Comments Nike Lebron Soldier X

The Lebron Soldier’s 10th anniversary edition is a special shoe worn by Lebron James in the 2016 NBA Finals, going up 1-3 to win the championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Released right after game 7, Lebron Soldier X had an extremely successful start. Will these shoes satisfy the expectations of the fans? Here EACHSHOES would like to comment on the performance of this latest version of Lebron Soldier.

first. Material (Material / design)

Similar to the previous Soldier models, version 10 also uses a latch system to enhance the five-leg grip, but the special feature is that the lacing system is also completely removed. Soldier X uses up to 3 straps, one on the nose, one in the middle and one above the ankle. However, the first two bandages were barely stretchy and glued up to the midsole so they were only used as seat belts to keep your feet hugged down to the base. The top belt is parallel to the sole, wrapped around the neck of the shoe made much higher than the ankle.

Material of the upper is a combination of a mattress with fabric, mesh fabric with a layer of fuse on the inside of the nose. Midsole is made from a pretty thin Phylon layer with two Zoom pockets on the nose and heels. Especially at the heel Nike uses an extremely thick Zoom bag (about 14mm), which is much larger than recent designs. Outsole uses a square pattern with a thinner density in the nose and heel pad. In these two areas, Nike designed additional small tabs that are raised above the soleplate in squares. In addition, a few squares were “trimmed” to reveal the Zoom bag inside.

2. Traction (grip)

Similar to what EACHSHOES has analyzed in the Jordan Super.Fly 5 pair, the use of the interlocking sole will not be as effective as the traditional herringbone sole. Lebron Soldier X is no exception, the grip of the shoe will be quite unstable, especially when the yard is dusty. The small rims also “contribute” to making more skates at first, but after they wear, grip will be better. At the same time the rubber material is also quite soft, so Soldier X is not suitable for outdoor courts.

3. Comfort & Fit

The soft upper material ensures comfort, but the pressure on the feet will not be uneven due to the lack of laces. The collar is extremely high, but the material is soft, so it won’t make you feel as entangled as the Hyperdunk 201. Instead, because the top strap does not cover the heel, moving the heel part will slip off the shoe a little. You can minimize this by loosening the handle. In return, the shoe collar is cushioned quite smoothly and thick enough to not affect the stability.

The ankle padding is quite thick

4. Cushioning

Buffer structure of Soldier X. Photo: fastpass.cn

As noted above, Soldier 10’s cushioning consists of two sizable Zoom pockets on the nose and heels and Phylon. Zoom at the heel of Soldier X works quite well thanks to a very thick Zoom bag, but the nose is a bit “rough” due to the dense Phylon. For some reason, in the last 2 years Jordan / Nike have been using very hard Phylon material and are not grooved making the step-in comfort of recent shoes a bit poor. Another consequence is that the Zoom bag, especially the Zoom in the nose, is harder to perceive and the Lebron Soldier X is an example. However, the perceived Zoom in a shoe depends quite a lot on the wearer, the play style, even the material (due to different color schemes) or production.

Cropped image of Lebron Soldier X (left) and Lebron Soldier IX (right). Photo: fastpass.cn

Soldier 10’s foot cushion has a lot of mixed feedback, so it is difficult to conclude. As you can see above, Soldier IX’s Phylon is also thicker and Soldier X is also thicker

5. Support / Containment

Lebron Soldier X has a relatively low base creating a certain degree of certainty. The outsole part is equipped with an extra edge for added rigidity. It can be said that this is the biggest plus point of the shoe.

Unfortunately, Soldier X’s biggest weakness comes from its soft materials. If version IX is made from more Fuse, using Flywire and midsole wrapped on midfoot, Soldier 10 completely does not have one of the three above features. As a result, braking again after accelerating your foot will slip off the sole. This factor, coupled with an unstable grip, is enough to shake the legs of anyone who likes to cut, turn suddenly.

Photo: Averagedude604

6. Nike Lebron Soldier X – Conclusion

With very comfortable materials and low base, Lebron Soldier X scores high at comfort and gives you a good pitch and solid feel with up and down movements. Some aspects such as grip, buffer are also acceptable. On the other hand, poor holding capacity due to too soft material (ex: Jordan Melo M12), unstable vacuum hugging due to poor strap operation makes Soldier X the most unstable version of Soldier series . If Nike reinforced the Fuse on the outside, adjusted the Phylon material and used a fishbone sole, Soldier X was a lot better. At $ 130, there are a lot more solid options to play with unless you absolutely love these shoes. However, anyone who is not concerned about the containment when moving horizontally can still go to Lebron Soldier X without much concern.

Product information

Photo: kithnyc

Nike Lebron Soldier X (10) “Strive for Greatness”  

Code: 844378-009

Phối màu: Đen / Gum

Ngày phát hành: 23/06/2016

Giá tham khảo: $140

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