TRACTION

The Nike Durant II takes the lead for me here and followed by Nike Hyperfuse then Air Jordan 2010. The traditional herringbone works for me and the type of game I play, which is almost any position needed each game. Although I never played with any of these shoes on cement courts, I would have to say that the KD II would be the most logical choice among the three.

The heavily crowded sole design of the KD II seems to have helped as more rubber is always good whereas the non-traditional Air Jordan 2010 sole is way lacking in rubber. Although the Jordan’s sole has less rubber, it is ample enough for cutting, running, etc. that is why it is still better than most. The Hyperfuse actually has pretty good traction, what failed it was the soles’ outrigger which had less seams and didn’t really offer the type of grip the KD or even the Kobe IV/V gave you when making hard cuts and drives.

CUSHIONING

This is where the Air Jordan 2010 dominates the other two since it has a full-length zoom bag unlike both KD II & Hyperfuse which has only forefoot zoom.

But don’t underestimate the KD & Hyperfuse as the phylon in the heel are pretty good and even after playing a couple of hours they still feel ok, anymore then the hurting starts.   The Air Jordan 2010, in addition to the zoom in the sole also has zoom bags in the insole, heel & forefoot!!! Now that is cushioning and that’s why it is also 1.5x more expensive but hey if you want comfort you gotta pay for it.

BREATHABILITY

Hyperfuse, Hyperfuse, Hyperfuse!!! For obvious reasons the hyperfuse wins in this category and with its open mesh design, the air just comes right in. The Air Jordan 2010 is next although the TPU (The circular clear plastic with holes) does not help much it is way better as compared to the KD II, which I remove at times between games since my feet feels toasted.

FIT

The Hyperfuse is also ahead by just a tiny bit over the two as its soft upper molds to your feet pretty well.  The Air Jordan also is one of the best fitting shoes out there as it also molds to your feet with added padding and judging from its’ unconventional design it had the intention of doing that. The Jordan though has a better heel cup which helps lock your feet in place but the tongue is just all around the place when you play but its just aesthetically annoying nothing more.

The Air Jordan 2010 also features an independent toe box which makes a lot of difference for your mobility. On the other hand the KD II is a basic fitting shoe with good padding and its strap is excellent to keep your foot in lock down mode when playing. I lov e shoes with straps that is why I love the Lebron Soldier III with the double strap lock down. ( Had to mention LBJ since I mentioned KB!)

CONCLUSION

End of the day you can’t go wrong with any of these pairs as they have their own strengths but really no big weakness. Even if one is above another it is still way better than most basketball shoes out there in the market. The only really difference is the price point as the KD II is the cheapest followed by the Hyperfuse then the regal Air Jordan 2010. So it basically will boil down to your monetary situation, either way if you need a BBall shoe to play in then these three are up there with the Kobe’s and my current favorite, the Lebron VIII (8)!!!

This is the slimmer, lighter, more fashionable & hip younger brother you envy ‘coz he gets all the attention now that he’s come out of his shell. The ZKV basically lost the excess fat & muscles to be able to fit in those skinny jeans & shirt then performs on the dance floor better than you imagined he would.

You have to remember though with all those materials gone the ZKV barely has enough to protect you from a beating during the game, especially if you want to scrap, hustle, & dive for rebounds & loose balls. But remember it wasn’t dubbed best BBall shoe if it didn’t have many positives. The breakdown:

TRACTION

Looking at the heartbeat pattern on the outsole I was skeptical at first as to how this can be better compared to the traditional pattern in other shoes. After playing a bunch of times with this shoe, I barely noticed the difference compared to all my previous BBall shoes except for the ZKIV which I still had better traction & control. This could be because that the pattern is farther apart from one another that it might have less rubber on the floor when making a move. With this, I am wondering how the Zoom Kobe VI with its honeycomb pattern & farther apart pattern lines would perform once its used on a fairly clean wooden court.

Nonetheless I never had any issues with driving or cutting to the basket & I actually felt I was a bit faster due to the improved toe-to-heel transition, flexibility, & lightweight materials on this shoe. On defense, I did notice a slight difference as the side-to-side traction & backpedaling is a relatively different movement which probably will cause you to be a split-second slower to react. Although like I said, I have never had any major or even slightly minor issues with the traction as I have never slipped or slid while using this shoe, unlike some previously released Nike Flight models. Overall, traction is great & responsive enough for you to do what you want, when you want.

CUSHIONING

The ZKV sports a phylon midsole & dual zoom bags which is smaller than most Nike basketball shoes on the market (e.i. Nike Hyperdunk 2010 has bigger Zoom Bags). The reason for the lack of materials is the lightweight feature, which is also one of the reasons why it’s a great shoe, because you basically can feel the floor more, have you lower to the ground, & therefore have excellent control of your movement.

The ZKVs’ cushioning is not one of its strong points, which is the difference between this shoe & most full-length air bag shoes, like the Lebron VIII (which I will review soon). With full-length air bag shoes you will have less mobility & control, as compared to zoom air bag shoes, since you are higher to the ground which should result in more protection & support. Same concept as a sports car compared to a pickup truck, they have different uses & obviously lack each others’ strengths.

The insoles are thinner than most insoles but provide enough for you not to bruise your heel. The zoom bags honestly provide enough cushioning for most basketball moves by wing players but can cause shin splints to players who are heavy runners & jumpers. As much as I want to hype up this part of the shoe more, there basically isn’t much to rave about as this isn’t anywhere near its’ strong suit. The following topic is though…

Breathability

Breathability for some reason is excellent as I tried using double socks & my feet never once felt hot. My feet easily gets warm & I normally would remove most shoes in-between games & put them back on when I would start playing again. The KD II is an excellent shoe but I always always remove it after each game to let my feet breathe. I suppose it’s the thin material or the low cut wherein the exhaust comes out easily but whatever it is, my feet feel so cool in these babies!

FIT

This is probably the one of the best fitting shoes I have ever worn as it hugs most of your foot & with its low cut feature allows you to have freedom of movement. It has a noticeably lower cut than the ZKIV & has a durable but flexible mesh material covering a small amount of foam padding around the collar which results in the added freedom.

If you tie your laces to the topmost eyelet, which you should when playing BBall (more on this later), you will feel the snug fit of the shoe. The upper is composed mostly of Flywire 2.0 which is more durable, form-fitting, & lighter than its predecessor making it feel like it’s part of your feet. The Flywire is covered by a durable & flexible patent leather material for all colorways except one (I believe the Dark Knight is not patent leather). To test the flexibility of the ZKV try bending it until the front tip touches the heel cup & your shoe will be fine, I think it’s the only BBall shoe that can do that & live to play again.

As mentioned, when playing BBall you have to tie your laces all the way up to the top to reduce chances of injury & also maximize the fit & technology of the shoe. Those eyelets on the top aren’t there for looks but for functionality & most people don’t realize that.

In my opinion, this has one of the best heel cups on any shoe & probably even better than the ZKIV. The shoe runs true to size & since this shoe is dependent on its snug, tight fit to perform, I would recommend you not settle for anything less than your actual size. So if you get your correct size, tie your laces all the way up, & with its excellent heel cup the ZKV will make you feel like you are wearing feathers on your feet instead of shoes.

Conclusion

Best BBall shoe ever? Currently? I would have to say it depends. If you are a wing player, no matter what height, it is the second best shoe ever… the best for me is still the ZKIV as scoring is not the only thing a player in any position should be doing. For other types of BBall players, forget about it, try the Air Jordan 2010 it’s a more versatile shoe even if it has full-length zoom bags. My rating for the ZKV is a 97.9/100 while for reference the ZKIV is 98/100.

The combination of Flywire & leather upper gives it a versatile characteristic that appeals to people on the court & off it. Although not all ZKIV are created equal as some models sport a suede, nubuck, 3M and/or a Patent Leather finish to the shoes’ upper. So to start the actual review I will break it down in parts that in the future can expand but for now lets go with Traction, Cushioning, & Fit. To start off:

TRACTION

The ZKIV traction is phenomenal, as you can see in the picture the herringbone pattern goes in different directions that wherever you want to go there will be the right amount of traction to support you along the way.

The traction of the shoe goes all the way to the edges of the sole which is good for cuts if you’re a guard & quick post moves if you’re a power player. In the front the traction is flat since most wing positions normally use the inside or middle part of your foot when playing. As for the back the traction rolls a little to the back of the heel for those times when you make you quick step move which should help you explode quickly when running or driving to the basket.

CUSHIONING

The ZKIV cushioning is excellent as the frontal portion is lunar foam which is great for keeping your feet from hurting while jumping around but does not last you very long unlike Phylon. While the heel of the shoe sports a Zoom bag which is a great technology for wing players like myself as compared to the Air bag which is more suited to heavier or power players.

The Outsole of the shoe has a Carbon Fiber plate that help protect your foot when you run around (See pic above). This is because the longer your foot is used the more the bottom part flattens and the carbon fiber helps with that to prevent any foot injuries. The insole has enough padding so your feet can stay comfy inside for a long while plus its got many different designs to match the outside of the shoe.

FIT

The ZKIV is a low to mid cut shoe depending on the type of foot you have & how you deal with sizing. For me it’s a low cut but I have come across a few people who think it’s not, just to appease them lets call it a “loid”. But seriously, I for one don’t care with the saying that low cuts cause sprains is a MYTH and what really causes sprains is the incorrect shoe sizes people get, the outrigger of the forefoot, and not tying your laces all the way up.

The collar of the upper is fairly well padded and is soft enough not to cut your ankles even when wearing short socks. The Flywire & whatever material that is with it (It varies per Colorway Version) is nice enough to form to your feet after breaking it in a couple of times so eventually it will feel like your ZBIV & your feet are one. The tongue is well padded just in case someone kicks you in that part. The Heel Cap/Guard is good enough so that your heel won’t be moving around inside and might cause an injury or a missed opportunity. That is why it is important to get the right size so you can loose your opponent in your dust.

The shoe though runs small for most initially as the shoe has yet to form to your foot, but I would suggest you get your normal size and bear the tightness for a while.

CONCLUSION

The ZKIV is one of the best if not the best performing shoe overall, let me make it clear OVERALL as this shoe doesn’t have too many drawbacks except for the Lunar Foam. Unlike the Kobe V which in the long run can cause Shin Splints to some & lack of traction which is in some Jordan Brand Retros (Some actually play ball in them) plus many more shortcomings by other models which can cause minor to major injuries over a certain period of time.

The ZKIV has traction, lightweight, balance, style (matter of opinion of course), comfort, & support in its corner that its hard to argue that it can be better than most current & future releases. Some players in the Pros have stuck with the ZKIV even after the ZKV came out, even if the ZKV is hailed by most as the best BBall shoe at the moment. Either way you look at it, the IV or the V whichever you choose you will be the winner in the end. Next: NIKE ZOOM KOBE V (5)

Anyway, I will be doing some shoe performance reviews in the next few posts and a few sports topics here and there.

Let me see, first up I will review the Kobe IV, then the Kobe V, then we’ll see what I still have (KD II, Jordan 2010, etc.). Please do note that these are old to recent shoes and not new ones as I need to test them first before anything else. I’m exited to see what I write up. Stay tuned I hope!

I predict a very exciting finals though just because its an unlikely team that made it to the finals and that in itself excites me! I want to see how they handle the pressure and the intensity of playing in the Finals and hopefully Kobe & Co. bring their A-Game every game as they have a tendency to be overconfident like LeBron & the Cavs. So be ready Lakepeeps as the Magic will bring it for sure and since Hedo will most likely go somewhere else next year he ain’t letting this pass him by.

As for my Rockets, they were awesome and humble too in that 2nd round series with the Lakers except for Ron Artest of course. The rest were very humble and played great with heart & passion throughout the whole series. It’s just a bright future for the Rockets with Brooks, Landry, Scola, & hopefully Wafer in the fold, it’s just excites me to think of that great nucleus!

‘Till Next Time!!!

Oh well…

I would like to say that I have had so much fun playing this game with all of you (well maybe not all..but let’s not talk about that). I would like to thank all of the people who have stayed true and stayed playing the game through casual and/or through tourneys as you gave hope to the hopeless and light to the dark.

I have always felt that the people that is left supporting the game and the hobby leagues have a closer connection than just playing VS System. I have always felt like friendships have developed overtime and regardless if the game is over we will still play VS System when time permits.

So I ask the people supporting the Galleria HL to still please come and play every Tuesday or at least play one last time next week for us to close a chapter in VS System Philippines Storyline.

So I ask the people I have played with these past years…. what do we play next?

This team has won a couple of championship titles during 90s when Jordan went AWOL. I loved the fact that they were a defensive oriented team and played with a lot of heart. They also were the only team to take advantage of Jordan’s leave from the NBA which makes them probably the 2nd best team during the 90s. But in this decade, it has been a different story of sorts for my once “Heart of Champion” team.

So in this current NBA season we see a bunch of teams stepping up and the Rockets aren’t one of them, in fact they have underachieved. Sure, you could make the argument that they are riddled with injuries, but people & experts alike question the heart and intensity of their highest paid player: Tracy McGrady. He isn’t showing true leadership unlike Kobe, LeBron, or Captain America for crying out loud, even a an ogre like Shrek led a donkey, a pussycat, and a bunch of fairy tale characters to the promised land. If it weren’t for the efforts of Yao Ming and the improved play of Alston, Scola, Brooks, Landry, & my most improved player for the month of January ’09 VON WAFER! (Did you know his real name is Vakeaton Quamar Wafer? Or Crispy Wafer to some hungry dude.)

In a week or more Ron Artest and McGrady will join the team again, but the team has been on a roll the past month since these two were injured. Realistically though… the Rockets need these two back and healthy to be able to win a championship. Of course the stats, numbers, & touches of the players currently carrying the load will most likely dip, the important thing is winning the whole thing. Look at the Celtics last year, they didn’t care about their stats, what’s important is winning the championship and it speaks about teamwork and sacrifice.

My answer to my question: NO… They will not will the championship this year. Sad as it may sound for me and other Rockets fans but its the hard cold truth. Will they get pass the 1^st round? Sure, I’m very confident they will and might reach the Western Conference Finals, but that’s it. So I basically watch the Rockets games on TV to just enjoy watching the team I love without anything in return… Awwwww…. how sweet… Yes it is… as long as they play hard, I’m happy. What the heck! Here’s hoping I ‘m wrong and an idiot!

The Pittsburgh Steelers on the other hand have won Super Bowls before, but since I enjoyed watching them in the 90s they have only won once which was a few years back. I was lucky to watch that Super Bowl run that whole season and in the playoffs as ESPN showed the Steelers a lot that year, probably because it was Jerome “The Bus” Bettis’ last year or maybe not. They have a very good chance of winning the Suppppaaaaa Bowl as their commitment to defense has shown especially the past few games. If Ben Roethlisberger can avoid getting blitz and hit in the game and Troy “My Man” Polamalu can help the offense by converting a few defensive interceptions into a TD, then its STEELERS baby STEELERS! Hopefully they can contain Kurt Warner of the Cardinals! Oh man, this guy can pass, he led the Rams to a few championships and he got a MVP trophy to boot. I thought his career would be over, but he resurrected his career nicely… so choke Warner! Choke! For the Steelers sake….

Go Steelers!

Go Rockets!

Go VS System! WTF!?

VS System Blog Next Up…

As for the teams I pick, here they are: Crime Lords & Thunderbolts with a little Shield on the side. I pick these teams for their offensive & defensive tricks, with Thunderbolts as the offense & Crime Lords as the defensive. I honestly don’t pick alot of Shield but I love their Team-UP, Double Agent!. It gives you four (4) life just for teaming up, hard to pass that up if I must say given the limited plot twist cards out there to modify your character’s defensive numbers to avoid being stunned or stunned back. So there are alot of times you have similar life counts if attacking up the curve is not an option. With that being said, let me present to you the list of characters I would use with my first few picks:

1. Red Skull, Johann Shmidt – HYDRA

This character can split your head in many ways with his burning and defensive abilities. He can burn you on and off initiative if you play him right. He can also give you a headache with who to attack first especially with the number of defensive & recovery tricks that can be played. His pal Baron Strucker isn’t that bad either.

2. Any 2 or 3 Drop of Thunderbolts

This group of characters can go a long way to make your opponent go crazy because as turns go by they get better. These characters help you attack up the curve and improve your board control. They aren’t the right characters to get the stuff done, but they got “The Wrong Stuff”…wink wink (cheesy I have to say)

3. A.I.M Agents

You read it, A.I.M Agents people! A.I.M Agents! They are the wimpiest bunch of bitches but they get the job done. What job you say? Well that’s getting behind your characters and reinforcing them which by the way works well in saving you life and triggering effects like …

4. Baron Strucker, Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker – HYDRA

This guy is a walking defensive recovery that enables you to protect your board and can potentially win you the game. Imagine him in front of Red Skull while defending and your opponent has to go through him to get to Red over there in the support row, Ka-Booooooommmmmm!!!!!! potential twelve (12) points of damage heading your opponents way!  Baron Gangbang Von F@(k#r FTW!!!!!

5. Master Man, Max Lohmer – Raid & Kingpin, War Profiteer – HYDRA

If and when any of these cards come your way, snatch ‘em up people!!! These are awesome, once again awesome defensive character cards that can cause panic at the very least to your opponent.  If your opponent doesn’t have an attack pump then Master Man has a huge advantage and if your opponent fears that even he has stunned Kingpin that you may recover him with an effect. These are priceless looks that can make you smile even if you loose the match as like I said, “A look of panic is a consolation price”, if you ask me.

As for the Plot Twist…

1. Team -Ups Are Needed!

Team-Ups are a necessity in limited play unless you’re a lucky bunch of baloney! Anyway, just think of attacking up the curve, let’s say you have a 2 & 3 Drop and you wanna team attack a 4 Drop your opponent has…but wait… they ain’t teamed-up… Doh!!!! See, if you had drafted enough team-ups it wouldn’t be as frustrating, finding the correct team-up is another thing though.

2. Late Game Pumps

These two pumps can be used anytime but I prefer to use them in late game scenarios as wasting pumps early on can bite you bad in the long run. But if you gotta use it you gotta use it, or is that if you have to go you have to go? Whatever. Using these cards late game magnifies your characters stats in great ways, like having your 6 Drop a 7 Drop for 1 attack then Now I’m Fighting Dirty will enable that for you. How about giving your characters a +2 attack in a sense? Then Collateral Damage gives you that for just throwing your hand away, in the end it might not be so much of a cost.

The rest of the picks you get should be team specific and helpful. Don’t just get a team specific Plot Twist or Location just because they say Avengers on them and you’re building an Avengers deck. It may not work in the grand scheme of things and you will just be wasting a pick like say a drop that can help you since you should have enough team-ups to make it work.

As for generic locations and  equipment, there aren’t a lot of good cards to actually help you that much in draft, but if you want to get some just to fill a  space then its not the right mindset going into deck building. One thing I notice in limited play is that continuity and cohesion between cards you have can give you a great chance to actually win a lot of games or the whole thing!!!

What teams would you draft in MUN?