The Nike Zoom Rize, is one of the latest Nike basketball shoes out on the market right now. It’s apparently the takedown model of the Nike AlphaDunk, the supposed successor to the Hyperdunk line.
The Zoom Rize has been the talk of the performance basketball shoe circles since it was announced and luckily, we got our hands on one to test out for ourselves.
Time to find how well the Nike Zoom Rize performs on the basketball court!
Traction
The Nike Zoom Rize features a modified herringbone pattern. The outsole features a mix of solid rubber and translucent rubber in the forefoot area.
Yes, translucent rubber outsoles have often been a hit-or-miss for Nike, but you won’t have to worry about that in the Zoom Rize. The traction on these shoes are amazing. It gives you great coverage from the forefoot and the heel area of the shoe. And despite the fact that both rubber compounds on the outsole can get their fair share of dirt and dust, it doesn’t affect the traction that much.
You’ll definitely feel these shoes grip the floor with every change of direction/change of pace that you make in both indoor and outdoor courts.
However, I can’t recommend using them for concrete basketball courts. The rubber on the pair we got to test started fraying a little bit in a couple of areas after just two 2-hour runs on hardwood courts. Now Imagine if I had played in concrete courts. The thought doesn’t sound so good, right?
Cushion
In terms of cushioning, the Zoom Rize features, well, Zoom Air. The Zoom unit is encased in a Phylon midsole and a rubber cage found inside the translucent section of the outsole. The Zoom unit comes in at a relatively large size of 10 mm. What makes it special though is that it has a ton of forefoot coverage. The Zoom unit is accentuated for a good reason. From the get-go, you immediately feel how springy the Zoom unit is under your feet and it honestly feels great.
Once the entire cushioning system breaks in, they feel amazing on feet. The Zoom unit feels like there’s a trampoline on your feet and I enjoyed playing in them. Sure, you’re losing a bit of court feel in these because you ride quite high in the shoes, but it’s negligible.
There’s also no cushion in the heel area but the Phylon midsole that they use is surprisingly good as it gives you plush comfort and a good amount of impact protection.
Materials
The Zoom Rize features engineered mesh and synthetic rubber on its upper. The mesh making up the majority of the upper is built strong, providing a lot of containment throughout the shoe. The upper is also has TPU overlays placed on the toe area to prevent toe-drag damage and the forefoot area for branding purposes. The shoe also comes with a sturdy internal TPU heel counter to help lock your foot in the shoe.
Yes, the materials feel cheap and are relatively standard in terms of basketball shoes in this era of basketball shoes, but they do their job really well. It’s the right kind of sturdy and they make your feet feel contained in the shoes.
The upper did feel a bit stiff at first and you need to play in them for a couple of hours to break them in. When they finally broke in for me, the materials felt a lot better on feet.
Fit and Lockdown
The Nike Zoom Rize fit true to size in my opinion, and that’s what I’d recommend for everyone. It may feel a little snug on your first wear, but because the materials break-in so well, they mold to the shape of your feet nicely.
As for lockdown, the shoe has an asymmetrical lacing system and nylon cables stitched underneath the upper that really keep your feet in place. The lacing system is honestly one of the best I’ve experienced in a basketball shoe. You really feel its impact on the fit and lockdown every time you adjust the fit. And when you find a fit that’s good for you, they stay that way. No readjustments needed.
If you’re a wide-footer or you want to be sure about the sizing, just drop by your closest Toby’s Sports store and try it on for yourself.
Support
It’s little flash and all substance when it comes to how supportive the Nike Zoom Rize is. It features an adequately wide base, a pleasantly surprising sturdy upper, and an exceptional lacing system that locks you down.
The highlight of the support system of the shoe for me is the external lacing cables that you can find at the in the ankle area. When you pull your laces, you can really feel the cables lock you back into the heel. The heel counter on the other hand, isn’t really outstanding but it gets the job done.
All these support features work together to keep foot in place and makes you feel that the shoe is one with your foot.
Overall
The Nike Zoom Rize is an amazing performer on court. It has all the tools to support shifty, lateral movements along with a more linear, vertical (aerial) type of play. It’s the true definition of a team shoe as all types of players will find something to love about the shoe. It’s arguably one of the best performance shoes of the year.
At a price of P 7,195, it might seem like a pretty hefty, especially for a team shoe. But if you look the level of performance you’ll get, it’s definitely worth the investment.
And if you’re interested in grabbing a pair, check out your nearest Toby’s Sports store or visit Tobys.com.
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