Sleek Football Trainer For The Most Hated In The Game
Written: Jun 03 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Superb traction, great durability, lightweight
Cons: Not as responsive as the sigs before it, chafing issue in the interior
The Bottom Line: Buy this if you like Michael Vick and want a superb traction shoe. Forget it if you don't like wearing quarter socks or want great responsiveness.
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| nikefreak's Full Review: Nike Zoom Vick IV |
Ok, a bit of a dramatic title, but Michael Vick is definitely not a popular figure right now in the league, with his recent run-ins with the law including the water bottle incident at the airport, and most recently, with dog-fighting allegations brought against him. But, that has nothing to do with his signature shoes, so onto the actual review.
It's hard to compare with the last Zoom Vick in the protection aspect, but this one stands up quite well with a lightweight synthetic leather upper combining with a rich suede lining on the top. A breathable quarter vent, heel cut-out area, and lateral four side vents provide adequate breathability for the foot. An integrated, laser-etched ankle strap provides a good locked-down fit for lateral movements. When I made hard cuts during plyometric drills and other football moves, there was a definite locked-down feel in which my foot was not going to be moving anywhere I didn't want it to go.
The ankle-strap is laser-etched with highlights of Vick's personality, such as the Swoosh, his number, Virginia Tech logos, etc. (No, no dogs on there, thank you!) It is a very nice, subtle design element. The strap is pretty small, but is effective with a small piece of Velcro and a small hole on the medial side to connect it to. The heel cut-outs not only promote breathability but give your heel that flexibility that harkens back to Nike's Huarache concept in which the heel area has cutouts in the malleous area for this ultra-light, flexible fit.
There is a full-length, seamless, Dynamic-Fit Sleeve that wraps your foot in complete comfort. However, I do have to make a point of reminding you to wear at least a quarter-size sock or the back of your heel will get a blister from the upper part of the shoe rubbing on that area. For some reason, Nike didn't extend the height of the Fit sleeve, thus the upper part of the interior is unpadded. Just don't go with low-cut socks with this shoe.
Cushioning is provided by a lightweight Phylon midsole embedded with a heel Zoom Air unit. This is probably one of the few times that I have said this, but this particular Zoom Air unit didn't really give my foot that responsiveness that I crave and come to expect from this Air unit. It felt cushy enough, but didn't give me that "bounce" I usually get with a Zoom Air unit. I don't know particularly, but the Zoom Vick III had the exact same cushioning set-up and it felt a whole lot more responsive than this one.
Of course, in a turf shoe, there is the outsole to be counte d on to give you perfect traction and this is the highlight of the shoe. It's a hybrid traction pattern that can be used on multiple surfaces and you can have the same grip on grass as artificial turf. The deeply segmented flex grooves give your foot the flex you want. The pattern is actually modeled after Vick's prominent diamond earrings, so you can see the diamond stud traction pattern in the outsole. Moving on any surface I tried, this shoe stuck like glue and was a definite high point. It's segmented into three clear sections as well, with a picture of Vick shining through. I do like how the outsole is wrapped up high at the toe, usually a low point in terms of durability in a shoe, so it provides an extra measure of protection.
This shoe still have the VICK logo, in which the C is segmented into the K, to show his number 7 through the combo of the two letters. This is on the strap, the bottom of the outsole, and the chrome football logo on the heel.
Overall, this is not a bad shoe, but is definitely a disappointment compared to the excellent ones that came before it. I think a bit more breathability, overall cushioning responsiveness, and making the inner sleeve higher as not to have the chafing issue would have made this a much better shoe. Traction and durability are superb, but the overall package is lacking. If you like Vick, you own this already. If not, it's still a good choice, but there are better turf shoes out there.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 70
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