This post is actually really random. It’s really cold right now and so a moment before I looked into the shoe cabinet to look for my woolen shoes and I found these old Reebok ATR Elite II KFS from around 2008. These were my primary basketball shoes from around 2008-2012. I bought them on sales at around HK$480 which is about US$60.
I bought them because they are wide, has good ventilation (especially of that era) and comfort. I didn’t know Yao Ming wore them at the time. And they looked alright. They also provide pretty good protection.
As someone who sweats a lot, it is great to have a pair of basketball shoes with almost 360 degrees ventilation at the back and on the bottom of the sole. I didn’t notice it at the time but Reebok was pretty advance in its ventilation technology and the material they used inside the shoes to wick sweat away to keep the feet dry as much as possible. This was the day before Adidas Climacool or the Nike mesh.
PERFORMANCE
So how good is it to play in them? When I first played in them, I felt they were a bit hard but eventually after breaking it, they didn’t feel so hard and heavy. But I often feel like they are big man’s shoes for posting up with very good ankle support being high-tops. They do give support and protection. The area around the back, the heal and the ankle is made with tougher and harder material than the rest of the shoes. It feels like it cradles your heel and ankle. You feel secure in these shoes. Mine are size 11 with half an inch of space but I feel like they are a little big for me strangely and at times I find them a little clumsy, like running like Big Foot in them. But I was able to play well in them. Not much complain.
They do have good cushioning and more so with the slight platform at the back. But again, I can tell they are for post-game more than guard’s game. They are not as agile as say Kobe or the Iverson line. They are not quick.
Traction is alright. Good outside on concrete, alright indoor. Not much problem.
QUALITY
I am surprised at the quality of these Reebok. At a time, I think in the late 90s around 1996, there was a time when Reebok made questionable quality basketball shoes, but these are really well made. It’s 2018 now and they are still intact. I haven’t played in them since 2012 but they haven’t fallen apart yet like my Kobe V which started falling apart when I put them on 2 days ago. The bottom was coming out. I haven’t play in these for a long time but as I inspected they are holding up well and other than the bottom plastic which is harder than before.
PRO
- Good ventilation
- Good cushioning
- Good comfortable material inside to wick sweat
- Great protection and ankle support
CON
- Boring look
- A bit heavy, clumsy
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