Speed kills, and in today’s high paced transition game the industry is in a race to shave weight off every basketball shoe. With the advent of Flywire and some players even opting for low tops, the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse looked to trump its predecessors for the featherweight title. The co-sign by Boston Celtic point guard Rajon Rondo during his breakout postseason had everyone’s eyes on the new model, but it would be months before the consumer could even touch them. Would they live up to the hype?
We put the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse through a performance test to see if it lived up to the expectations. Continue reading to view our official Nike Zoom Hyperfuse Performance Review and share your thoughts on this sneaker. Do you own the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse? If so, do you agree with out performance review?
Nike Zoom Hyperfuse Performance Review
Strengths: Hyperfuse technology makes its on court debut in favor of Nike’s beloved Flywire. Incredibly breathable and flexible, the new Hyperfuse technology rights all the wrongs of its predecessor. Lightweight and strong, it also carries over the strengths. Dropping in the heat of the summer it proves to be superior in breathability, staying cooler, dryer, and lighter than the competition. It also laces up tighter without the ‘pinch’ feeling sometimes brought by Flywire sneakers.
Implementing the XDR outsole was a major strength of the Hyperfuse. No frills or flash, the XDR outsole is incredibly competent on both indoor and outdoor surfaces. Stopping on a dime or turning the corner was never an issue in the Hyperfuse. They also slid very well laterally, while some traction boasting shoes tend to stick like turf shoes. You won’t be caught slipping in these.
The forefoot cushioning is amazing. When trying these on the Zoom Air will be the first thing you feel. A Zoom Air unit is implemented for a cushy feel that plays off the the lightweight Fuse upper perfectly. Zoom Air has been a staple on Nike guard shoes for years and is well executed here for a fast and responsive court feel.
Weaknesses: While the forefoot cushioning is spectacular, absolutely no attention is paid to the heel. Full length Zoom Air would have taken this shoe from very good to great, but instead the heel is disregarded. My assumption is that it was done so to reinforce playing on your toes, but the lack of balance in the cushioning makes this effort counter productive.
Lock down could definitely be improved. After playing in a shoe with exceptional lock down, the Nike Zoom Kobe V, it was apparent that these did not feel like an extension of my feet. Because of the narrow cut and midtop silhouette they are a chore to put on and pull off. For a proper fit they must be laced up very tightly. Once laced properly their isn’t much in the way of slip, but the time and attention it takes to do so matched by the time to take them off is a burden.
Lastly, sizing. In today’s day in age the consumer buys shoes both in store and online. Last year’s Nike Hyperize was an oddity in that many players had to go a half or even whole size down to play in them. Conversely, the Hyperfuse run extremely small with most needing to go a half or whole size up. Nike’s performance sneakers would benefit greatly from uniformity in sizing.
Overview: Overall the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse is a very good shoe for the speedy guard and any player seeking a lightweight shoe. Nike hit a home run with the implementation of its newest technology introducing one of the most breathable basketball shoes the market has ever seen. The XDR outsole provides traction at its best that translates well between the indoor and outdoor game. While the Hyperfuse is definitely a step in the right direction it does possess some fit and in turn lock down issues. Regardless, the Rondo endorsed sneaker is a model I’d recommend to players of all levels.
The Nike Zoom Hyperfuse is available now at Nice Kicks and other Nike retailers.
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