| 03 June 2011
(want to win a pair of adidas adiZero Crazy Lights? Then click here)
The first thought that popped into my mind when I got my hands on the pair of adiZero Crazy Light that adidas graciously sent me to review was "Wow - these are light". "Crazy light". Which, I know, isn't the most profound statement, considering they are named "Crazy Light", but it's true nonetheless. And when I put them on my big size 13 feet they felt as light as air - almost as if I was wearing the flip flops I shuffle around in when up at the lake. They are without a doubt the lightest sports shoe I've ever worn, which is backed up by scientific evidence - they weight 9.8 ounces, which does indeed make them the lightest basketball shoe ever.
So why do you want you shoes to be light. We'll let the man the shoes were designed for, Derrick Rose, tell you.
“Lighter footwear makes you faster and speed dominates on the basketball court,” Rose states in the adidas press release. “The adiZero Crazy Light is the lightest basketball shoe I’ve ever worn and it certainly makes me faster on the court. In the final minutes of a tight game, just a half-step on a drive or a few inches on your jump can be the difference between winning or losing.”
And how can you argue with Rose's success on the court this year? Is there a player in the League that is fastest up and door the court or exploding off of it and to the rim as Rose? If there is, I've yet to see him.
I was sceptical about a lightweight shoe, as I've always worn heavy hightops on the court and have yet to experience any foot/leg injuries (why did I have to mention that out loud?!). But I'm old, and times have changed, and the adiZero Crazy Lights still give as much foot and ankle support as my old heavy clodhoppers used to. That's because the shoe is solid where it needs to be and flexible and light where it doesn't. I'll let adidas explain it to you (from their press release):
The adiZero Crazy Light features a revolutionary new SPRINTWEB exoskeleton upper less than 1mm thick and seamlessly bonded to a nylon textile base to significantly reduce weight and provide increased support and strength. The web layout of the materials provides vertical and horizontal strength to give players optimum support for any cutting motion.
The SPRINTFRAME external heel counter and TORSION SYSTEM are bonded together to allow maximum weight reduction, energy return and motion control. Each lace eyelet is load bearing and has a corresponding web spar to support players during hard cuts. The upper is made with translucent nylon to further decrease weight and give players nearly 360 degrees of ventilated comfort.
The adiZero Crazy Light traction system has varied engineered thickness to ensure maximum grip in high wear perimeter zones, and less thickness and weight in low perimeter zones like the midfoot. It also features longitudinal grooves in the heel and forefoot to provide support during extreme forefoot cuts.
Got all that? Good. The shoes drop today, so run off to the store and grab yourself a pair. I guarantee you'll run home from the store much quicker once their on your feet.
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