Get Low ( Nike Hyperdunk Low)

       

          Sometimes you get what you pay for and sometimes you get just a little more. Such is the case with the Nike HyperDunk Low. Now unless you've been living under a rock somewhere you would know that low top basketball sneakers are making a name for themselves in terms of performance. Ever since the breakout performance of Kobe Bryant and his Low to the floor Zoom Kobe 4 low tops are the new trend (back to back championships can't hurt much either). With the HyperDunk High, new innovations in fit and lightweight performance was born in the forms of Flywire and Nike Lunar foam. While the Hyperdunk does feature those lovable Vectran strands the lunar foam has been left out. This is a good thing or is it?

      Now while Kobe Bryant has been doing his thing to push low tops into the homes of any Nike enthusiast and ball player, Point guards like two time MVP Steve Nash has been sporting them or quite some time. He has even spent some time in the Hyperdunk low. So lets see how they stacked up.

                 First of all, I rarely pay retail price for Sneakers in this day and age it just seems, unwise and unethical. So I was quite pleased to procure a pair for 50 bucks at a local Nike outlet. Upon trying them on I noticed some intelligent design approaches and some cutbacks as well.

Notice the beefy heel counter that locks
the foot and prevents Heel slippage

                                     

 Comfort and Fit:

    The Nike Hyperdunk low uses a minimal approach, very minimal. There is only one flywire panel on the lateral side of the foot where it is needed the most. while this makes sense I still would have appreciated the effort to put one on the medial side as well Ala Zoom Kobe 4. I also compared them to the high tops and saw that there were much fewer vectran strands used on the low. This is no cause for alarm, but i still would have preferred more vertical strands for support. The pair that I acquired had patent leather supporting the rest of the shoe, which is a good thing because it wont stretch as much as traditional leathers or nubuck. The Heel provides good lock down support by way of an internal heel cup and external TPU (thermo polyurethane-heat formed plastic) heel counter as well. This helped me to feel confident in my movements while enjoying the freedom and mobility of the low cut.

The tongue provides great breathability,

 I just wish it was a little higher



Cushioning:

          Now this is where Nike really trimmed the fat and slimmed the budget.

1. There is No Zoom-Air

2. There is No Lunar foam

3. But wait a least we still have the carbon fiber shank right? Wrong, you've been fooled faithful Nike customer with a pretty, glittery (yes, glitter. I kid you not) sticker with a false carbon weave pattern.

So with all the smoke and mirrors, what did we really get?

        Well, the Hyperdunk low does have a heel air sole unit that does a good job of soaking up impact forces. While I would have preferred the springy bounce back of Zoom-Air, the airsole was just fine. The forefoot has no cushioning unit embedded in the sole but the phylon midsole is more than adequate for light guards and the lack of a unit allows the foot to flex easily for more natural movements. Oh yeah and there is a midfoot shank, but it's actually hidden within the shoe under the sock liner. It's just your standard plastic shank, but it still does its job of protecting the foot. Again carbon fiber is better, but for 50 bucks I can live with plastic.

Is that Carbon Fiber?! No, wait that's just a glittery sticker...

Traction:

         

            The Traction is identical to the high tops so I don't need to beat a dead pony. This pair has a clear rubber outsole, which is starting to yellow with time as all clear outsoles do ( see Jordan 11, ouch), but through two weeks of wearings I haven't slipped so "it's all Good".

Slight yellowing, but the traction still does a good job.

         To sum things up, The Hyperdunk Low is a low cut ride that is more than adequate for pick up games at your local gym, or just kicking around, These shoes are ready. While other lows like the Zoom Kobe 4 and 5 have evolved the performance low top category, the HyperDunk low is still a good choice for your low top bball needs and a great bargain if you can find them for cheap. So, what are you waiting for? Get Low!

Comparisons

HyperDunk high and low

Notice the difference at the heel.

One of these shoes has carbon fiber,

one of these Shoes does not

Notice the difference in flywire strands,

the lows have a lot less, but still provide enough support.