21st February 2005
Hi all,
It had been nearly thirteen years since I had last bought a pair of Basketball trainers. The Nike Zoom Air was worth the wait.
(Yes, I'm paying tribute to
kicksology.net as well as telling you about my trainers. Bear with me.)
Bought in Clearwater, Florida, last August, I took extreme care to make sure they didn't leave the box they were bought in before we reached the airport. I liked them so much the last thing I wanted was to get sand in them.
Made up mainly of white leather with a high top finish of a traditional Basketball trainer, the exterior is finished off with three distinct navy breaks in the white leather. These come at the heel and either side of the toe. In addition to this there are two sections of navy around the heel, shaped somewhat like an elongated "c". The outside of the trainer has a chrome swoosh marking with a navy stitched swoosh on the inside toe.
Inside the shoe is soft navy lining, which feels cushioned, both on the sole and also around the upper foot. The tongue is also soft and navy, although the upper side again shows the white leather that makes up most of the shoe. Although the shoe feels comfortable and cushioned it doesn't look ridiculously bulky.
One thing I found noticeably different were the laces. Most laces feel as if they will burn your fingers if you tighten them too quickly, whereas the ones that come with the Zoom Air feel sleek and smooth. As an added bonus the ends of the laces have metal tips, which avoids the annoying moment where you drag your laces through a puddle and end up having the end unravel as the glorified sellotape cracks and breaks. There is also a swoosh/air metal bar at the middle of the laces, ideal for idiots like me who end up with one lace longer than another.
(Incidentally I will have to pass my trainers onto one of my friends who are experts in lacing to give them a really nice look. Lacing experts - you know who you are. Be ready when I see you next, and don't be surprised if I turn up at your wedding in my Zoom Airs.)
Do you remember your school days when you would first enter your school sportshall and be momentarily dazzled by the size of it? Then you'd wonder what the odd smell was and why it was so cold, before turning and seeing a sign saying, "NO BLACK SOLED SHOES". Of course then you'd see lots of black scuffmarks all over the floor. Then you'd look down at your own black trainers with black soles, before looking around and seeing everyone wearing black trainers with black soles. Then you'd get a reminder that you don't chew chewing gum during P.E. because that's a one-way ticket to being "six foot down in a wooden overcoat".
(Yes, I was taught by Mr. Thompson! And if you think his threats of everything possibly landing you "six foot down in a wooden overcoat" some ludicrous then you should hear some of Neil Taylor's stories of being taught by Mr. Dawson. Should I mention Mr. Unitt? No, had better not. As I can't remember her name I will say that the female P.E. teacher quickly got me past the idea that a "women who like sports must be fun" very quickly. I didn't like her at all. Where was I again?)
Anyway, instead of having the guilty pleasure of treading on school property wearing inappropriate footwear you needn't worry about this with the Nike Zoom Air. They've got a lovely white sole with the large navy swoosh in the middle of it, no chance of any scuff marks being left by these in my opinion. (Not much chance of finding anyone who wants a game of basketball in the UK though either - more of that later.)
One other thing that struck me was how much lighter it feels in comparison to my old Air Jordans. When I used to wear those for a significant amount of time I used to feel my ankles getting tired. I don't feel that with my Zoom Airs, but whether that is down to me being older and stronger or the shoes being lighter is hard to say.
It wouldn't be right to pay tribute to kicksology.net without giving an in-game review on the how the trainers perform in a game, but here I will have to cheat. Unfortunately basketball is always likely to be a minority sport over here, ridiculed unfairly for being a non-contact sport (which it is only in theory, realistically) for tall people. It isn't encouraged in schools and in sports centres it falls behind indoor football, volleyball and badminton in the pecking order for hall rentals.
So here I'll cheat - when I'm wearing them while playing NBA Live against my brother-in-law on the computer they feel comfortable enough. They leave no after effects and are suited for all positions, although I tend to prefer sitting down while I'm playing such games.
Have a good week!
Tony
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