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.

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we had to do something a little more special.  The news of Brett Favre returning to the NFL (again) has taken over ESPN, hit many news networks, and now made its way to your favorite sneaker site.  Alright, to be honest, Brett Favre isn’t the focus of this article, but he does get his due for inspiring us to compose a list of our favorite Nike Turf sneakers of yesteryear. Since Favre can go in and out of retirement with the snap of a finger (or knee), can’t we wish for a few turf sneaker legends to come out of retirement too?  Click here to see the 7 turf sneakers that should return from retirement.

Nike Air Pro Streak Max (photo credit)

Worn by the dynamic Charles Woodson during his days at the University of Michigan, the Nike Air Pro Streak propelled Woodson to a Heisman Trophy Award and National Championship. In the Pro Streak’s Woodson became the first and only defensive player to win the award upsetting Tennessee’s Peyton Manning.

It’s that time of year again! Alright, while some of you might not be enthused about returning to the daily grind of school, at least you can squeeze a good pair or two out of the process. Nice Kicks went over the most popular categories of sneakers and put together a Back to School Buyer’s Guide to help you in your decision making. Click here to see the Back to School Buyer’s Guide.

Classic Casuals - Nice Kicks Back to School Buyer's Guide

1. Nike Air Force 1 $88
2. Nike Air Max 90 $95
3. Nike Cortez $60
4. Adidas Superstar $70
5. New Balance 574 $60
6. PONY Signature $70
7. K-Swiss Classic $65
8. Converse All Star $45
9. Saucony Jazz $53

Michael Jordan dominated the sport throughout his entire career, but in the Air Jordan 12’s he played some phenomenal games. MJ’s 38 point outing in the ‘97 Finals while playing with the flu is being honored with the Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game” later this year which got us thinking and looking through our notes of what other great games Michael Jordan had while wearing the Air Jordan 12. There were a handful of great colorways MJ wore on the court in the 1996-97 season and some good performances to compliment the shoes. Click here to see Michael Jordan’s 12 best games while he laced up with the Air Jordan 12.

Air Jordan 12 White/Varsity Red-Black

For the better part of the 1996-97 season, Jordan took the White/Black-Varsity Red Air Jordan 12’s with him on the road to hook with the away jersey.  Below are a few great games MJ had while wearing this colorup of the AJ12.

Date: 11/6/1996
Victim: Miami Heat
Stats: 50 points / 6 rebounds / 0 assists

Only 4 games into the 1996-97 season, Michael Jordan was not about to let anyone think he was fresh off of a holiday.  The Heat looked to claim Eastern Conference supremacy at home early in the season.  Unfortunately for them, MJ and the Bulls had other plans.  The Bulls went to work beating Heat 106-100 while Jordan put up a cool 50 points.

Date: 11/23/1996
Victim: Utah Jazz*
Stats: 44 points / 6 rebounds / 4 assists

Though the Bulls were on fire starting the season with a 12-0, the winter cold came early when they had to face off against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.  Chicago went into the 4th up by 3, but the Jazz pulled out the victory giving MJ and the Bulls the first L of the year.  In the game, Jordan showed up big with 44 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists.  In the end, the Bulls got revenge in the Finals.

Date: 12/3/1996
Victim: Milwaukee Bucks
Stats: 40 points / 6 rebounds / 6 assists

With the game tied up at 80 after 3 quarters, MJ went into Black Cat mode to defeat the young Bucks. Jordan racked up 44 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in a match up against rookie Ray Allen and other eventual JB team member Vin Baker.