Shox VC III

Jordan VI Infared

Jordan 2010 Stealth

Jordan IX Powder

Nike Shox VC III

(Continued ...)

The full-length Shox columns looks intimidating. Any other cushioning system really pales in light of what the VC III has to offer - both in form and function. The Shox system here works great from front to back but a key mishap is the stability of this shoe when moving from side to side. At the most extreme pivot point, either your ankle will be forced back by the very restrictive upper, or the shoe feels like it is on the verge of tipping over. Any serious baller should be able to duplicate this feat on the hardwood.

Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Next

Tester: Ed

Position: Small Forward.

Style of Play: Slash and Shoot. High Riser. Run and Gun.

Favorite shoe: Shox BB4.

Latest Shoes reviewed: Flight 2K3; Shox Stunner; Shox Status; Jordan XII; Jordan XVII; Jordan XVIII; Jumpman Team FBI; And1 Chosen One; Reebok Answer VII...

The Good: Excellent cushioning. It takes a few wears to settle in but the vertical lift in these shoes are amazing. I can feel the pods in every step. 9.5 is the highest I've ever given a shoe for cushioning in this past year. Comfort and luxury is another strong point. If there's any reason why a person would shell out a ben and a half for a shoe, this is it. Top quality construction and craftsmanship around the entire shoe. You can tell from the integral details that Nike put a lot of attention and effort into the VC III.

The Bad: For a Flight shoe. The VC III is heavy, very HEAVY. Like Mike (which you'll read on the next page). I also tweaked my ankle on this shoe - although not nearly as bad. I've said it before and I'll say it again. There is no need to wear high heels on a basketball court. Despite an otherwise excellent protection system built into the shoes to shield the ankle area, the overall balance of the shoe is out of wack. Why build 10 air bags into a car when the car itself is unbalanced and prone to tip over to begin with? I lowered my safety score dramatically due to this issue. The goal should be to prevent, not to patch things up for the aftermath. For a Flight shoe, the upper is much too high and restrictive. This shoe would've been much better off in truth under the Force Series (which of course would never happen for marketing purposes).