Yeah, the last Kyrie shoe was awesome but it had one of the firmest cushions I’ve ever experienced. In this Nike Kyrie 3 review, we will find out how the shoe performs and if it improved upon the last one.
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 Kyrie 3 review!
SPEC SHEET
WEIGHT: 370 G. / 13.04 OZ
TYPE: MID TOP
TECH: ZOOM AIR, FLYWIRE
FIT: TRUE TO SIZE
COLORWAYS: 4+
MY RATING: 9/10
THE TECH
ZOOM AIR
Just like the Kyrie 2, the cushion setup is a Phylon midsole and a ZOOM unit in the heel. We’ll find out if it feels better soon.
FLYWIRE
Of course we got the cable system for proper lockdown & containment.
FIT
A STRONG, FIRM FIT
To kick things off, I’ll say that the Kyrie 3 has a firm, sturdy type of fit. It’s comfortable and I didn’t experience any issues but the feel overall is quite tight and firm because of that hard upper.
Lockdown and containment are awesome, you feel confident during any movement but like I said, you might want to loosen them up a bit if you’re looking for that softer, more flexible fit.
PERFORMANCE
CUSHION
The exact same cushion setup as on the Kyrie 2 but surprisingly, it feels better here. I don’t know what they changed here but it doesn’t feel like concrete anymore.
Keep in mind that this is a low profile guard’s shoe, so don’t anticipate a plush, bouncy ride. What you do get though is a great Phylon midsole that is very responsive, offers court feel without making you feel like you’re stepping on bricks. And there’s that ZOOM unit that isn’t bouncy at all but it’s pretty solid in terms of impact protection.
TRACTION
ust like on the Kyrie 2, traction is awesome here. We got that classic multi-directional herringbone traction pattern that barely requires wiping, grips the floor extremely well and is durable enough for outdoor play.
SUPPORT
It’s no surprise that the Kyrie 3 offers great support. We got a very supportive upper, Flywire cables, a TPU heel counter, a nice comfortable mid cut and a trusty lacing system to keep you secure.
Wouldn’t say it’s an improvement from the last one but it isn’t needed since the support is great both on the Kyrie 2 and 3.
UPPER
MESH & FUSE
The upper is mesh reinforced with Fuse. Not a premium setup obviously but it gets the job done for the most part.
Durable and good for outdoors, fairly breathable but not that flexible and you will need to give them some time to break in. Nothing spectacular but it makes sense for the $120 price tag.
FINAL VERDICT
So the Kyrie 3 was honestly better that I expected. I don’t know why I didn’t expect much from this one, but it left me with a smile on my face.
Fairly comfortable, solid cushion for a lighter guard, killer traction, confident support and a basic but trusty upper.
Definitely an improvement from the Kyrie 2 in my book. If you’re a light guard who needs lots of response while still maintaining some court feel, this won’t let you down.
+ RESPONSIVE CUSHION FOR A LIGHT GUARD
+ KILLER TRACTION BOTH INDOORS AND OUTDOORS
+ GREAT ALL-AROUND SUPPORT FOR EVERYONE
– THE UPPER ISN’T FLEXIBLE, REQUIRES BREAK-IN TIME
Okay, that’s it for the review! I hope you found it useful!
Opposite of the Kyrie 3’s minimal cushion is the Crazy Explosive Low. If you were looking for addicting, bouncy, soft and just overall amazing cushion, check that shoe out.