Nike Zoom Live 2017 REVIEW: Low Top on a Budget

This shoe somewhat ties with the HyperLive for me. Another recently released budget shoe from Nike. Looks really slick, light and promising, as most of them do now. Let’s find the truth in my full Nike Zoom Live 2017 review.

I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, performance, comfort, materials and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the Nike Zoom Live 2017 review!

SPEC SHEET

WEIGHT: 340 g. / 12 oz

TYPE: LOW TOP

TECH: ZOOM AIR

FIT: TRUE TO SIZE

COLORWAYS: 3+

MY RATING: 9/10

THE TECH

ZOOM AIR

We got Nike’s usual budget setup. A Phylon midsole with a ZOOM unit in the forefoot. Nothing special but there are good shoes with this setup. This can be one of them.

FIT

I didn’t expect much from this type of shoe since my priority is a mid top. But the overall feel of the shoe was pretty good. They cup your foot nicely, no slippage or dead space. True to size, no pain or other issues during play.

The upper is a good balance between soft and sturdy, I did need to break them in (I have a slightly wide foot) but after that, they fit nicely. The shoe definitely contained my foot well. For a low top, this gets it right.

Definitely not a very soft or flexible shoe, so keep that in mind. I still liked how they felt but for anyone who’s looking for that Primeknit feel, then just go and get a Primeknit shoe.

PERFORMANCE

CUSHION

A basic setup that simply works. That’s how the cushion feels in this shoe. You get a pretty comfy Phylon midsole and a forefoot ZOOM unit that you can decently feel. Not much impact protection or bounce but you get a solid balance between court feel and softness.

Definitely nothing spectacular but pretty much the same as on most Nike’s current budget releases. Gets the job done well for a lighter player who prefers response and court feel.

TRACTION

This shoe has a pretty aggressive looking pattern that has very deep grooves and they’re not too dense. In result, you get awesome traction that’s not sensitive to dust. That’s how it was for me – grippy, plenty of stopping power, held every movement well, didn’t need to wipe almost at all.

Outdoors was the same thing. Definitely not the most durable rubber compound but it’s not that soft so you should be good outdoors for some time.

SUPPORT

Once again I’ll say that they feel super similar to the HyperLive, especially from the support perspective. This is a very supportive low top. A sturdy upper that holds your foot well, a great one-to-one fit, a strong internal heel counter, a wide and flat base.

Everything plays out extremely nicely and a low profile guard will love how they support your movements. Nothing crazy but enough to make you feel confident.

UPPER

The upper is mesh with Nylon underneath and Fuse on high-wear areas. Very basic but, once again, gets the job done well at that price point. Durable, supportive and pretty comfortable.

Not the most breathable setup and mobility isn’t on a Primeknit/Flyknit level, obviously.

You get what you pay for and in this case, you get a basic upper that doesn’t feel clunky or uncomfortable. And it provides good support with the ability to play outdoors for quite some time.

FINAL VERDICT

BEST FOR ANY GUARD WHO WEARS LOW TOPS

The Nike Zoom Live 2017 is a simple but great shoe, seriously. Everything functions how it should and I had no complaints overall.

Fairly comfortable, basic but solid cushion, awesome traction, killer support and a simple but trustworthy upper.