If you’re looking for a great overall basketball shoe, we suggest looking into buying a pair of Under Armor Curry One’s for $120. We put them through a serious test last weekend–playing in an intense tournament consisting of five games–and couldn’t be happier that we brought along these kicks.
Read our full review below and learn why you should consider making the jump to one of the newer shoes in the game.
GRIP
In our opinion, the single most important thing about a basketball shoe is the grip it provides. If you can’t cut and go, there’s no point to even playing the game. The Curry One’s provide the same excellent grip that players found in the Under Armor ClutchFit shoes. For those of you interested, it’s multidirectional herringbone pattern.
We found that the traction was excellent overall, but that dusty floors (i.e. surfaces that aren’t clean courts) provided a bit of an issue. Nothing basketball players aren’t already acquainted with.
WEIGHT
Believe it or not, the Curry One’s aren’t the lightest shoe around. You’d think that an uber-quick guard like Steph would want the lightest shoe possible, but we’re of the opinion that it’s actually for the best. They’re certainly light, make no mistake about it, but the fact that they have a little bit of “feeling” there means that they’re durable. (One of the guards on my squad was complaining that his performance Nikes keep breaking down after only a couple of months of play.)
As a big man, I’m more accustomed to heavier shoes, so these were a nice change from what I’m used to.
To ensure that durability, Under Armor has added anaFoam to the mix: built-in support pieces made of foam and wrapped in a compression molded fabric. That’s in addition to the ClutchFit tech that’s worked so well for UA in the past.
SUPPORT
Speaking of being a big man, I rely on my shoes to give me support. I’ve had my fair share of ankle injuries in the past, but I’ve found that braces and other means of supporting myself actually made my ankles weaker. Now unless there’s a willing trainer with tape, I’m just a socks and shoes guy.
So truthfully I was a little hesitant to wear a guard’s signature shoe. I’m glad I went ahead anyway and did. Courtesy of the external heel counter (which keeps your ankles from sliding) and a midfoot TPU shank underfoot, my feet felt locked in place.
Additionally, the Charged cushioning and Anafoam is super responsive and soft.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE
Hands down, these are my favorite shoes to play in. I put them up there with the Jordan Superflys, but these are $20 less. Whether you’re a big or a guard, you should go ahead and grab these new entries to the performance basketball footwear game.
I put them through a serious test and after three days of nonstop hoops, I can say these shoes are a great buy for basketball players of all types–a rarity in today’s bball shoe market.