Nike Hyperdunk+ Wear Test Part 1 | Form
One of the standout highlights of my World Basketball Festival weekend was going through a wear-testing of the new Nike+ Hyperdunk 2012. I have been so amped and hyped, pun intended; to get my hands on the digital footwear experience that the newest installment of the Hyperdunk series brings to the court. I have decided to breakdown my thoughts and experience into a three part series that I will unveil over the week by discussing the Form, Function and Philosophy of the shoe. First up is the Form!
Shape
The first thing I look for in any footwear is the shape of it. It has to have a presence that is unique and streamlined and has to flow with the foot. I have always been a fan of a shoe that looks like an extension of the last it was created on and the new Hyperdunk is exactly that. My favorite view is the top view as it looks like the shoe was tailored to fit your foot. If you look at that view closely you can see the medial forefoot midsole tucking away and disappearing under the waist of the upper. The vocabulary of the shoe is strictly form follows function and it clearly shows in the dynamic figure of the shoe.
Materials & Process
The shoe is primarily synthetic but it does not feel nearly as stiff as the previous iterations of the line primarily because of the update to the new “Dynamic Flywire”. The pervious iteration featured a TPU Welded Skin over the top of the Flywire to lock it into place thus creating a stiff and sometimes irritating upper. The new version is far more flexible as the Flywire has now evolved into nylon cables that adapt with the movement of your foot.
The shoe has a “sandwiched” mesh that provides a lightweight and minimal support package around the ankle. When I say minimal, I mean that, it measures out to be about ten millimeters. The foam is also perforated to allow for extra breathability and flexibility. There is a “floating” counter, similar to the first Hyperdunk; that is injected asymmetrically onto the heel of the shoe. It is quite thin in comparison to the first version of the shoe but doesn’t stop it from functioning properly.
Fit & Feel
I normally wear a size10.5 but I had a feeling that the shoe would run a little narrow and I was correct. So I am currently wearing a size11. I believe the main reason it runs narrow is because it is primarily synthetic materials that are meant to hug your foot like a second skin and they certainly do that. The materials remind me most of the Nike Soccer Mercurial line, the synthetic is quite thin, maybe one and half millimeters; which allows for a great amount of flexibility. One flaw that I felt previous generations had was that the welded synthetics would dig into your metatarsals when it flexed but the synthetic they are now using seems to have way more elasticity to it and really allows the shoe to flex but retain its shape without any irritation.
Under your foot is a combination of Phylon and Lunarlon so it is very springy and responsive. I do feel like I am sitting up a little bit higher than the 2011 Hyperdunk but I could be wrong. If I had to guess the heel is probably about 25 millimeters off the ground and the forefoot is probably around 15 millimeters. So pretty traditional basketball heights.
Color
I received what is listed as the Black/Metallic Silver colorway on NikeStore.com but it features what I believe to be is their “Blue Glow” colored midsole along with their “Court Royal” accents. The “Blue Glow” midsole is quite dope as it features a slight amount of iridescent flop to it, meaning that the color shifts. In certain light you will see it pick up slight magenta highlights that add a purple hue to the midsole. The synthetic skin is matte in its appearance but it has a slight gloss to it that is quite low. The heel counter is matte as well but it has a textured grain causing it to pick up some reflective highlights. The Active Flywire is two colors, “Blue Glow” and “Court Royal” giving it a very refined but bold execution of functional color. I am calling it functional color because the two colors interact to create a graphic that expands and locks in the midfoot of the shoe; it is quite stunning.
The most dramatic use of color is probably the simplest, the Metallic Silver swoosh. We have all seen silver swooshes before but the way the “Blue Glow” midsole and Flywire and the “Court Royal” Flywire interact together they create a hierarchy that leads your eye directly to the swoosh, thus causing it to be the focal point of the Hyperdunk. Which I am sure was intended, as the shoe will be plastered all over our Olympics coverage this summer.
Graphic
The graphic of the shoe is quite bold but simple. As I said before this shoe is a great example of form follows function, all of the lines and materials are derived from their intended purpose and function. They really highlight the technology the shoe offers. The sole unit is a unique take on a circuit board as concentric circles that are derived from the placement of the Nike+ sensors interact together to create excellent traction. My only complaint is that the designer tried to mimic some of this graphic of the sole unit into the mesh perforations in the upper and I feel like it distracts from the dynamic cut in the synthetic skin. I will say I understand what they were trying to accomplish. They wanted to create a holistic aesthetic and to an extent it looks like the synthetic skin is being torn away to reveal the inner workings of this “robotic” shoe, which is a great idea. I just think the circle graphic around the ankle disrupts the flow of the overall visual but that is being very picky because the shoe is phenomenal in its appearance.
Other areas of the shoe that really excel are the “Court Royal” lace tips. It adds a sophisticated amount of flash to an area that is generally overlooked. One other detail that I love is on the toe down where the tongue is sown into the synthetic upper. It is angled to align with your flex zone allowing for a natural motion to occur in the forefoot, a simple but great detail. I also really love the little “tack” stitches that you can find along the eyerow on the lateral and medial sides. They add a nice detail of old world craftsmanship to a new world product.
Conclusion
As you can tell I really love the shoe. I think it is a great way to revolutionize the Hyperdunk series and really elevates basketball footwear into new areas, as it should. Stay tuned for part two as I break down the function of the Nike+ System for Basketball.
Great as always!
Thanks man! Part 2 coming soon!
i recognized that the quality of hyperdunk+ is not the best…the cutting ages of some patch parts, you are showing in those pictures, appearing very inaccurate. its good to come up with some innovation stuff, but nike should really spend some more money on quality management!
Thanks for checking out the article.
I haven’t played in mine enough to see where they really breakdown yet but from what I have experienced thus far I feel like the quality is pretty good. What in particular have you experienced that is subpar on the shoe?
Hi Brett,
interesting design review.
I think I can just half agree with you in regards of design quality.
Once I’ve seen the shoe in person I’ve really liked top view (as you did), tooling profile really stand out and gives a strong dynamic feel.
But in side views, heel/ankle pieces look a bit too flat and generic, in my opinion.
That can be seen if you play with the shoe on Nike ID. The best colourways are those with forefoot and ankle piece made with same colour…contrast colours for forefoot and heel panels, like USAB home cw, don’t look too good IMO.
Really looking forward to performance and Nike + reviews.
Ciaooo
Pietro
Thanks Pietro!
I would agree it is flat, I won’t say generic though; through the ankle area but I do think that the minimal foam package it has provides enough support. In my eyes its one of those things that if you can minimize shape and form but still meet performance standards then why not?
I completely agree on the color blocking as well. It is definitely better when the mesh area is color blocked the same as the synthetic. Nike has been running these all tonal colorways for years now, which I am sure you are aware of; you have to wonder when they will switch it up.
The next two pieces are coming this week, tomorrow and Wednesday. So check back!
B
Thanks B!
About ankle design, it’s hard to explain my feel, if generic is not the correct word, I would say it lacks of a bit of organic feel…
Just a quick note on the sole, do you think there is a slight air force 1 influence in the outsole design?…in a 21th century way for sure…
Anyway I like the shoe, and I’m looking forward to see how new lunarlon will work, I love it in my lunareclipse!
Starting to check part 2.
Ciaoo
Pietro
I see what you are saying now. You are right there is not a dramatic amount of form to the ankle area. I don’t know if it needs it but we definitely are use to seeing a more contouring shape through the collar area. I do like how the foam package is voided to create a pocket for your ankle.
Good insight on the Air Force 1 inspiration. I didn’t catch that but I completely see it. If that was the intention it’s much better then the AF25 from a few years back.
Let me know what you think of Part 2!
Brett, this is a great review. I love reading yours.
The more flexible Flywire was something that I’ve always been interested in.
I’m very happy to see Nike has done a fabulous job on it.
It certainly achieved both aesthetic + functionality.
However, since basketball has a lot of lateral movements involved, will it cause an injury after a tough game? I do have a lot of pronation + supination problems when I exercise. I was wondering if this has another feature that could prevent those problems.
Just a thought!
What’s up, Dongwoo? Thanks for posting on the site!
As for injury from the Flywire, I find that unlikely. I think if your going to roll you ankle, your going to roll your ankle; Flywire isn’t going to completely prevent that but it will help minimize it.
I do think you bring up an excellent question on pronation and supination. If you think about how running shoes solve for this they generally use a heel stability clip and a harder density foam on the medial side that is generally called a “post”. This basically firms up your stride and reduces the amount of over pronation. The Hyperdunk, has a heel counter and shank plate, it doesn’t have a post though. The heel counter and the shank plate provide stability for the upper by helping lock you in place and aiding you from rolling over the top of the midsole during lateral cuts. I do think it could help in pronation by locking the foot in a straighter form as opposed to rolling inward to the medial side during your stride but only minimally.
good read as always, and I love the shoe
there is just one thing that kinda bugged me, shouldn’t the flywire cables be under just a little bit more tension? when you lace them up do they tighten up a bit?
Thanks Emil!
Good question, I think that the way the Flywire is welded in right now allows for it to expand with the foot through the waist of the shoe. Where as the previous version of Flywire didn’t really expand it just constricted. While they don’t tighten up with the laces they do pull the upper closer to the foot similar to webbing.
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Thanks for the respond! I agree with what you said, and plus, thanks for informing me about the “post”. Very interesting! I love how I learn more and more after seeing your reviews and portfolios. I would love to see more work of yours! So inspirational!
Thanks Dongwoo. More work is coming so keep coming back to the site!
B
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