LI-NING? WHAT’S THIS?
This is my first ever Li-Ning basketball shoe and I heard it’s good, so why not test them out? For Wade fans out there, here’s a review of the Li-Ning Way Of Wade 4.
I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, performance, comfort, materials and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the review of Way Of Wade 4!
THE TECH
Bounse and Cushion – these are the cushioning foams Li-Ning implements in the heel and forefoot areas of the shoe. Right off the bat, I wasn’t that impressed but wasn’t disappointed either. More on that later.
PERFORMANCE
FIT/COMFORT
To kick things off, these were really comfortable. Pretty much perfect one-to-one fit (and I have slightly wide feet), excellent lockdown & containment, that soft upper really adds to the comfort as well.
So if you’re a regular footer, a wide footer, a narrow footer, it doesn’t matter. These are definitely great in terms of fit.
CUSHION
Like mentioned already, nothing spectacular to be found here. However, this is a solid setup or just about any lower profile player or someone who’s light, does a little bit of everything and doesn’t need that much impact protection or bounce.
This is a pretty versatile setup, though it’s not on the softer/bouncier side. Apart from that, I did feel confident playing in these. They’re stable, step transitions are good, court feel is there.
TRACTION
I had no problems with the shoe’s traction. Gripped the floor very nicely, plenty of stopping power, no slipping/sliding issues. You will need to wipe them off from time to time, but other than that it’s fine.
The translucent rubber compound doesn’t look too durable, so I wouldn’t recommend these for outdoor play.
SUPPORT
For a soft upper such as this one, support was way better than I expected. There’s a hardcore TPU heel counter, a torsional shank, an outrigger, lacing straps. Pretty much everything you’d need for proper support.
It’s weird that the shoe’s cushion isn’t really up to par for explosive/heavy players, whereas support definitely is.
MATERIALS
The upper is very soft mesh with a Fuse layer underneath. In result, you get that awesome feel of soft mesh while also not sacrificing support even durability.
These are pretty breathable, comfortable, you won’t need to break them in almost at all. It’s a “tier 1” upper is Primeknit or Performance Woven, but it gets the job done by a bunch.
FINAL VERDICT
In the end, I definitely liked the Way of Wade 4, minus the cushion that just didn’t feel enough for me.
Super comfortable, decent cushion, great traction, killer support and a nice upper.
Everything a lighter/more all-around guard would need in my opinion. It’s expensive especially when compared to today’s competition, but if you can spend that much on a shoe, you won’t be disappointed.
PROS
+ Very comfortable and pleasant to play in
+ Great indoor traction
+ Killer support for every player
CONS
– Cushion is subpar for someone like me
– Traction won’t last outdoors
– Overpriced in today’s market
RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
ADIDAS D LILLARD 2.0
I’ve been recommending this to everybody, and for a good reason. Amazing all-around performance at a crazy price.
You get full-length BOUNCE cushion, SprintFrame, TORSION SYSTEM, a Continental Rubber outsole and various upper choices for $105. A deal that’s rare these days. Check the review out, you won’t regret it.
Okay, that’s it for the review! I hope you found it useful!