10. Air Jordan XI Low
Being the low top to one the most coveted Air Jordan's of all time has a big billing, but the Air Jordan XI lows fell under the radar as its style just didn't match its predecessor, but a combination of court feel, comfort, and stability kept it on the market due to better performance than the mids. Falling just one year short of the induction of Zoom Air, the XI Lows still relied on Air-Sole technology for cushioning, which, when sufficient, truly lacks responsiveness. The carbon fiber mid-foot shank plate is still intact for an extra spring to your steps, and by removing the ever so popular patented leather from the mids, the full grain leather of the lows provide much more durability. With Nike having Re-retro-ed the XI lows this month, these are the must-have retro's of the summer!
9. Air Zoom Generation Low
The stylish low top version of King James' first signature shoes has the performance to go with its style. Zoom Air the heel of the mids is replaced with a Visible Air-Sole with less responsiveness but for a shoe with hours summer basketball in mind, the Air-Sole in the heel proved to be more durable over long pickup games on the concrete. The Zoom Air pocket in the forefoot still remains, and provide great responsiveness from jabs and cuts, but gone is the sphere lining in the mids, and replaced with a slightly thicker padded inner, a versatile shoe fitted for all but the biggest of players.
8. Air Jordan XX 3/4
When I first slipped on a pair of Air Jordan XX's, an image of MJ spinning around a defender popped into my head, Mike's non-dribbling hand was almost touching the floor in an attempt to balance himself from tipping over, if Mike had these on, that picture would never have happened. Similar to the outriggers on the Zoom Huarache 2k4 and 2k5, the outsole of the XX have a similar extension on the outsole, one on the outside in the front, and one on the inside in the back, providing impressive stability and balance rarely exhibited in well cushioned shoes. The I.P.S. from the mids is still intact to provide exceptional cushioning, but the XX 3/4 was taken to a new level due to the removal of the mids' ever so irritating strap. If the midsole and sole are your concerns, the XX 3/4 are the shoes for you.
7. Converse Wade
The first of the surprises on this list, although listed as the Wade "mids" due to the release of the lows, the original was basically a low with next to no ankle support. One of the best valued signature shoes on the market due to the fact that it bears the name of 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade and only a $90 price tag. The cushioning system consists of a CMEVA sockliner on top of a CMEVA midsole, the cushioning is surprisingly responsive and providing a natural ride underfoot similar to the 2k5's, but after only one month of heavy duty use, the cushioning became compressed from weight and thus less responsive overtime, effectively cancelling the advantage of the price, so in value, a shoe with Zoom Air at a slightly higher price would prove be a better investment. Similar to the Air Jordan XX, the Wade uses outriggers to provide balance, but the XX still wins in that category, nonetheless a interesting and solid shoe truly created with GUARD in mind.
6. adidas Gil-Zero Low
Gilbert Arenas has always been the enigma to all of us, from throwing jerseys into the stands after every game, to post game showers in full uniform, Agent Zero always had his own way of doing things. His approach to shoes was no different, famous for his reluctance to wear mid-cut shoes or even consider ankle tape, Gilbert just continues to surprise us by ballin' out of control in his lows. The first true signature shoe primarily designed as a low, adidas broke new grounds with the Gil-Zero first from a design standpoint, a truly unique, clean cut look has these shoes flying off the shelves for dual usage, whether it be jeans or mesh shorts, the Gil-Zero just manages to shine. More impressive however, is the performance breakthrough the Gil-Zero's made, the primary attraction for these shoes were the Formotion Pods, similar to those in the T-Mac 6, designed to create stability for the mid-foot area, thou awkward to begin with, Formotion was quietly effective. Combined with the Gil-Zero's unusually wide base, the Formotion Pods provided incomparable stability and balance, therefore eliminating the fear of an ankle sprain.
5. adidas T-Mac II
Another "mid" that's basically a low, and arguably the greatest performance shoe adidas has ever delivered (avid fans of the Pro-Model will beg to differ), the T-Mac II was simply the shoe of 2003, never has there been a year where a shoe from adidas blew all competition out of the water, and the T-Mac II did just that. When discussing with the T-Mac II, the first thing that comes to mind is the comfort of the shoe, to a point where your feet may simply fall asleep wearing them, everywhere you'd turn, more soft full-grain leather and inner padding awaits. The T-Mac II took a page from Nike's Air Jordan V with an asymmetrical ankle design (higher on the inside of the foot).Although not exactly considered a shoe for the lightest of guards due to its weight, this shoe belongs on this list just for its unrivalled combination of comfort and fit.
4. Zoom LeBron II Low
Just as advertised, the Zoom LeBron II low has everything its mid-cut cousin has without the extra baggage. The mids were, in my opinion, the only release from the LeBron series not to overly disappoint, and a blueprint future Lebron releases should build upon. The Zoom Lebron II Low has the usual pluses and minuses of a low top shoe with the freedom of the ankle are and the risk of an ankle sprain, but that's where the comparisons between the ZL II and typical lows end. The first edition of Nike's ZoomMax cushioning proved to be ever so pleasant as the Rolls Royce Phantom of footwear cushioning, any cut, slash to the basket, jab step, was rewarded with a moment of Zoom Air goodness under both the forefoot and heel. ZoomMax is also versatile as it proved responsive enough for point guards and firm enough for even the largest of test subjects. The only downside of the ZL II was its traction, it can be addressed by constant wiping of the soles during games, but still proves to be the thorns on a rose.
3. Zoom Turbine
To true sneaker and basketball junkies, the only words associated with this shoe should be Triple Double, as Jason Kidd simply balled out of control in 2002. A lifelong fan of J-Kidd, fond memories of J flying up and down the court, droppin' dimes to no namers, and carrying the entire city on his back all come to mind whenever I see the Zoom Turbine. On the Performance side, the Turbine, like J-Kidd, also had few peers. The turbine uses a one and only strap and lace combination on the heel counter to prove that you don't need to kill Achilles tendons to have great heel fit. Zoom Air in the heel and forefoot provide typical first class comfort and responsiveness, a funky but effective traction pattern was surprisingly grippy on even the dustiest of surfaces. A true classic definition of a shoe made specifically for point guard was endorsed by the greatest, as NaS would say, "These is classic".
2. Zoom Drive
Steve Nash's signature shoes for his exciting first MVP season proved just as much of a surprise as the Suns' sudden explosion onto the scene of contenders, while Nash took home the MVP, his shoes definitely took home the most discussed and highest praised shoes of 04-05 on any forum. Taking inspiration from Nike's Tennis collection, the Drives don't use any revolutionary new technology, no mind-blowing design concepts, just like its owner, the Drives are low maintenance, also like Nash, the Drives just out perform its more hyped, flashier counterparts. Nike simply threw Zoom Air, mid-foot strap, speed lacing, and various simple technologies all into an oven and out came the Drives. The Zoom Drives simply have the best combination of traction, cushioning responsiveness, and lockdown fit of any shoe period.
1. Air Jordan XIII Low
To many, the Air Jordan XIII was a love affair, the feelings of fans around the world, mourning the impending retirement of the greatest to lace them up, the admiration of an incomparable career, the final regular season MVP award, All-Star MVP, and finals MVP, all the emotion of MJ's last season rolled up into a pair of shoes, pretty tough to visualize, eh? In the summer of 2005, Nike re-released the low top version of the Black Cat inspired classics, a pair in Black/ Maize, the other in White/ Maize, both at a whopping $175 USD, but when it comes to love at first sight, Jay-Z and J.D. would simply tell you "bling, bling, money ain't a thing", but what truly separated the XIII lows from others and the nine below it on this list was its performance side. The XIII was the first shoe Nike mastered its priced Zoom Air technology in, and no matter the surface, no matter the maneuver, the cushioning just added a bounce to my step. In the Spike Lee Joint He Got Game, Denzel Washington tried on a pair of the XIII and asked "Where them holes at?", expecting old school lacing systems, the XIII was also one of the first to truly master speed lacing. The sole of the XIII was inspired by MJ's infamous nickname given to him by players around the league-Blackcat, and provided impressive stability and one of the most natural feel underfoot I've ever experienced in modern basketball shoes, the 2k5 and ZK1 may be its only competition. The inner of the XIII has no mesh, no Sphere lining, but in conjunction with the design of the hell counter, the lacing system and the upper, provides an extremely comfortable fit. The Air Jordan XIII holds lots of sentimental value for many shoeheads and basketball fans around the world, but outside of the 6 MVP's, the 6 rings, the fadeaway, the tongue, and everything else MJ, the XIII is simply a joy to play in.
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