To ease the confusion and pain of trying to compare numbers or ratings I decided it would be easier to rank a few low tops attributes and included the kobe vi (which is still a great shoe btw) as a standard since a lot of ppl have played in it and know how it feels and performs.
I added the Hyperchase into the mix as well
Here is the review as well
Traction
From best to worst
The Kobe ix barely eaks out the Clutchfit drive low thanks to a little more pliable rubber. You honestly can’t go wrong either way if traction is what you’re looking for.
The Hyperrev had excellent traction as well but didn’t have that glue like traction like the top two. It also required some more wiping to keep the traction sticky but it is still great.
The Kobe vi took a long time to break in and was terrible for me until the broke in. Now that they are broken in they perform pretty well but have never made my rotation of shoes since the traction was not up to my standards. The Run the one is ok but just doesn’t have any bite to it nobody how long I played in them . I was slipping all over the place on really dusty floors but on clean floors they were adequate but still not sticky. I do not recommend these at all if traction is a priority.
Cushioning
From best to worst (or softest/most responsive to hardest/least responsive )
If you’ve never tried the Clutchfit drive high or low ,the full length Micro g cushioning should make you want to. I’m a big zoom air fan but my knees have never felt better since I starting using the Clutchfit and Micro g. Full length Micro g makes for seamless smooth transitions which I never knew i was missing until I played in these. It is much bouncier and lively than lunarlon and seems to keep that feel longer than other setups.
The Hyperrev has a traditional heel and forefoot zoom bag set up and it is not one of those watered down zoom air versions . I could actually feel the zoom air in these which is why I love the set up. The last true zoom air set up I bought was the lebron soldier vi and I stocked up bc it is so rare nowadays to get a nice set up. Shoes like the Run the one and Kyrie one come to mind when I think of non responsive set ups.
The Kobe vi feels very similar to the Hyperrev In terms of cushioning but with less air since kobe liked a low to the ground feel but I had a hard time differentiating the two if I had my eyes closed. The kobe vi had a met bag in the forefoot which didn’t provide quite the coverage of the normal rectangular bag the Hyperrev most likely uses. The Kobe ix has a full length lunarlon insole and imo is much better than the Kobe 8 insert . The 8 was too soft as I could feel my foot sinking in on hard cuts and sliding inbetween the upper and the insole. Nike firmed it up just enough to where I like it and feel stable (they also made the side walls of the insole higher to keep foot inside the insole on cuts )but it still doesn’t have that bounce I like from my cushioning set up.
The Run the One has Zoom Air in the forefoot and a foam brick in the heel (Per Long7.com). I couldn’t feel the zoom in the forefoot and the foam in the heel felt like a foam brick. This is the Zoom air I’m talking about that Nike has been using in the majority of their shoes. It is there but you can’t feel it and just knowing it is there isn’t enough these days especially with Adidas and UA coming on strong with premium responsive foam setups .Last years zoom crusader at least had zoom in the heel and forefoot . Overall these have a firm and stable cushioning set up which makes sense since this james hardens pseudo sig shoe. His jerky movements need a shoe with a lot of stability.
Fit
From best to worst
I love the fit if the kobe ix. Really has that one to one fit and lockdown in the heel almost to a fault. No movement front to back or side to side which is awesome. Most importantly there is no heel slip.
The Clutchfit drive barely edges out the Hyperrev in terms of fit but boy do I love that internal bootie of the Hyperrev . The Clutchfit really feels like a second skin and keeps the foot locked in in all directions . Both the Hyperrev and Clutchfit have a fantastic fit but the Kobe ix is just that good in terms of fit. You really can’t go wrong with any of them.
The Kobe vi came out around 2011/2012 and is the old man of the group with some third generation flywire/hyperfuse and also does a great job with the overall fit . I have always experienced a touch of heel slippage w the kobe vi so I’ve never felt confident wearing them but I have tried on different kobe vi of mine and found the heel slip non existent in some. However not knowing what I’ll get in terms of fit I can’t say the fit is the cream of the crop. No sliding side to side either.
The run the one fits narrow and small, really think I could have gone up half a size but I decided to stay with my normal sz 11. The midfoot of the shoe is extremely narrow and that doesn’t jive with flat wide feet. The fit is good overall but not great since the hyperfuse is more plasticky than second skin like the above mentioned shoes. I experienced a little bit of heel slippage but nothing that alarmed me. Since the shoe was narrow there was no movement side to side .
Support
From best to worst
Support on low tops comes primarily from the fit of the shoe so the ranking are pretty similar to the fit rankings. Support on the kobe ix comes primarily from great lockdown and the very firm heel counter. The Hyperrev’s support comes primarily from the fit as well as the wider feeling base. I did feel the firm ride and flat bottom of the Run the one allowed it to swap spots with the Kobe vi by a hair.
Stability
Best to Worst
A shoe with great support doesn’t necessarily mean the shoe is stable. If a shoe is already stable it doesn’t really need as much support since it is already supportive by design. A stable shoe shouldn’t roll over when especially when I step down at the heel. The test I like to do is the heel strike test on the outside of my shoe since that’s how I typically roll my ankle and try to roll to the outside as I step. A shoe that comes to mind that have failed me is Lebron X which is ironic considering it is supposed to be such a supportive protective shoe. I had a 2nd almost 3rd degree sprain bc of the poor stability in the heel area and I haven’t worn the shoe since except to shoot around. The Clutchfit, Run the One, and Hyperrev all have very flat soles with small outriggers to enhance stability and they are all very stable shoes. The Kobe VI is also very stable but just not as stable as the top 3. The Kobe IX failed me unfortunately despite the awesome fit. I sprained my ankle in these the same way as the Lebron X thanks to a contoured heel in the Kobe IX. It sits pretty flat but Nike contoured the heel slightly to give it a more natural feeling. I hit that corner landing a rebound while being pushed and turned the hell out of my ankle. Haven’t been able to wear it since.
Containment
From Best to Worst
What the hell is containment? This has more to do with the strength of the upper and keeping the foot locked in. When you cut hard, some shoes hold your foot in place like a seatbealt while others let your foot slide out of the footbed. It isn’t a deal breaker for me but it is an annoyance when I play. The Clutchfit Drive and Run the One do a great job holding the foot in place due to the Clutchfit upper and Hyperfuse uppers. I never felt my foot come out of the shoe.
The Kobe VI and IX also did a good job keep my foot in but since the materials are softer and thinner it didn’t do quite as good of a job as the top two. They Hyperrev did a much better job than last years but as usual, a mesh upper and flywire just can’t keep my foot in as well as thicker and stronger uppers.
Price
Prices run the gamut between these lows.
Clutchfit Drive Low : $109
Run the One : $99 to $109 but can find on sale or Eastbay coupons to get it around 80
HyperRev 2015: $129 but can use Eastbay coupons to get under 105
Kobe VI: Retail was $135 if I remember correctly..
Kobe IX: $160 for the non Elite model.
In my opinion you get the most bang for the buck from the Clutchfit Drive Low. Awesome traction, cushioning and fit for a reasonable price. If I didn’t sprain my ankle in the Kobe IX and it was a little cheaper I’d probably feel that the price was justified. I do not feel the Run the One is that great a shoe but if you want to be like James Harden, can’t beat $80. Traction is ok, cushioning is meh and they feel cheap. The Hyperrev is a great value if you get them off Eastbay with great traction, fit, and cushioning as well and if you’re a Paul George fan, you’ll love them even more since there are a few PE colorways out. I hope this run down of some of the more popular lows helps you out.
Thanks a HUGE Lot man!
This is the ultimate review I was looking for!
Perfect, since I couldn’t choose between the “super light” Hyperchase, the stylish and prestigious Kobe X, the bang-for-your-buck (and relatively light) HyperRev and what I indeed considered as probably being the best model out there: the “super sticky” ClutchFit Drive Low.
Really appreciate your reviews.
Just One question: how light are the ClutchFit Drive Low?
Thanks a lot again!
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Shoe weight has never been a concern for me but I’ll check for you. Off hand, they probably weigh around the same as the kobe vi
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Thanks a lot schwollo!
Well since I also do play volley-ball (where the main actions do consist of a great deal of jumping for sometimes more than 2 hours), weight becomes an issue, especially towards the end (when legs get heavy and one inch of elevation can make a huge difference at the block or even offense).
Looking forward to your feeback, but if indeed they weight like the VI (I had these as well, black white and yellow), then it’s all good!
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Ha I played vball in college IM and talk about plyometrics! Vball players can get up and get up fast.
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Aha, great, great! Indeed, explosiveness is paramount!
Well, then you know indeed what we’re talking about.
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Did a quick weigh in. Cf low is 13.5 oz , Hyperrev 13.5, kobe vi 11.5, kobe IX 13, Hyperchase 14 !
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Fantastic!
Thanks a lot for the detailed reply.
Damn, didn’t think the CF Low would actually be that heavy (heavier than the VI by a whole 2 oz!!).
Really appreciate the reply thank you again (thumbs up).
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Ha me neither! I think the cf material is what makes it heavy. I weighed the highs and they only weigh an ounce more
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I was also very surprised by the Hyperchase weight
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Well, I guess it’s almost surely going to be the Clutch Fit Drive Low then, eager to test this great grip and fit of theirs.
Thanks again for the advice and feedback!
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Really the best bang for the buck by far. I think Eastbay may lift their coupon exclusion in a few weeks too . Ebates has 5% back as well
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Thanks on your marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed
reading it, you happen to be a great author. I will make certain to bookmark your blog and will eventually come
back sometime soon. I want to encourage continue your great
work, have a nice evening!
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Thank you so much !
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Hi there Schwollo, your site is awesome! Love the simple layout with all the pics. Would you recommend the Hyperrev 2015 or the Clutchfit Lows? I tried the Hyperrevs on feet last week and theyre the comfiest shoes I’ve felt since the Kobe VI. Also, have you tried the 2014 Hyperdunk Lows? Keep the reviews coming!
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I personally like the Clutchfit low better bc 1) traction slightly better 2) cushioning full length micro g 3) better containment on hard cuts . The hyperrev is great though and very comfy. I don’t get along as well with minimal uppers as some other people. I have not tried the hyperdunk lows unfortunately
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And thank you for the kind words !
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Great appreciate the reply. Ill have to try the CF Lows sometime. Hope theres no heel slip, thats always my biggest problem with lows. The achilles pads in the Hyperrevs are pretty cool. Thanks again
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Yea I love that part of the
Hyperrev. The Curry one has it too so im guessing when a low comes out it will have it also. I have bad heel slip so I was please with cf low lockdown even though I like the mid more ( just been a midcut type player ) .
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Tried on the Clutchfit Lows, these things are insane. Perfect fit, feels just like the Kobe 6, but with no heel slip
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I think they feel better thanks for full length micro g.
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Wish there was a bit more cushion in the forefoot, but the rest feels really nice. The fit is unreal, really impressed.
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I’m surprised you found a place that had them in store . I’ve never seen them in a store lol
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Hey man been reading again a lot of your reviews for the past week (actually all of them) and do you thinkthe clutchfit lows or the curry lows? or whats the comfiest lowtop youve ever tried on? Because I want to get another pair of lows
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Depends what you like cushioning wise. The curry charged foam isn’t as bouncy as micro g but I think of they have the little dog bone in the
Ankle
Collar you’ll get better lockdown in the heel . Oh I’ll be reviewing curry low btw
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Wow the Curry Low ??
That would be fantastic!
Still hesitating (for the new season) between them and the Nike Zoom Soldier 9 that seem to be awesome…
Thanks a lot!
ps: any upcoming reviews planned for the Soldier 9 ?
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I saw that review on soldier 9 but damn it’s ugly . I’ll probably try it though lol
I hope I can get the curry low the way things are going lol
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Comfiest or best low to play in ? Kobe iv is the best,
Kobe v the most fun for some reason
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@schwollo best one at least out of the newer releases. Kobe 4’s are really hard to find espceially ones that are playable.
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I think the 8s are super comfortable. Feels like a running shoe but just not for me. Really tough to get better than Kobes in terms of lows. The Clutchfit is up there as well and I love playing in them but not as pretty as the Kobe .
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