Sorry Dame, the Hyperrev just kicked your shoe out of the top spot for best budget shoe as well as lots of shoes that cost twice the price. It’s no beauty but it’s s beast on court. 


Ok no shoe is perfect but these are pretty damn close and into my top 5 rotation! 
I really enjoyed the Hyperrev 2015 after a lackluster debut in 2014 so it isn’t that much of a surprise that the 2016 version performs wonderfully as well. What is surprising is how the little changes make the shoe perform so well .. And the drop in price from $130 to $110 

Pros: Real Zoom in the heel and forefoot !!! That reason alone is enough to buy. Traction, stability, fit, containment

Cons: Fugly ankle collar 

Best for: any position. Does everything well

Sizing: true to size although I think I could have gone half a size down if I wanted to 

Price: $110

Weight 

  

14 oz so about the average right now 

Traction

I find the traction better then last year which was already very good.  Fantastic on clean and semi dusty floors, very minimal wiping on dusty floors. No story telling, no experimenting with different compounds or patterns, just excellent  traction. It’s not in the top tier of Curry two, Kobe IX, AJ XX9 but it’s knocking on the door. 

 

 Well done Nike! 

Cushioning 

As Forest Gump would say, buying Nike shoes with Zoom is like a box of chocolate because you never know what you’re going to get. Thankfully for two straight years, Nike did a great job with the Zoom on the Hyperrev. 

 

The articulation slightly assists with transition as well as partially unlocking the Zoom since it can compress almost  independently of the outsole.  The Zoom bags must be pretty large because they feel more lively than lots of unlocked set ups (m12 cough cough )  Nike tech marketing says the toe is decoupled but I really couldn’t tell. 

 The 2016 feels more robust than the 2015 and require no break in time. You can feel it on every step, jump and landing . Why can’t they all feel like this ? 

Well done Nike, please use this formula on all shoes going forward.

Fit

I went with my normal size 11 and had my normal finger width at the toe box. I had no issues width wise with no space side to side.  I have a wide foot but I think if I wanted a tighter fit I could have gone down 1/2 size. I think the shoe just looks big on foot but fits true to size. 

Here is how I laced them for since I like a little more pressure across my ankle.   

Getting the HR16 on is a little tough … Unless unless you’re  good with the ladies like me 😱😱.

  
You can either work the bootie with your fingers (yes I said that) or just slide your foot in and pop the bootie back out (yes I said that). It is sturdy and won’t tear even with a good amount of force (that’s what she said ?)

I did manage to get a small ankle brace in for those who are wondering about that. The mesh doesn’t sit that close to the skin unless you have big ankles so there is space to work a brace in but I haven’t tried the bigger braces. I honestly think the top mesh portion could be done away with but oh well. 

 
The way the shoe is designed is interesting to say the least but designed smartly. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the bump on the ankle.

 

Kanye might have left but his sunglasses  are still influencing Nike   

   I think the purpose of the bump is to provide more strength to the top of the internal heel counter and extend it a little higher.  Usually heel counters are stiff at the bottom and weaken toward the top of the heel. I’m sure other methods could have been used but it works so I can’t knock it. 

 Below: you can see the internal heel counter  

 
The first layer is basically a sock with laces while the outside Fuse layer covers 2/3 of the shoe. The medial side doesn’t need fuse since it isn’t a high pressure area and is allowed to remain flexible.  
 
Above: The lace straps come around to hug the foot. I advise tucking the laces under the strap because they are very long

The cut out between the toe box and strap allows for more natural movement. No pinching or binding. The Fuse isn’t the typical crispy Fuse of the past and flexes easily with little break in time.

   

The Velcro strap works but it isn’t like Soldier IX strap lockdown but more like AJ XX which means it is there but only minimally. It could have been made to be stronger if there was a strap loop to pull it over like the Soldier but it still does its job decently.

   
  I had a few times when the strap popped off but that’s a minor complaint. It doesn’t pop off frequently the AJ XX did ( Velcro was terrible on the XX)

What’s interesting about the fit of the HR16 is it doesn’t feel like it’s on tight  even when it is tightened to the max which takes some time to trust and get used to. Like the Curry Two, I pretty much forgot it was on even though I was locked in. No heel slippage at all for me thanks to a contoured ankle collar. 

 
 
Well done Nike!

Support and stability

The HR16 borrows a play out of Soldier IX playbook and created a true one piece foot bucket; Everything is one block of Phylon between the upper and outsole. Support isn’t Soldier IX level since it is basically a sock with a sole and heel counter but stability is great so that makes up for it. And let’s face it, the Hyperrev isn’t meant to be super supportive.  

  

Forefoot stability is excellent thanks to a long forefoot outrigger and the heel is nice and flat and passes my heel test. No tippiness at all. 

 

Well done Nike! 

Containment 

Coming off the poor containment of the M12, I’m glad to say Nike got it right with the HR16. 

The foot sits right where those vertical lines start so you’re contained heel to toe. Midsole foam is firm so your foot isn’t going anywhere. 

  
My foot stayed in place on the hardest cuts abd change of direction. Sock with a fuse shell and a nice firm raised midsole bucket equals excellent containment. 

If you want to see bad containment see the Melo M12 below 

Well done Nike! JB, not so much 

Conclusion 

With the HR16, Nike put in real Zoom air, gave us excellent traction, stability and containment the Hyperrev 2016 and cut the price from $130 to $110. It’s like a unicorn in shoe form ! Aesthetically, it could have been better but I’m not going to complain.

See how much cleaner it looks without the top? 
This is one hell of a shoe regardless of price and is probably my favorite performance shoe from Nike since the Soldier VI. I hope they don’t change a thing.  The best part of the HR16 is that as a team shoe these will hit sales and outlets for under $75(or get them on Eastbay now for 15-20% off). 

Great job all around Nike ! 



144 Comment on “Nike Hyperrev 2016 Performance Review

  1. Pingback: Nike Hyperrev 2016 Performance Reviews and Tests | Tattered Sneaker

  2. Pingback: My Current Top Ten | schwollo.com

Leave a comment