Nikey’s been putting out some solid budget basketball shoes lately and this one could be one of them. Welcome to my Nike Hypershift review! You’ll find out if the shoe is worth buying for a player and who it’s best for.
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 Hypershift review!
MAIN SPECS
Shoes: Nike Hypershift
Weight: 314 g. / 11.1 oz
Type: Low Top
Technologies: ZOOM AIR, Flywire
Fit: True to Size
Available Colors: 10+
My Rating: 8/10
THE TECH
ZOOM AIR – the shoe has a fairly small ZOOM unit in the forefoot area for cushioning. Really nothing impresive, but it isn’t actually as bad as it sounds on paper. The Phylon midsole here is one of the best I’ve played in and it adds to the cushion a bit to not make it suck.
Flywire – just as usual, this is a cable system under the upper which is connected to the laces for lockdown and containment. Works well and as intended, just like most Nike’s shoes that have the technology these days.
PERFORMANCE
FIT/COMFORT
A very light, mobile and minimal-feeling shoe. That’s a great start. The upper is soft, flexible and comfortable for your foot. Stability is there, no slippage or other issues, step transitions are nice and smooth.
So yeah, it’s a comfortable shoe. Everything combined works and I really had zero complaints while playing in these. It’s one of those shoes that just feel right and you don’t have to worry about them while playing.
CUSHION
The cushion’s fine for the most part. Nothing awesome though, since there’s only a single ZOOM unit in the forefoot. The unique thing about the shoe is its tooling. It’s anatomically shaped and basically blends with your foot’s exact shape.
That alone makes the shoe feel very mobile and grounded. Response is there, court feel is there, they’re stable. There’s barely any impact protection, but the shoe isn’t made for big dudes or super athletic players.
TRACTION
This is one of the weirdest traction patterns I’ve seen and even though I didn’t expect much, they did perform pretty well. Of course, because the pattern is made out of these rubber knobs and is SUPER dense, you’ll have to wipe very often and playing on very dusty courts isn’t a good idea.
Other than that, they grip the floor well, I did experience some minor slippage here and there, but nothing crazy. The rubber compound feels fairly strong, so I guess you could take these outdoors and see how they do.
SUPPORT
I will say this – this isn’t really my cup of tea in terms of support, but this is only my personal preference. There’s a TPU heel counter, a torsional plate, Flywire, lockdown is fine, which should provide proper support.
And it does, but because I drive and jump A LOT when I play, the shoe felt a bit flimsy from time to time. It feels like the upper just didn’t cope with my game, which is crazy to say. However if you’re a low-profile guard or just a player that doesn’t focus on explosiveness, then you’re all set, trust me.
MATERIALS
The upper is soft mesh with Fuse on high-wear areas. A setup that makes sense for a $100 shoe, so don’t expect anything like Flyknit. Still, it’s a soft type of material, so fans of that will love these.
It definitely doesn’t feel cheap or uncomfortable. There’s almost no break-in time, they’re breathable and fairly durable.
FINAL VERDICT
So the Nike Hypershift is a shoe you shouldn’t take off your list. Definitely a good performer and it’s fairly cheap.
They’re very comfortable, basic but still solid cushion, sensitive but grippy traction, moderate support and the upper is, once again, basic, but it works well.
This didn’t make it without some flaws for me, but it’s a good shoe for the money. Any lighter, low-profile guards, shooters or just non explosive-orientated players should appreciate these.
PROS
+ Very light and comfortable
+ Traction is durable for outdoor play
+ Mobile and breathable upper with no break-in time
CONS
– Support is a bit weak for heavier, more athletic players
– Traction is very sensitive to dust
Okay, thanks for having a look at the review, hope you found it useful! Check out the Nike HyperLive, another great budget model by Nikey!