Europe....truly unwatchable!!
the_faceless_player
Professional
Nike.com has the QS in the women's section. Wondering if the same QS is in both mens and womens or if that is the only one. Looks like they included some slightly bigger sizes compared to the first women's version so I'm wondering if that's the only QS being offered.
Looks like the competitor out of Houston has the men’s up.
the_faceless_player
Professional
According to Nike chat, it is definitely sized as a women's model
the_faceless_player
Professional
NM, Nike just added the men's model to their site
The Big Kahuna
Hall of Fame
Is that color burnt orange, is that gold, is that brown? Nike calls the color “Flax”.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Rattler
Hall of Fame
They look more tan/Carmel to me...Burnt Orange is that the colorway Nike is calling it?
As far as going for a burnt orange shoe...perhaps the designer is a Longhorn?
Nike is calling it flax.
Rattler
Hall of Fame
Flax...yeah it looks more flax seed than burnt orange...thanks
As a Longhorn myself, burnt orange is pretty easy to spot
