Nike Air Max Infuriate REVIEW: This One is CRAZY Affordable!

The now well-known Nike’s budget “underdog” type hoop shoe streak continues and this one may just break the standards. That’s right, it’s SUPER cheap and has some solid tech on paper. I was into testing this one, so here’s my detailed Nike Air Max Infuriate review. You’ll find out if the $80 price tag fools you or not.

I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, the fit, performance, the upper and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the Nike Air Max Infuriate review!

SPEC SHEET

WEIGHT: 347 g. / 12.24 oz

TYPE: LOW TOP

TECH: PHYLON & AIR MAX, FLYWIRE

FIT: TRUE TO SIZE

COLORWAYS: 5+

MY RATING: 9/10

THE TECH

PHYLON & AIR MAX

We have a less popular cushion setup of a Phylon midsole and an 180 degree Air Max unit in the heel. And for a less traditional AND budget setup, this is awesome. You’ll see.

FLYWIRE

Another awesome feature for a $80 is the implementation of the Flywire cables for proper lockdown. Since the upper is strong and the lacing system is made well, the cables work really well here locking down your foot.

FIT

NOTHING SPECIAL, BUT SOLID

The Infuriate will fit very normally to regular footers, for wide footers, I’d either suggest trying to break them in or just go up half a size. I went true to size and experienced a pretty tight fit but the upper is soft and the shoe’s comfortable overall, so after a short break-in period, the fit turned from decent to great.

This really has nothing special in terms of comfort but it simply gets the job done. I had zero problems – no containment issues, no sliding around the footbed, no pain, no overheating. Everything felt stable and the way it should be. It’s one of those shoes that take away your thoughts about the shoe while playing.

You forget that you have a shoe on while playing these and that’s a good thing.

PERFORMANCE

CUSHION

This is meant to be a very versatile setup because Air Max is no joke and there are lots of big man shoes with this cushion. What we have here is a solid Phylon and Air Max combo that works brilliantly and beats some of the more premium competition.

I’m a mid-weight guard that plays fast and aggressively and I really do prefer slightly more cushion than court feel, but I appreciate some responsiveness and balance to really complete the package. This gave me EXACTLY that.

The heel Air Max unit is awesome – it’s not unlocked ZOOM but it provides plenty of impact protection even for athletic guards. The rest of the midsole offers high-quality Phylon foam that’s one of softest I’ve played in. The forefoot isn’t plush or bouncy but it’s not on an annoying rock level (Kyrie 2) either. It’s just right for me. It could be just right for a lot of different players out there.

TRACTION

A rare combo of last year’s HyperRev 2016’s diamond pattern and the classic herringbone. And that’s how a shoe’s traction should be like. Grippy, no gimmicks, problems, anything like that. It’s not even that sensitive, I had a few wipes throughout a game at max.

And the rubber compound is surprisingly durable, at least it looks that way, so playing outdoors is an option!

SUPPORT

This is where the shoe fell behind the other aspects a LITTLE BIT. We’ve seen plenty of Lows that provide killer support and one shouldn’t expect that from every low top, especially from a $80 one. I’m not saying the Infuriate had terrible support but it’s just no quite up to par with the top shoes.

Being a very physical-orientated player, I really need that Rose 7 type of support from most of my shoes. I have a tendency to roll my right ankle and support & containment are critical for me.

This fitted great but the whole support aspect was a little weak for me. I’m not really a huge fan of low tops, so maybe that adds to it. It’s just that feeling when you sprint down the lane and feel a bit careful to take your steps.

These do have the basic features most budget shoes have: Flywire, an internal heel counter, large outriggers on both sides and a pretty supportive upper. But for those who need more, this might not be it.

UPPER

SOFT MESH & FUSE – GREAT FOR A CHEAP A** SHOE

Yeah, it is great. Super soft, almost knit-type of mesh with Fuse on some of the crucial areas. Nothing much to cover here as this is very solid, neutral setup. Not on a comfort level of Primeknit but DEFINITELY not bad.

Upper support was there, they’re comfortable, no ventilation issues and they’re pretty durable for outdoors. After a quick break-in, this would feel fine on anyone’s foot.

OVERALL

BEST FOR ANY MID-HEAVY WEIGHT PLAYER

The Nike Air Max Infuriate showed the industry that there’s still hope for a superb shoe at a low price point. It does what a lot of more expensive shoes don’t do, and it does that at a margin of the usual cost.

I think if you’re looking for a cheap shoe to play indoors or outdoors, and you’re not picky on support, this would surely do the trick.