Nike Kobe AD Mid REVIEW: The Crappy A.D. FIXED!

After a very disappointing Kobe A.D, Nikey released the heavily altered A.D. NXT and now the A.D. in a mid top fashion. Look out folks, this isn’t just a cosmetic change, the new A.D. has a lot of changes and tweaks from the original. That is why I decided it’s worth putting this one to the test, so I bring you my Nike Kobe A.D. Mid review.

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 Kobe A.D. Mid review!

SPEC SHEET


WEIGHT: 341 G. / 12.03 OZ
TYPE: MID TOP
TECH: ZOOM AIR, LUNARLON, FLYWIRE
FIT: TRUE TO SIZE
COLORWAYS: 5+
MY RATING: 8/10

THE TECH


ZOOM AIR & LUNARLON

The same setup on paper but sooo much better on this one. A nice and responsive Lunarlon midsole along with a large ZOOM unit in the heel for impact absorption sits in the A.D. Mid.

Definitely a pretty premium setup that feels miles different from the regular A.D.

FLYWIRE

Of course, we got Nikey’s industry standard Flywire cables to lock your foot down properly. The upper is pretty thin and soft, so that’s where the cable system comes to play. And it works just as intended.

FIT


STIFF BUT SECURE

I probably shouldn’t have gone true to size with these since I’m a “mediocore” wide footer. Roughly, the first two weeks were pretty damn horrible. The shoe felt super stiff, uncomfortable, way too tight. Flexibility was there but every step or any movement resulted a suffer from stiffness.

I was mad at the shoe and thought it’s gonna be the same case as it was with the A.D. It wasn’t.

Firstly, I’m a wide footer, so regular/narrow footers wouldn’t have this big of a deal during a break-in period in the first place. Secondly, after those two weeks, most of the bullsh*t went away.

So go true to size with these and be ready for a pretty in-your-face break-in marathon. For us wide foot people, DEFINITELY go up half a size and see how it plays.

In a nutshell, the shoe isn’t the most pleasant to wear even if you get the sizing right. But it’s not bad. They’re very stable, secure, no lockdown or containment problems. So I’ll give ’em props for that.

PERFORMANCE


CUSHION

Let’s brighten things up a bit. The standard A.D. almost felt like Kyrie 2-like concrete. This, having the same cushioning, is wayyyyy better. The massive ZOOM unit in the heel provides a nice amount of impact protection without making you sink in too much, thus sacrificing responsiveness.

The Lunarlon midsole offers you a solid balance between court feel and response. It’s not BOOST or Max ZOOM but it’s not that type of shoe.

All in all, good impact protection, maintains court feel and response at the same time. Not a bouncy setup but not too firm either.

TRACTION

Excellent traction with minimal sensitivity to dust. That’s awesome when you think about how many indoor shoes insist players with the need to wipe the outsole or you’re f**ked.

And yeah, it’s an outdoor shoe – the rubber on these is pretty shallow, so don’t expect great durability at the park. I wouldn’t take them outside at all if I wanted to keep ’em going for as long as I can.

I did test them outside and they gripped very well. But that’s about as far as it goes.

SUPPORT

Internal heel counter, a torsional shank, excellent outriggers, a wide & flat base and a very secure fit. That’s literally all you need for an optimal and secure experience on the court.

The upper isn’t that supportive because of its thin and soft nature, so you won’t get that LeBron or Rose-like protection level. For those who don’t require that much, you’re good to go.

UPPER


GOOD – COULD’VE BEEN BETTER

The upper is mesh consisting of very thin and soft layers on top of each other. All this talk about the shoe’s materials being super cheap – I don’t give a sh*t. It plays nicely and the upper did NOT bring any annoyances to the table. Simple as that.

That mesh gave me comfort and mobility, while the shoe’s other features covered it up with proper support. That’s completely fine by me.

There are some drawbacks. The material is definitely not on the durable side and it already shows after a few good games. Ventilation is also crappy. In other words – there is barely any breathability, so if you really pay attention to that, this may be a deal-breaker.

OVERALL


BEST FOR ANY ALL-AROUND PLAYER

The Nike Kobe A.D. Mid is a solid product that’s been remade from a sh***y shoe. It’s a versatile piece to add to your collection if you’re looking for balance.

If you can get past the sizing factor and a not-so-cheap price, these are very nice on court.

GREAT CUSHIONING THAT GIVES BALANCE
+ SUPERB TRACTION, MINIMAL SENSITIVITY
+  STABLE & SECURE
WEAK OUTSOLE – OUTDOOR PLAY ISN’T ADVISED
A MAJOR BREAK-IN PERIOD NEEDED

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