To kick off #kobeweek I thought I'd bring out a few Kobe-related ideas I've been thinking on for the past few months...
I grew up playing basketball and played for a multitude of reasons - it was always a good outlet for me (as far as energy was concerned) and was one of those things that could always help clear my mind. The competitive aspect was good, too, especially since I'm not like a big guy or anything, but could find slick ways to find buckets. I'd say that basketball is the reason I really got into shoes. A lot of basketball became about looking good on the court. And I loved that.
I hate admitting this but it's true...I stopped playing basketball a few years ago. I saw too many of those compound fractures and realized if that happened to me I'd be in a world of mess. It's one of those things...I just got to an age where I knew that an injury would have far reaching consequences and decided it was no longer worth it.
That being said, I've played ball in probably a hundred different pairs of shoes. My favorites for ball will probably always be the Shox BB4's (wide toebox, slim ankle, snug neo bootie) and Kobe 5 and 6's (zoom and mobility). I haven't played in most of this new stuff...I think the newest tech I've played in is like the Jordan XXX1. So. yea.
I found a pair of these Kobe NXT 360's at a thrift store and was *amazed* at the insole. The insole also functions as the midsole. You take this insole out and you have, literally, a 5mm sole. I haven't PLAYED in them, but to me they just look amazing. It had me thinking...what is the best insole in a basketball shoe (that you've found)?