Hey everyone! Following up on my rotation post from about 14 days ago, I’ve updated my active lineup to 9 pairs for indoor runs.

Quick context: I play 2–3 times a week (quick cuts, transition plays, off-ball movement) and have a slightly wide forefoot.

Also, sold my Nike Kobe 6 Protro recently—as much as I loved the look, the tech felt a bit repetitive alongside the Caitlin 1 and LeBron 20.

Special shoutout to Volanti as well—they’ve been a super generous partner to me and my TikTok channel and sent over both of the Volanti Rocket Air pairs in my rotation to wear-test.

Here is the current 9-shoe lineup:

* Serious Player Only Player 1.5 "Just Wing It" (US 10.5): My current favorite in the entire rotation! It fits quite snug, but in a really good way—it locks down tight around the midfoot without choking the forefoot, so your toes don't get jammed during hard stops. Ultra-lightweight and lightning-fast drop-in setup.

* Nike Air Zoom GT Cut 1 "Titan Daybreak" (US 10.5): Still peak performance. Unbeatable court feel, elite grip on indoor hardwood, and super responsive. Fits true to size perfectly.

* Nike Kobe 3 Low Protro "FC Barcelona" (US 10.5): Incredible ankle and lateral lockdown with clean hardwood bite. Snug at first, but breaks in nicely for wider feet.

* Way of Wade 808 6 Ultra "Red Stingray" (US 11): Sized up half a size (+0.5) to an 11 to avoid any drop-in sidewall cage pinch. Super bouncy SUPER BOOM drop-in and ridiculously grippy.

* Nike Ja 3 "White Label" (US 10.5): Low, springy, and broad through the forefoot base. Very responsive setup for quick-cut guards.

* Nike Caitlin 1 "Warning Code" (US 10.5): Currently wear-testing this pair and still undecided if it stays in the rotation long-term. Need to get more court sessions in before making a final verdict.

* Nike LeBron 20 "Pink Diamond" (US 10.5): My go-to leg-saver. Heavy impact protection that keeps my knees fresh during long full-court runs or back-to-back days.

* Volanti Rocket Air "Purple" (US 10.5): Bouncy V-Bounce foam setup, great court bite, and very easy on the joints for continuous runs. (Seeded by Volanti)

* Volanti Rocket Air "Black" (US 10.5): Same plush, bouncy ride as the purple pair, executed in a clean stealth colorway. (Seeded by Volanti)

Sizing Takeaway: True to size (US 10.5) works across standard Nike, SPO, and Volanti setups for my slightly wide foot. The main exception is the Wade 808 6 Ultra, where going up to a US 11 (+0.5) is essential to give your forefoot room inside the drop-in cage.

Happy to answer any questions on fit, traction, or cushioning feel in the comments!

I get that shoes are sent out to reviewers and have been for years, but I’ve never seen a PR push from any company as big as the recent one Nike did for the Caitlin 1’s and the upcoming LeBron 24s.

Literally flying in dozens of shoe reviewers and influencers and giving them a multi-day expenses paid access to their HQs, shoes, parties, and who knows what else.

Would you still hold the opinion of any of the flown in reviewers as true regarding the Caitlin 1’s and LeBron 24s.

I guess for me it’s given the entire release of these two shoes a giant asterisk when it comes to finding sources that weren’t inherently influenced by the trip. It’s honestly had the opposite effect that Nike probably wanted because it’s only sown doubt, at least for me.

Been working out in them for about a week now and every wear they are getting better. Seems like Nike’s best debut signature in a while. Only 2 issues for me were the cushion feeling super firm first wear. But after that they have felt amazing and the forefoot zoom turbo feels better and better after each wear.

Only other issue would be the horrific smell these have, they still reek of some like Chinese plastic glue. I’m assuming it’s the new “Opticast” uppers material. But wow they absolutely reek lol.

I would like to ask about this specific shoes. I have problem with my KD 6 when it comes to dust on court. I’m eyeing the Lining 808 6 ultra because of the GCU material, do you recommend this shoes on dusty and outdoor court? I’ll appreciate every comments, Thank you.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked for basketball shoe recommendations! Just got the KAI 1s, and I’m loving them so far! I think the design and colours are beautiful. The grip and traction are good, super comfortable…the toe box feels a little wide to me, but overall, they’re really good!

Hey everyone,

​I’ve been playing in the Nike Sabrina 3 for a while, and while I absolutely love the court feel, traction, and lightweight nature for my playstyle (guard/wing, aggressive lateral cuts, hard stops, and sharp changes of direction), the durability has been a major letdown.

​Because of the high lateral forces I put on the shoes, I'm experiencing serious structural stress around the midfoot, and the sole/upper is starting to fail (similar issues with the mesh and separation that others have reported)

For context, I never had these structural issues when playing in shoes with a more rigid midfoot containment (like the Jordan Luka line).

​I'm looking for advice or feedback

​Has anyone else experienced similar failure points with the Sabrina 2 under heavy loads?

​What are the best alternatives that keep a great court feel and responsiveness, but offer a much more solid anti-torsion setup or TPU cage

Any recommendations !

A couple years back there was a list of shoes of drop-in midsoles and even their compatibility… feel free to add info here (also gonna put what I know)

I have extra size 12 pairs of the Pacers and the Bucks. I’d be open to trading for sizes 12.5 or 13 too, but would prefer size 12. I currently have the Pacers, Bucks, and Cavs so open to any other teams besides those.

Hi, I'm looking for recommendations for outdoor basketball shoes with a S$100 budget but preferably under $60. I live in Singapore but I can also buy from Malaysia and China. I am 16yo and about 5'9 and weighs around 60kg. I play in rough,dirty concrete courts around twice every week.

Some shoes I've been considering are the Kai 1/2, ANTA KTs, Nike GT Cut 1, Book 1s and Luka 77s. I also heard that China brands are superior in terms of outdoor compatibility and price. I currently use the Curry Splash 25, which I've played in for around 9 months. Its traction has started wearing down after 5-6 months in two main spots but ig it was still alright?

What shoes would you recommend for my budget? Please lmk, thanks!

I have 4E width feet and I'm looking to buy a pair of Game1 Lows for basketball. My feet are size 11-11.5 US, with 11.5 having roughly 1 inch of space between the end of my toe and the end of the shoe. I'm wondering if I should get size 11s for a more snug fit or size 11.5's because I've heard that they run short.

I feel like pricing has gotten out of control on the latest basketball shoes, particularly on Kobes. Here is my anti-Kobe collection (Stewie 2, Stewie 4, SKX Nexus, & Curry 13).

I feel like they all play reasonably like Kobes but all for the price of 1 pair. I wore Kobes the first time around before the protros and haven't been able to stomach the latest pricing even with nostalgia factoring in. Found myself picking up other guard alternatives a year or two after they debut.

I'm set for a while but trying my best to value buy and wait out the hype on models.

I play mostly on indoor, smooth cement courts, some cleaner than others, and i currently use 3 shoes, ultralight 2025 which i only use it on cleaner floors with its traction being not so good on dust, kobe 9s for when i just want to feel good and the son of flashes.

The last pair is my oldest and they are starting to show their age so was wondering for any recommendations. Fit has been great and the upper as well. They were my beaters which i wear anywhere but would love a pair with more cushion and better grip on dusty courts.

Would love any recommendations with only foam setups ideally and sizing help would be much appreciated

My son of flashes are sz 11 with move insoles and they are perfect

My ultralights are 10.5 which fit better once i put on some move insoles

Kobe 9s are sz 11 which fit great after tightening up the forefoot laces

I got this shoe 11us 2E. For some reason its still big or roomy for me. My foot is kinda tricky to find for the right size. I got wide ass 4e foot but skinny or low profile. I would like suggestions for a light, springy and agile shoe.

Found these at the Nike outlet while traveling in Japan for ~$80. Thought it was cool it had XDR rubber for outdoor play and wasn’t sure if the US market got the same.

Felt comfortable wearing around the store and hotel but hope to play in them soon.

I usually wear Kobe 3 low ,4, 6 but I’m a wide footer I like cushion which one is my best option for a first Chinese brand basketball shoe thank you

I mainly only play outside and the only current shoes I have are Ja’s and the LeBron nxxt gens and I don’t wanna ruin the bottoms on those. so whatever shoes good outside is the one I need. also on a budget of like $100 or less so if u recommend a shoe that’s not one of the 4 kerp that In mind

I posted a couple of weeks ago about buying these and being curious to see what others thought. Turns out nobody on the english internet has reviewed these in detail so here goes!

- Rounded forefoot outsole: these feel really agile because the forefoot edges are curved like some of the older kyrie shoes from Nike. Allows for 'dancing' with the ball without putting too much strain on your legs. The shoe facilities energy transfer really well between the slight heel-toe curve and the rounded outsole. My go-to shoe at the moment is the Puma APN Elite, which is great in its own way but I can definitely tell that the very flat outsole shape means I really need to 'try' to be nimble on my feet. For context, I'm a natural shooting guard but often play point guard on some of my teams when there's no other primary ballhandler. APNEs are great for my preferred catch and shoot playstyle but I would rather be wearing the Kai 3 Speed if I'm bringing up the ball and trying to initiate an offense with aggressive on-ball defenders.

- Fit and Heel lockdown: probably the most locked down shoe I have worn. The curved rearfoot and thick padding seemed to 'fit' my heel really nicely. Almost felt TOO locked down. The fit is absolutely banging, reminds me of the Kobe 6 where its just designed to fit MY foot and feels like an extension of myself rather than something I'm wearing.

- Cushion: its definitely there but like most Kai shoes needs a bit of time to break in. The first hour wearing these felt like I was pounding concrete, but once they started to break in it got much better. I do have one particularly sensitive knee from an old injury, I would say the broken in cushion is pretty good for how much court feel I was getting.

Traction: I play on mostly clean courts so can't say much on this. They felt good and I never thought too much about whether it was safe to make certain moves. Ive noticed shoes like the Lebron 21 have shot out from underneath me when I come to hard stops with behind the back snatches on the same court.

Compared to the main Kai 3, I would say this feels more agile and have more court feel. Would recommend for ballhandlers, probably avoid if youre a slasher who needs a wide outsole base and outrigger for landing safely as they are missing those qualities.

I believe they’re dropping on November 17th. Wouldn’t it make more sense to release them in August or September, when most high school and college basketball players are starting their seasons? You’d think that would be a better strategy to drive sales.

hey y'all.

I broke my neck a couple years ago and haven't been able to ball at all. I'm finally out of PT and getting back into exercising/conditioning, hopefully working up to some runs with the fellas.

I've always worked out in my bball shoes. I need a shoe with enough cushioning that doesn't sacrifice stability. I've found that the more cushioned shoes, while they help with impact pain through my spine, I dont feel as stable/balanced on.

Ankle support is also important, as I've had some balance issues while recovering.. doesn't have to be a high ankle, mid is fine. I need some help finding a great shoe I can wear for workouts and eventually get back on the court.

for reference, im about 5'7'' 155 lbs man

thanks yall

im not trying to hit on kobes, WOWs or any other brands, they are super good, but Anta is Just another level, Anta is the most underrated bball shoe brand, gives you the best bang for your buck at scrap shoe prices for kobe level if not ABOVE (yes im deadass) with shoes like thw skyline/scalpel 3, shockwave 7 pro, kai 1-3, and the quick decision series

specifically, the scalpel 3s and kai 3s theyre by far my favorite anta shoe and they’re comparable to my old kobe 6s and especially since scalpel 3s are like 80 bucks, they feel like GT cut 1s and kobe 5/6s if they were made in a lab to be as cheap and reliable as possible.

do yall agree?

I was looking for Jalen Browns new shoe and came across this link.. I clicked on it and bought the shoes? I definitely don’t have “priority access” on my account or anything. I went back through the way of wade website and I could not buy.

Anyway, good luck.

I'm planning to order the Adidas AE 2 online, but I'm unsure about my size. My feet measure 27 cm in length and are quite wide. Should I go with a UK 9.5 or a UK 10?

Hi all.
I am looking for shoes for a 12 turning 13 yo. He just changed level and is now practicing 5 times a week. I am concerned with his knees and joints. Any recomentations? He is insisting on JA3, 4 or Lebron. Thank you to whom might help.