Lebron 13 hay Lebron XIII được đánh giá là một bước tiến lớn so với đôi được đánh số trước nó. Dòng giày bóng rổ này đã được tích hợp những ưu điểm, công nghệ của các phiên bản trước đó đồng thời cải tiến một số khuyết điểm để hoàn thiện hơn. Sau đây là những đánh giá của Authentic Shoes của đôi giày Nike LeBron 13 này.  Upper của Lebron XIII được dựng từ phần nền inner bootie (dạng tất trong), cáp Flywire rồi đến một lớp Fuse cùng Posite ở giữa bàn chân (mid-foot) và hai bên cổ chân. Tất cả các chất liệu trên được phủ bởi một lớp vải lưới (Trừ 3 miếng Posite). Thiết kế này khiến mặt trong của đôi giày vẫn êm mà vẫn đảm bảo độ chắc chắn cao. Ngoài ra phía trong của mũi chân cũng được gia cố thêm bởi chất liệu ép nhiệt (Fuse). Midsole của Lebron 13 làm từ xốp Phylon tiêu chuẩn của Nike. Lớp Phylon bọc lên upper ở ngoài mũi chân và 2 bên midfoot cũng như sau gót. Ngoài ra còn có một miếng nhựa cứng được đặt dưới gan bàn chân với họa tiết hình con thoi. Outsole của Lebron XIII vẫn khá giống phiên bản tiền nhiệm với các túi Zoom riêng biệt lồi lên ở mũi (trừ 2 mấu đầu tiên) và gót. Đặc biệt 2 miếng dày nhất (13 mm) được đặt ở đệm mũi chân và gót. Hầu hết outsole sử dụng họa tiết hình con thoi tương tự miếng midfoot nhưng phần này rất ít tiếp xúc với mặt sàn do đế được làm lồi lên ở vị trí các túi Zoom. Ở mỗi mấu lồi ra sử dụng vân đế thẳng khá đơn giản (trừ hai miếng lớn nhất dùng vân đế bao phủ 2 góc khác nhau). Hoạt tiết ở các túi Zoom nhỏ gần như tạo thành một đường bao xung quanh túi Zoom lớn nhất ở mũi. It’s funny how the XIII Elite model costs the same as the non elite isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be nice if shoe companies would just give us the good goods the first time around ? That will never happen so oh well, onto the review Pros: much lighter without sacrificing support, traction, cushioning, support and stability, containment, Posite was removed including the stupid middle piece Cons: Hex Zoom takes time to get used to, would have preferred regular large forefoot Zoom, one piece upper leads to some bunchiness around tongue, upper is same thickness around entire shoe and needs some break in, sum of the parts not as great as indivual scores Sizing: true to size, half size down for narrow footers Best for: any position Here is my XIII comparison from last year King of the court Weight: 13 ounces for a Lebron shoe is nuts. The regular XIII was 16 oz. Traction Exactly the same as the non elite. Great on all surfaces including dusty floors although wiping is still needed. Don’t judge a shoe’s traction based on translucency. Cushioning Five hex pods in the forefoot versus three with the non elite. I can’t really feel them because they are so far forward in the toe and they are the small Zoom pods but at least they are there. They might help with push off but it is really is minimal. Regarding how Hex Zoom feels, it takes a little time getting used to it. I still prefer a normal Zoom set up because the flexibility gained from the Hex set up isn’t all that much especially considering how much midsole there is. Would you rather sleep on one plush bed or a bunch of pillows spaced evenly apart ? All the empty space between the Zoom pods and the protrusion from each pod could have been simplified with a standard forefoot Zoom set up. Fit I went true to size from Lebron X to XIII and these fit me perfectly just like the regular XIII. If you have narrow feet, I suggest half size down because I see it being difficult to get laces tightened properly with skinny feet. The entire upper is now the same material and Nike dropped the Posite (thank goodness). I’ve never been a fan of Posite and the removal of it just makes the shoe feel more natural to me. No more stupid middle Posite piece either. What is Kurim? It is just the name of the company that makes the rubber. (Makes it sound fancier doesn’t it? It’s like when you order fish at a restaurant and instead of catfish it says Blue Channel Mississippi Catfish). Above: Nike even put this weird material I’ve never seen before.. Must be from ancient times. Real leather is what I think they called in B.S. Times (Before Synthetic ) Below: nicely padded ankle collar One other note. Being a one piece upper with no separate tongue, I still had weird folding along the tongue since my foot doesn’t fill the shoe to capacity. It isn’t a deal breaker at all but just an annoyance. I had similar issues with the regular XIII as well. Support and stability Always a strong point of the LBJ line, the Elite does a great job. Nike upgraded the plastic midfoot support to Real Carbon Fiber. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen real carbon fiber used on a shoe so it is nice upgrade. As far as performance, it doesn’t change much so that’s why the past few years we’ve seen plastic but I think Nike really wanted to make the elite feel, well..elite. No tippiness at all thanks to an outrigger and wide forefoot. The XIII is cut really high.. As high as the Clutchfit Drive actually Containment Another strength of the Lebron line has been its containment and these do a great job. Imagine Lebron trying to stop on a dime in a Kobe Flyknit upper. I’d imagine a 260 lb monster would rip right through it. The upper and slightly raised midsole (and Flywire to a lesser extent) do a good job on hard cuts. You can clearly see the Flywire in the XIII elite upper. I don’t think these Flywire strands are Kevlar like the KD8 Elite so enjoy those lace holders known as Flywire. Conclusion Ice cream or ice cream with sprinkles for the same price. Pretty sure 99% of us would take the sprinkles. That’s what we have going on with the Elite series this year. No price changes but upgraded parts? Heck yea! I really don’t see any reason why anyone would choose the regular XIII over the Elites. Lighter without giving up support, more Zoom and better materials for the same price. Plus they look cleaner and simpler overall. I think Nike is going away from price gouging and really trying to add value by upgrading materials yet keeping the prices the same. Kind of like getting real wood panels in a car versus plastic pieces. Even with the upgrades, I’ve already seen the Elite XIII for $160 already so be prepared for more price drops. Regarding the shoe itself, the XIII overall is a great shoe especially when looking at each performance aspect but I can’t put my finger on why I don’t love the shoe more. I think it does everything really well but nothing stands out to me to the point that I want to wear them all the time. Maybe it’s my long history with the Soldier VI but I’d still take it over the XIII. Maybe it has to do with what other shoes did really well this year? Rose 6, HR16 have exceptional cushioning, the Lillard 2 has fluid transition, fit and value, while the Curry Two has amazing traction, fit and stability. The XIII probably would have stood out more in any other year. Regardless of my opinion,I’m sure many players love the XIII and I’m sure they’ll enjoy the Elite version just as much if not more. |
