Nike Hyperdunk 2017 Flyknit REVIEW: Innovative REACT Cushion

Many of you are already familiar with Nike’s usual pattern of shoe releases. There’s the crappy budget line with barely any tech, there are signature lines and then there’s the big one – the super versatile Hyperdunk line. This year, we have something special – Nike’s brand new React foam implemented in the shoe. Let’s see how it performs in my detailed Nike Hyperdunk 2017 Flyknit review.

Yeah, the Flyknit edition released first. Just like the 2016 models, the shoe will have three versions: regular, low, and Flyknit.

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 Hyperdunk 2017 Flyknit review!

SPEC SHEET


TYPE: HIGH TOP
TECH: REACT & PHYLON, FLYWIRE, FLYKNIT
FIT: TRUE TO SIZE
COLORWAYS: 2+
MY RATING: 9.5/10

THE TECH


NIKE REACT & PHYLON

Finally, a breath of fresh air. We have a dual-density setup – the new React foam that sits in a Phylon carrier. So you get a very effective, yet stable and responsive cushion setup to play in. Without giving away too much too early, this cushion is a hybrid of a hybrid. Yeah, just wait ’till the Performance section.

FLYWIRE

We also got Nike’s staple, the Flywire cables connected to the laces for a locked-in fit. Since the upper is soft Flyknit, the setup can’t really be as effective as it would be on a stronger, less forgiving upper. Nonetheless, it does work.

FLYKNIT

Obviously, the shoe’s upper is that sweet, soft Flyknit. Excels in mobility, comfort, lightness, and ventilation.

FIT


ON POINT

Not a lot of shoes offer this type of fit, let me tell you that. The moment I stepped in these – I felt comfortable, locked-in, mobile, light, all those things. No break-in time, no annoying problems, no dead space, no bullsh*t.

Seriously, I’m really impressed. The 2016 Hyperdunk Flyknit was great but as far as the fit, this blows it out of the water. Everything done about this one is done right from the comfort/fit perspective. The golden part about the 2017 Flyknit Hyperdunk is how secure AND mobile you feel at the same time. That’s a huge plus and a staple for versatility.

As far as sizing, just go true to size. Regular footer, narrow footer or wide footer, all foot types should try going with their regular sizes and the fit should be fine. Flyknit is very stretchy and the shoe’s construction is super forgiving, so don’t worry about tightness or dead space. And even if you’re a super wide footer and will feel tight at first, the upper will stretch out accordingly in a short period of time.

Sweet job.

PERFORMANCE


CUSHION

Let me put this as simple and clear as possible. This new React foam will NOT feel super new, it will NOT feel completely different from anything else and it will NOT perform miles better than ZOOM, Lunarlon or any other cushion setup. Like I said a million times already, it mostly comes down to personal preference and what YOU want from a shoe’s cushion.

However, I did not say this new foam is bad. It’s far from bad. In fact, it does have benefits that very few shoes offer today. This is basically a super responsive cushion that’s fairly firm, light, very stable and it gives you all the court feel you’d want. What’s awesome is it still manages to make the player’s steps feel soft and comfortable, it still provides tons of impact protection for how thin the cushion is.

So in result, we get a very versatile setup that will accommodate to most player types of styles. If you really want a comparison, you could call React a superior version of UA’s Charged or a stripped down version of BOOST.

TRACTION

Just look at that outsole. Sometimes expectations fall short because of first impressions but not this time. The traction on the Hyperdunk 2017 Flyknit is actually really good. It gripped the floor well pretty much at all times, no matter what I did. I could literally count the times I slipped on my one hand during the lengthy period of playing in them.

They’re not that sensitive to dust too, I did wipe a few times each game/training session but that was pretty much it. The rubber compound looks kinda decent. These weren’t made for outdoors but it would last some time in my opinion.

SUPPORT

A Flyknit upper isn’t really gonna help support the shoe but it’s surprisingly supportive. Of course, it’s not on a LeBron 14/D Rose 7 level but if you don’t need that much, you’ll be fine.

There’s an internal heel counter, Flywire cables to hold you down properly and that bubbly looking outsole acts as a huge outrigger, which does a great job preventing ankle rolls.

The only weird thing is the shoe’s ankle collar. It’s pretty much all Flyknit and it has no structure. So I’m not sure what’s the point of it at all.

For how mobile, light and free the shoe feels, this is really as much support as you can get. I guess not something for super saiyan centers or forwards like LeBron, Griffin or Cousins.

UPPER


PREMIUM FLYKNIT

The shoe’s upper is made of super high-quality Flyknit with TPU mixed in for more structure and durability. The tongue is made of suede, which is also a nice touch.

Everything about the upper screams quality. It’s really light and feels that way. It’s also amazingly soft and pleasant to the foot. Breathability is also on point.

There are many Flyknit uppers that aren’t purely Flyknit – they have some backup material for an extra reinforcement to help the shoe’s durability or support. This one also has TPU strands over it but what’s cool is they don’t take away the shoe’s comfort at all. It feels like 100% Flyknit.

As far as durability, still, it’s a knit. TPU or not, don’t expect these to last as long as leather or nubuck.

OVERALL


BEST FOR PRETTY MUCH ANY PLAYER OR PLAYSTYLE

The beauty of the Hyperdunk line is versatility and 2017’s Flyknit model portraits that really well. For those who aren’t looking for BOOST level bounce, the 2017 Hyperdunk Flyknit got you covered in ALL performance aspects, no matter the player or playstyle.

 

+ THE ULTIMATE COMFORT EXPERIENCE
+ KILLER TRACTION, WOULD HOLD UP OUTDOORS
+ A VERY VERSATILE CUSHION SETUP
THE SOFT ANKLE COLLAR DOESN’T SERVE A PURPOSE

Okay, that’s it for the review! I hope you found it useful!

Check out the rest of the Hyperdunk 2017 reviews: Mid | Low