NIKE Kyrie 6 REVIEW – These Hit HARD
Are we looking at one of the top performers of the 19-20 season? You’ll have to find out on your own. Read on.
Welcome to the Nike Kyrie 6 performance review. Let’s get it!
MAIN SPECS
WEIGHT: 426.6 g. / 15.05 oz
TECH: ZOOM TURBO
TYPE: LOW-TOP
COLORWAYS: A LOT
FIT: HALF A SIZE UP
RETAIL PRICE: $130-140
BD RATING: 8.5/10
BEST PLACE TO BUY: FINISH LINE | LYMPO
PERFORMANCE
MATERIALS
The Kyrie 6 receives a quite solid bump up on the material end by introducing a leather option to the list. Though, it’s worth mentioning, that not all of the colorways do get that premium touch.
The midfoot/heel areas are the ones you get to choose whether you want to go high comfort & quality (leather) or something more in your face looking but less comfortable (synthetic). The option that features leather panels does not go up in price, so personally, it’s a no brainer which one to choose. Unless you want those holographic designs so badly.
Now the forefoot has stayed close to its roots by keeping that classic mesh tooling like all Kyrie models. It’s definitely not the most premium stuff since it has that plastic coating on top, making the mesh a bit plasticky to touch. Fortunately, that does not make a negative effect on how the shoe fits. The forefoot still does form & follow your foot’s shape after a quick break-in process. Maybe it’s not as stretchy as a raw mesh build, but on the other side of things, it does improve later support.
CUSHION
The Zoom Air Turbo is back, so as injected Phylon. Yet what looks like on paper the same tooling as featured on the Kyrie 5, I felt like the on-court experience in the 6 was quite an upgrade. I am not really sure if they have tweaked the Phylon or even unit itself. But I could definitely feel the Zoom Turbo being more active compared to the original setup. Last year I enjoy it. This year I freaking fell in love with it. It’s not quite a full zoom air experience yet, but it’s damn close. If I had to compare, it would be something close to KD 12’s Zoom Air stroble setup, where you sit low but still can enjoy that supper snappy response coming out of the unit. Pretty much like having springs underneath the forefoot. Again, not quite on a KD 12 level, but right behind it for sure. While on the other end, the heel section wasn’t lacking behind by offering enough impact protection to fill the needs even for cushion lovers like me.
Damn, we’re living in a world where Kyries can be worn by any type of player across the board.
TRACTION
The Kyrie signature line and killer traction are two inseparable things since day one, even though it’s safe to say that the last few models were not so hard hitters. But not these bad boys. The beast has woken up with the release of the Kyrie 6. And the outcome of that is pure “straight-up glue” performance no matter what you threw at them. They just gonna chew it up with no compassion.
Dust accumulation on this crazy-looking pattern is super minimal leaving your wiping routine just for show or in dead ball situations when you don’t know where to put your hands.
How about outdoor usage? Yes.
FIT
I usually say that when reviewing adidas apparel, but this time, it’s the swoosh brand playing size lottery on the Kyrie 6. The sizing can be tricky no matter the shape of your foot, therefore, I suggest trying them first, or ordering a few sizes. That being said, going half a size up probably would be the most optimal decision.
As I mentioned before, the overall on foot experience was enjoyable, especially giving that the upper is using not the most form-fitting materials. The body structure itself is what helps to pull off that nice close to your foot fit. Other than that, I had no problems whatsoever. Though, wide footers may end up facing the lower lace loops’ connection stitches digging into your pinky toes while in certain moves. So be aware of that. It may happen, or may not. For me, that wasn’t an issue.
SUPPORT
This might be the most supported Kyrie to date due to a few upgrades made mainly in the lower portion of construction. None of them is a midfoot strap, that’s for sure. That thing is only there for the looks, and to get in your way when lacing the shoe (a true freaking specialist of that craft). It’s probably the only annoying thing about the shoe. However, liking from a bright side, you always enter the court with that angry attitude & pissed off face. No doubt, +10 on all of your skills.
Talking about upgrades, the most noticeable one is the updated shape of the midsole. The central portion of it is now completely flat adding more stability when performing flat-footed moves. While the rounded ends of the midsole didn’t go anywhere and are ready to help you pull off those crazy angles on the move.
Other than that, the rest of the support setup did stay identical to the last iteration. You do sit in the midsole which combined with the stretchy free upper makes for really solid lateral coverage. Same thing can be said about the external heel counter. It’s massive so is its ability to lock your heel down on the footbed.
OVERALL
I will be pretty straight forward with this one.
Is the Kyrie 6 worth to own a spot as a top performer of the 19/20 season? Undoubtedly, YES. A high one to be more specific.
Is this the best Kyrie across the line? Personally, yes. Why? It’s the combination of that killer all-around performance, and best in the line cushion tooling that makes the Kyrie 6 enjoyable for a bigger mass of players. Just don’t worry, that low profile, guard type of approach is still running the hood. It’s just simply better. The whole shoe is better.
GRAB YOURS NOW AT FINISH LINE
BALLER FROM EUROPE? WE GOT YOU.
GRAB YOURS NOW AT LYMPO
Is the traction durable enough for outdoor use?
A strong yes. This is one of the rare outdoor-friendly models you can get right now.