Love him or hate him, LeBron James typically has one of the best selling shoes on the market. And this year is no different with the Nike LeBron 8.
There are currently two versions of the shoe out with five different color schemes. The biggest snag on these sneakers is the $160 price tag. But if you can fork over the money, it is definitely worth the purchase.
Whether it was walking or playing ball, the feel in the shoes is something I noticed immediately. The v1, with its weight, feels like cement at first but soon it’s almost empowering. Definitely something low post players would love as much as a drop-step. There is little-to-no impact when coming down off the glass with the great cushion system. Just like James’ Cavalier jerseys, these shoes are on fire.
The lighter shoes, on the other hand, are perfect for guards to keep the crossover quick and deadly. They’re light and much less clunky, which makes running in these shoes feel effortless. As much as I love the NBA-meets-Marty McFly look of these shoes, I am not sold on them being a mainstream ball shoe. I just can’t bring myself to say this version leaves the competition in the dust like the v1 does.
The v1 comes in four colors, uses Nike’s Flywire technology and has a heavy frame for a basketball shoe at 17.7 ounces. Much of the shoe’s weight comes from the foam cushion on the inside, which is actually a memory foam design.
Whereas the sleek and slim v2 is a more stripped down version with a clear outer mesh for a more breathable feel. But the most important feature of the shoe is the lighter weight (16.6 ounces). Nike also puts their Flywire design at the forefront with the core left exposed.
Each shoe provides great ankle and arch support but the v1 is a far more complete basketball shoe and delivers on the “swag” for the hefty price.
The Reebok ZigTech and new ZigTech Slash is an all-around training shoe made for true comfort and is easily the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn.
The “energy drink for your feet” really does give you a boost of energy while doing whatever you need to get done in your kicks. Whether it’s running to build endurance or stay in good condition, walking around campus all day, or playing basketball, ZigTech by Reebok has got it right. And for a little over 100 dollars, you get maximum productivity out of the ZigTechs.
I spent a day visiting three four-year schools I was interested in and decided to take the ZigTech Slash out for the trip. I drove to L.A. from in town and walked the three campuses without even a thought of my feet being uncomfortable.
In fact, the ZigTechs performed so well, I felt I had the energy to just continue to walk around the city and enjoy the sites.
I also tested the ZigTech Slash out on the local courts around town. Usually, after about five-to-six games back-to-back, I start to ache pretty bad in the knees and legs. But with the Slash, I confidently put in a few more games with a boost of energy throughout.
ZigTechs come in many colors at your local sneaker stores, but if those colors don’t suit you, the Reebok website allows you to customize either shoe in various different colors.
ZigTech by Reebok prides themselves on the motto “more train with less pain” and has soft padded insoles and a soft padded lining that completely surrounds the heel which Reebok says slows down the rate of torque your heel receives with other shoes.
The zig-zag shaped sole of the shoe absorbs the impact of your heel to the ground and transfers the impact into the energy you receive.
And the light-foam sole keeps the shoe a lighter shoe to run with. The ZigTech reduces wear and tear on key leg muscles by 20 percent over time.
I’ve had my ZigTechs for a month and I’m not sure what good it has done for me, as far as preventing wear and tear, but as a shoe, it exceeds expectations.