pairformance

Dr.S. + 13\7 - 2 well experience footwear developer keen on performance and well made shoes, looking for the detail that is not always that obvious

[pairformance]

adidas adipure crazyquick - john wall

13\7 - Lately Dr.S. and I talked about the new CrazyQuick, beside we both like the shoe, we realized that midsole topline painting is done the easiest way. Why?

The way the tooling is segemented vertically it creates recessed areas. Now imagine how to paint to the topline, as in this case the EVA midsole comes out of the compression mold in white. But in order to spray paint the top part of the tooling you need to mask the area you want to paint. As this is done by hand, the person who attached the tape would have needed extra time to get the tape in this recessed areas. But in this day and age, where labour is not only expensive but also slows down the production process, adidas make a smart decision to not go into these recessed areas. Here the tape is attached in 1 straight line in 1 process and it then the midsole can get painted. In these recessed areas then the paint gets in and creates a nice fading effect, which then looks like done on purpose. Well thought off side effect. Clever.

[pairformance]

air jordan cp3.vi

13\7 - 2 things are worth to mention here. First, how nicely the TPU skin is fused onto the mesh, how nice it sinks into the holes of it. Secondly, how clean the midsole top and bottom layer as well as outsole is stock fitted to each other, no glue extensions. Well done. Performance detail is that the top midsole overlaps slightly the podulon and the podulon slightly the outsole which helps in case someone steps on your feet that the part gets not teared off.

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converse chuck taylor

Dr.S. - There is nothing left to say about that shoe. Maybe one thing: 1 billion pairs sold.

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reebok shaq attaq

Dr.S. - Finally the shaq attaq is back. One of the most amazing basketball shoes of the mid nineties. That shoe was back than just too modern: it was very expensive it looked very futuristc it had the clean toe and it was one of Reebok´s Multi Tech shoes like the Insta Puma Fury: it had Pump, a Graphlite midfoot bridge and Hexalite midsole cushion inserts and for sure the shinny tongue and collar mesh was for this time pretty awsome! And sure the design is just great: that big black midfoot "bracket" with the TPU eyelets has just the perfect shape and for sure as usual for this time it extents visually into the tooling. Just a great pair of shoes!

[pairformance]

nike vapor laser talon

Dr.S. - Again Nike was the first one. Finally there is a shoe with an SLS (selected laser sintering) printed outsole. It was obvious that this would happen sooner or later. Also here new new technology. There was just a lot af refinement needed  to make this technology fit to the outsole of a Amercian Football cleat. I really would like to see the simulations of the forces that are applied during use of the shoe. It would be great do see how the design is here more engineering than designing. I would also like to know which material they have used for the printing: I guees nylon filled with something "magic". And the shoe has Adiaptive Fit via Flywire 2.0. Pretty good for such a sleek shoe. And again great product presentation.

[pairformance]

quickstrike #5

13\7 - Good stuff and true words, watch it. Comments follow.

[pairformance]

reebok pumpspective omni

13\7 - Check the additional pictures at the link and be amazed by this HUGE outrigger. But a good product it is what reebok delivers here in form of the pumpspective omni, it makes me smile. The midsole foam already looks good, so the formular should be set for performance, soft but also responsive. 2 different foam stock fit to each other. Colour blocking is also done right. And the think of the name - omni, it´s so reebok. Fused upper done right and also in high quality, even much bigger ventialtion cut outs as nike lately. Deboss line around the edge of top layer to increase bonding. Open mesh tongue. Micro perf at the toe and a soft heel notch. I like.

[pairformance]

air jordan superfly 2

13\7 - The second installation of Superfly family is again a great performance model, that has all ingredients to last a season and beyond and can be worn by any type of player due to its set up. Non fancy and stable foam midsole, full length outsole and not overbuild upper that also can hold up to players like Blake Griffin.

The SUPERFLY again takes cues from the annual jordan model as it did before. The Superfly had a similar outsole design as well as mdisole sculpting. Although you can not compare them 1:1 you can see similarities in its design approach and performance set up. Better done on the Superfly towards improve performance and market appeal is the insert of herringbone in to the outsole, external heat cut counter as a design element and to visualize added support and hyperfuse upper with breathability cut outs. All points the 2012 was not able to offer.

The SUPERFLY 2 now is not an execption to this approach of delivering a more mass appealing power house. Incorporating the flight plate technologie and highlighting it more on the shoe. Also the dynamic fit inner of the XX8 has turned to the outside to make it visible from the first sight as consumer approch the sneaker wall. A nice twist in using hyperfuse construction again is having the mesh which normally acts as the midlayer on top to give it a unique touch and feel. Not so easy to be done, as the mesh frays on its cutting edge, so this might be laser cut to close the edge. Nice feature also is the shiny painting on the midsole as a design feature which also adds value.

Performance review to come.

[pairformance]

salming x-lite

13\7 - Wow, so much going on! Athough the quality of this shoe is not the best and design lines are not very much aligned, it is a shoe that is done in a good way and has all current technologie and performance features on to be a good performance model and get sold, as there are many stories that can be told about.

[pairformance]

puma mobium elite - initial thoughts

13\7 - From watching the videos all I can say so far is: What a great concept it is. The puma´s feet have told PUMA a story that led to adaptive fit. It is a new story, unique to the brand and it´s branding, the puma. Design is slightly questionable, but could also be considered as unique, not in a bad way. Looks well executed and nice and up to date materials and execution. I will try to get my hands on and deliver a better insight on it. Furthermore hopefully this helps puma business short term and be buidling up adaptive fit on long term as well. For now it is a good decision shoe - because it is performance only, as I think puma struggles still to define whether they are fashion or performance, or both or merged or whatever - they made a decision for this one. Great!

[pairformance]

nike no. 1 mic of 2013

13\7 - read in order to understand

"Stefan Olander, head of Nike's three-year-old Digital Sport division, is watching a group of his engineers hack an experiment together. They're using a pair of Nike trainers with embedded sensors. The sensors measure pressure created when the shoes, which happen to be on the feet of a lanky product manager named Brandon Burroughs, strike the ground. The data are collected and then fed wirelessly to an iPhone; the iPhone is plugged into a MacBook; the MacBook's screen features a program that is busily imitating a 1987 Nintendo video game called Track & Field II. Which brings us to the ostensible goal of all this madness: finding out if new-age sensors and wireless devices work with an ancient video game. ..."

[pairformance]

new balane 1850

Dr.S. A very well executed midlevel/semi performance runner. one piece upper with reinforcements and welded PU/TPU skins on top. And then there is a heel overlay added to close the upper. At the upper we have just 4 stitching lines: tongue lock stitch, heel overlay stitching line and there is are 2 (medial and lateral) around the collar to hold the lining in place. The midsole is nicely sculpted and has at lateral and medial! heel a "cushion" insert made out of TPR.  This is a 90 US$ shoe and with dicount you can get it even cheaper. There is nothing you you can do wrong with it! Really great shape!

[pairformance]

reebok atv 19+

13\7 - It looks very different but it is nothing superspecial. Monomesh on the upper with welded overlay and deboss lines around circle cut outs. Toe and heel cap are stitched with nice deboss pattern. The tooling is very simple, direct injection with rubber inserts, only the stock fitting is a bit difficult, but maybe they have already been inserted into mold.

[pairformance]

new balance m890rb3

13\7 - I it is a very well executed fading print on the 3D puff print overlay over the mesh as well on the midsole. 3D puff print is a PU which is applied on the upper via a screen board and the gets backed in an oven and gets firm and raised. On the upper the print is also done by a screen board. On the midsole I am not to sure about, but it looks like a spray paint and not like a foil.

[pairformance]

nike vandal - asg

13\7 - Another detail shot, so please zoom in, as the molded isles have 2 layers and it looks like the top part is painted, and not a second layer of TPU, which means they somehow need to mask the bottom part. I guess they created a special screenboard.

[pairformance]

nike blazer mid - asg

13\7 - Look at the nice swoosh detail, I assume it is fine mold or at least micro injection, but the point is, even the swoosh is group sized a mold for each size is needed, this adds cost!

[pairformance]

nike zoom hyperdisruptor

13\7 - I am not sure what to think of this shoe. I like the external heel counter, the midsole made out of EVA looks solid and will last a season. The outsole sits nicely on midsole and is recessed into it. The TPU film overlay is placed rarely over the upper, but I doubt that this shoe is highly breathable, as Nike these days backs the mesh almost completely with a welded non woven synthetic to secure strength and durability. Noteable is the pattern design at the back where the normal split to get a heel curve sits on the top and not at the bottom. The bottom tongue is a stretch mesh which is zigzag stitch to the eyestay to create a booty, which normally sits internally.

?    what is the benefit of the split on top of the heel

!    could be as the part under the heel counter is separate, as the upper only can have weldings when it is layed flat out due to the heat press