On most shoes, we'd say patent leather and chrome design cues has long been played out. But on the Shox VC 3 and a3 Superstar Ultra, each element fits in perfectly to the overall scheme. It helps to exude a presence of luxury that is neither cheap-looking nor over the top. At this price range and category, the purchaser is more likely to appreciate the VC's abundance of edginess and lavishness. Every curve of the shoe screams out "I'm expensive and you know it". What's the point of paying $160 if it doesn't show it? If you want to flaunt the obvious high class status of your shoes, then the VC 3 is the one for you.

      The Superstar's exterior styling does not match VC's outlandishness. Instead, it uses classic lines to draw up a winner for the long run. The Ultra's beauty tends to shine brighter each additional time you look at it. Like fine wine, it just keeps getting better and better and does not fade with the passage of time. Part of the reason for that is the Ultra's lineage with its OG Superstar and Pro Model roots. Like a prominent race horse, being the heir of legendary champs goes a long way. If subtleness and classiness is what you are looking for, then the Superstar takes the cake here.

Cushioning:

In the area of cushioning, on the surface, the VC has the Superstar beat in terms of pure impact protection and responsiveness. But it does so at a price. It sits higher off the ground and can give slashing players a feeling of uneasiness. Sometimes, you just don't want to be reminded of the trampoline effect at the bottom of your feet. Nike's Shox are placed straight up and down and works best when the athlete is landing from a standing jump. A direct heel to toe strike works great on the VC, but how often do we really encounter those perfect experiences on a basketball court? That is one of the reasons why the Shox VC has traditionally taken a much longer time to break in. Our feet have to adjust to a fixed set of direction that the Shox want to take us, while the shoe's suspension system takes time to settle to our demands on the court. It feels like the first set of wears on the court is like a married couple fighting and trying to change each other. Only with a proper break in period and a lot of heartache does the two finally agree that in order to live with each other, they must each conform and bend a little.

      The Ultra, on the other hand, is able to achieve almost the same level of cushioning but does so discretely and without you having to think twice about it. The best description when comparing the a3 with the Shox is that the Superstar is much smoother during high level competition. It has a buttery smooth ride for running and takeoffs as well as impact landing. The reason for that is the re-engineered makeup of the energy return cushioning system itself.

      The a3 on the Superstar was reprogrammed from the ground up to be the lightest and most comfortable full-length cushioning system. With adi-Prene+ instilled at the forefoot, the take-off jumps has both a soft and springy feel at the same time. The Shox system on the VC is harder and more durable to provide a better real time feedback. However, because the VC sits that much higher up, much of that court feel advantage gets lost in translation. Those familiar with previous versions of the a3 can throw those ideas out the window. This system has been redesigned to feel less mechanical and much more in tune with the real world movements on the basketball court. The geometric shape of the a3, along with the placement and density of the foam pillars makes it possible and does it with greater efficiency than ever before.

      The bottom line is this, if you have been satisfied with past Shox based system, then stick with your conformed environment. The VC 3 is simply bar-none the best Shox system ever developed. So why fix what isn't broken? However, if you face issues and limitations with the Shox system, then the new a3 is the way to go. It resolves much of the past concerns one come to expect from these systems and offers a much better all around movement on the court.