Nike Hyperchase REVIEW: James Harden Shoes

James Harden unveiled his endorsed shoe in 2015 halfway through the  NBA season – the Nike Hyperchase 2015. It isn’t a legit signature shoe, but you’ve already seen this case. This is just how Russel Westbrook endorses the Air Jordan XXX or the XX9.

Regardless, let’s take a look at the shoe’s appearance, tech, performance, comfort and price aspects.

MAIN SPECS

Shoes: Nike Hyperchase

Weight: 352 g. / 12.41 oz

Technologies: Nike FLYWIRE, HyperFuse

Fit: Go half a size up

My Rating: 6/10

APPEARANCE

Typical looking lows. Nothing that special in my opinion, not saying that they’re horrible or anything. I especially like this bright colorway, all the other ones are kind of decent in my book.

Speaking of colorways, the have 4-6 different models released, so not too bad.

Notice the long FLYWIRE cables connected to the laces. We will soon find out if it’s a good thing.

THE TECH

So as you saw, not too awesome in terms of tech.

It has FLYWIRE, which works decently at best. FLYWIRE is a layer under the upper for enhanced lockdown and support.

It also has some signs of HyperFuse, or just Fuse as most people call it. That is a strong material in several spots of the shoe to make it a bit more durable and sturdy. It isn’t dominant here though.

PERFORMANCE & COMFORT

Let’s begin with cushioning. So it uses a basic Phylon midsole, which is removable. That is a huge plus, as you can swap it with several other models like the Kobe 9. As for their particular cushioning, I would say that it is just not good enough. I really do understand it was made for Harden. He is a low-to-the-ground player, so it probably fits him.

But for the rest of the people, that midsole is hard and inflexible. It is pretty responsive and court feel is obviously there, but it doesn’t have good bounciness or impact protection. I say it’s really similar to the Kyrie 1.

Traction is their strogest point. The pattern is really weird and something I have never seen before, but it gets the job done. Multi-directional movements will be sustained properly. They are really sticky both indoors and outdoors. BUT, don’t make this an outdoor shoe – because it’s not meant to be that. The pattern itself is really soft and looks like it could wear off super quickly.

Now for the support. Right off the bat, this shoe is extremely snug. It’s so tight where you almost think that you went for an incorrect size. That’s why I suggest going half a size up no matter if you have wide of narrow feet. So, because of that tight fit, support is already there. There’s also a TPU heel counter as you can see, so heel slippage won’t be an issue.

What WILL be an issue, is foot containment. It’s pretty similar to the Jordan Melo M12, but not entirely. Basically performing harsh and explosive movements could result your foot going out of the footbed. The shoe pretty much has no lateral protection, so rolling your ankle is really easy. FLYWIRE kinda failed its job here.

Upper materials are mainly mesh with Fuse on some areas for durability. That is a nice, balanced setup between flexibility and durability. So whether you like soft OR hard uppers, this is a versatile choice.

I strongly think that comfort is the weakest aspect of the Nike Hyperchase. My main reason is the fit is simply wayyyyy to tight. The shoe seems to be designed for SUPER narrow footers, so putting them on is annoying too. It feels like I accidentally went a size down. You feel that discomfort all the time because it’s bothering upon every quicker movement.

Nike Hyperchase Review: FINAL VERDICT

So, the Nike Hyperchase is a weird shoe (if I can put it like that). It has great and versatile traction, balanced materials and an affordable price. You also get decent support with some minor issues.

But fit is really tight and annoying. This could be a personal preference, as some people may like tight fitted shoes. But for me, comfort is the #1 aspect of a basketball shoe. If all else is good and comfort is lackluster, it’s not a option for me.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how the actual James Harden signature shoe will be like. As for right now, I guess you could try these out, just don’t expect something spectacular. And check out my recommended alternative below.

PROS

  • Great traction

  • Balanced material setup

CONS

  • Foot containment is sloppy

  • Cushioning is not soft enough

  • Fit is too tight causing discomfort


RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE

NIKE HYPERLIVE

Now that’s a proper bang for your buck shoe. Solid all-around performance, cheap and an outdoor-friendly low top.

The HyperLive has a basic Phylon midsole for cushioning, FLYWIRE and the upper is Breathe Tech with HyperFuse.

It’s comfortable, the basic cushion setup is a bit better than this one, awesome traction, great support and a durable & breathable upper.


That’s it for this review, I hope you found it useful! If you liked it, stay tuned as there is many more to come.   You can also learn more about shoes and great options here.