Uptempo Motion Nash Edition: Frozen Sun

Steve Nash embraces guest players in his 2nd annual charity all-star classic, the MVP was recieved warmly by the fans and players alike.

Having spent most of my childhood in the Great White North, Steve Nash has become a common sight, especially after his past two MVP seasons. The St. Michael's Blue Devils must have played 2,000 games in the '91-'92 seasons, because virtually anyone logically close to the age of 30 has their version of an encounter with the two time NBA league MVP.

I'd call myself a seasoned sports vet who's seen all but the most extreme situations, having been to Sacramento Kings games during the C-Webb era and Pittsburgh Steelers games, I was ready for any type of surprise, but not the reception Steve Nash received during the player introductions of the 2nd annual Steve Nash Charity Classic, the local hero who's impact cannot be described by words. The crowd reacted mildly to players such as Fred Jones and Raymond Felton, and slightly warmer applauses were given to current Raptor Morris Peterson and ex- Raptor fan favorite Charlie Villanueva, but when the new look MVP jogged out of the tunnel, an instant standing ovation was followed by cheers so deafening that had me thinking I had returned to a Up In Smoke Tour concert. Even Slim Shady himself would not have been received so warmly in Detroit, the crowd was made up of people who travelled from all across Canada to see the hero who's represented the Canadian people so well with unselfishness and benevolence, the event was simply a joy to watch.

Steve Nash's low maintenance attitude and quietly outstanding play have been the signatures on his career on the court, as I've mentioned earlier in the Zoom Kobe I review, a great signature shoe is one that aside from the title, is also truely representative of that player's style on the court. While the Uptempo Motions are his first signature shoe, there have been shoes in the past that the shoe-friendly identify as Nash's exclusive rides, such as performance classics Air Jet Flight and Air Zoom Drive. Both are affordable, low key, and perform like an Air Jordan of twice its price. After extensive wear of both the Jet Flights and Zoom Drives, I expected the Uptempo Motions to live up to its predecessors quality-wise as a Nash shoe, and like watching the Phoenix Suns, entertainment is always guaranteed.



First I'd like to give a shout out to my boy Ryan who hooked me up with the Steve Nash edition of the Motions, you know how those guys with the strips do, the Phoenix Sun's home colorway of the Motions are a Canada exclusive while the Black/White/Blue colorway are an Asia exclusive.

To my surpise, the higher profile Motions do not include the package of technology that the Zoom Drives did, most significantly is the Drive's fantastic Zoom Air cushioning. But the Motions make up for that with its much more affordable price tag at $90 USD or $110 CAN, which is not to say the Motions' cushioning is not sufficient either. Because of the absence of Zoom Air, Nike combines a very dense and thick EVA sockliner with a full length Encapsulated Air Sole unit to provide a less responsive but similar feel. Like the Jet Flight, which also did not use Zoom Air, the Motions provide excellent comfort and moderate response sufficient for quick guards, but if you're quite heavy for your height, this is the part where you stop reading.




The Uptempo Motions were an interesting shoe to play in, the combination of low profile feel and great fit were similar to that of the Converse Wade. Jason Kidd once said: "When I played in Jordans, I shot fade-aways. When I played in Weapons, I made no look passes or dunked everything. When I played in the forums, I posted up. Whatever shoe I wear makes me want to play like that player", the Uptempo Motions are such a shoe that made me feel like a playmaking point guard.

The one part of the feel of the Motions that surpised me is its snug and padded fit. The Zoom Drives also provided fantastic fit, but even as someone who has slightly narrow feet, the Drives put a lot of undue pressure on the sides of my feet and became a small distraction while playing, while also giving me blisters in the initial wearings. The Motions however, fit very true to its size, and provided a snug fit and comfortable feel right out of the box. The inner is padded with a silky smooth lining around the ankle, heel, and tounge.


An interesting feature of the Uptempo Motion is Nike's new Chassis System, which is basically a rigid material that extends from the midfoot to the heel, providing great lateral(side to side) stability.

One thing about the Motions that caught my eye was Nike's new Chassis System, which is a rigid plastic material extending from the midfoot to the heel, which provides great lateral support, the feel of the Chassis System is similar to the "heel cup" of the Zoom LeBron III. The Chassis System combined with the solid rubber material directly underneath rids the need for a carbon fiber support shank plate, as its rigidness provides excellent protection from midfoot related injuries.


Frozen Sun: The Uptempo Motion's outsole design is comprised of a very straight forward herringbone traction pattern and a awkwardly large Swoosh in the forfoot.

One problem I had with the Motions was a part of its traction, yes, a part. The traditional herringbone traction pattern on a solid rubber outsole provides very adequeate traction on all surface, but not the entire outsole of the Motions is comprised of this material. I sit on the sidelines watching my friends go through a light scrimmage and I wonder, what the hell was going through Nike's mind when they place a HUGE Swoosh on the most important traction location?! To this day I still question Nike's logic in putting a large Swoosh on the forefoot instead of the more conventional midfoot, the Swoosh's lack of grip of the hardwood had me slipping on some hard cuts and jab steps. This problem is only present on dusty indoor courts, I tried the Motions on a clean university court and the problem is nearly non existent, this applies to outdoor court surfaces as well.



The Uptempo Motion is the first official signature shoe of Steve Nash, which includes his #13 on the heel, a phoenix on the sockliner, and his new signature "SN" symbol on the tounge.

Steve Nash, like his signature ride, deliver the same way time and time again, like Steve's defensive liablities, the traction problem on the Uptempo Motion is something that you'll just have to live with. If you're a light guard who uses speed as your primary weapon and enjoy breaking down defenses, the Uptempo Motion provides great lateral support and cushioning designed just for you. But if you're a Phoenix faithful with a little more beef, you might want to settle with Steve's running mates' Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudamire's Shox Matrix or Air Total Force Max, because this shoe is just not for you if the desired traits are ankle support and firm cushioning protection.



Peace,
Sole-On-Ice