Jay has been on the “All Black Everything” kick for a minute, but with the change of season, the footwear game has caught up to his look and line from “Run This Town.” Click here to check out the top recent releases that are the best in black.

Nike Air Max Abasi ACG

Let’s face it, the weather isn’t getting any warmer and the rain/soon-to-come-snow isn’t a good look for your favorite sneakers.  Nike’s ACG division has you set for this season with the Nike Air Max Abasi that features a durable set of materials so your feet can survive “All Conditions.”  Available now at Foot Locker for $120.

If you recall (we don’t expect most of you to), the original Converse Weapon was backed by one of the strongest advertisement campaigns the sneaker world has ever seen. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and many other NBA stars wore this sneaker in the mid 80s. Almost 20 years, later Converse has now released an updated version dubbed the Converse Weapon EVO. This particular model debuted in the retailers this month; however, we first spotted it during the 2009-2010 NBA season, namely on Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich’s feet. Obviously, the aforementioned Weapon was one of the better basketball sneakers of the 80s; yet, can the Weapon EVO be one of Converse’s standout sneakers for the latter part of the 2000’s? With that said, we put the Weapon EVO through multiple performance tests to see how it would respond. Click here to view its grade plus the various colorways it has recently released in.

Converse Weapon EVO Performance Review

Strengths: When the original Converse Weapon first released in 1986, it was undoubtedly considered one of the more sturdiest sneakers on the market. Likewise, you can easily attach that player-friendly attribute to the updated Weapon EVO as well. Its silhouette, which is comprised of a 100% full grain leather, was created and manufactured to provide the player with a long-lasting, battle-tested sneaker. Not only is the outer layer of the shoe ready for all indoor/outdoor basketball activity, its inner features keep the player’s foot in a comfortable place. With that said, the heel cushioning in the Weapon EVO is some of the best we have tested on any sneaker. This feature can be attributed to the new technology Converse has incorporated into this shoe called Converse Ball Technology. Specifically, this technology utilizes multiple polyurethane balls in the heel that indirectly correlate with the player’s impact. All in all, the Weapon EVO’s best features are its cushionining and its durability.

Weaknesses: Although the Weapon EVO is one of the more durable Converse sneakers yet, its solid mold leads way to a very stiff fit. Sure, this sneaker has various sections of perforations, the shoe itself is not as breathable as advertised. Furthermore, the stiff fit along with the lack of breathabiity, gives this shoe immobile feel at times.

Overall, the Converse Weapon EVO is ideal for the player who performs any rigorous basketball activities both indoor and outdoor. Its extreme cushioning and full grain leather base provide the wearer with one of the more durable sneakers on the market.

State of the art lightweight basketball shoes have been a mainstay at Nike for years now. From the Air Flight Lite to the Zoom Flight 2k3 to last season’s juggernaut, the Hyperdunk, Nike continues to push the envelope proving that when it comes to shoes, performance comes first. The cosmic success of the Hyperdunk would be hard to follow up, but Nike stepped up showing that creating a lightweight basketball shoe was no heavy task. Rather than start from scratch, the Nike Hyperize does an amazing job of carrying over the Hyperdunk’s best features while improving on its weaknesses. The Hyperize draws familiar cues from the Hyperdunk carrying over Flywire Technology and Lunar Lite foam. The silhouette is more or less maintained after the success of the Hyperdunk and Huarache line shoes. Other similarities include Zoom Air in the heel as well as a glass fibre, midfoot stability shank plate. The biggest changes were the use of less Flywire threads, herringbone traction,  and a wider toe box. Could the Hyperize outstep it’s big brother the Hyperdunk on the court? Click here to find out.

Nike Hyperize Performance Review - Score Card

Strengths: The Nike Hyperize is an incredibly light and comfortable shoe. The mesh tongue/bootie makes for a very comfortable ride and requires little breaking in.  While one would have a very hard time noticing a difference unless carefully inspecting, the tongue is thinner and more breathable than that of the Hyperdunk.  While the Flywire upper feels awkward and rigid upon the first steps shooting around, once in game it proves light, strong, and supportive.   A major improvement to the way the Flywire performed was that when the foot would flex, the Flywire panel had more points to flex as well making the shoe less restrictive in sprints.  The Hyperize’s traction tested remarkably well on both hardwood and blacktop surfaces with no signs of slipping.  The herringbone traction was in my opinion one of the most important changes between the Hyperdunk and Hyperize.  A cushioning tandem of heel Zoom Air and forefoot Lunar Lite foam needed no breaking in and caused no blistering or sore feet.  The Hyperize, like the Hyperdunk, comes in a handful of amazing color make-ups making for a sneaker that can broke both necks and ankles with no feelings of fragility or signs of cosmetic damage.

Weaknesses: While there is little room to criticize the Hyperize, it is not perfect - actually, there is no such thing as a perfect shoe. The widened toe box makes for a very roomy fit and could present some serious sizing issues. While I generally wear a size 11 for casual shoes, I always wear a 10.5 for hooping for a snug, sock-like fit. The Hyperize runs noticeably big and is the only basketball shoe I have ever worn two pairs of socks at once to play with. For most guards looking for a performance shoe the toe box fit is key because it is so critical to the ever important first step. Because of the roomy toe box it is hard to get a secure lockdown and more pressure is put on the heels instead of placing the player’s weight on the balls of their foot. The use of Lunar Lite foam in the forefoot make the shoe ultra-light and provide great court feel, but it is not as comfortable or responsive as Zoom Air.

Summary: In closing, the Hyperdunk left big shoes to fill because of its game changing design and even more, a genius viral marketing campaign, Olympic endorsement, and revolutionary performance. While time does not allow the Hyperize to capitalize on the Olympic glory synonymously attached to the Hyperdunk, the shoe is still amazing visually and tested great on court. The shoe’s only true weakness was the sizing issue and lockdown issues that stemmed from it. The jury is still out on the longevity of Lunar Lite foam, but it is undoubtedly light and provides great court feel. With that said, the Hyperize is an amazing shoe and ranks among the best shoes I have ever played in. Clearly the Hyperize is the future of Nike basketball and an improvement on an instant classic.  This shoe is a must have for the upcoming season of basketball and a great shoe for back to school.