*Sorry I struck out again with the Kobe I Protro. Lebron Solider XII next possibly . Sorry been really busy*
🎶You know it’s hard out here for a Pippen🎶 (Pippen ain’t easy is so passé… and if you don’t know that song, go watch Hustle and Flow, you won’t regret it)
As I continue my shoe purge, I pulled these retro Pippen II’s out of the closet and decided to start using them them again. I never really “analyzed”what made them special but after studying what’s under the hood, I understand why I loved them so much back in the day. Twenty years later, shoes can say they look different but not many can say they are better.
Pros: traction, true to the OG Zoom, fit, support, stability, containment
Cons: leather needs break in? Some wiping needed on dusty floors
Sizing: true to size
Best for: any position
Weight: 
16 ounces which is about an ounce more than average for a modern mid. Twenty years and shoes have only shed an ounce of weight in most cases.
Traction
So simple and efficient. Full herringbone with a nice pliable rubber compound. Even a top 50 of all time player didn’t get story telling on his shoe. There are no stories about Scottie and his grandma or the zip code of his old house, just a normal herringbone pattern.
These work almost as well as the Curry 4 with minimal wiping and stick to the floor traction when clean. They do need an occasional wipe of dusty floors though due to the flat “outline” around the outsole.
Cushioning
Zoom in the heel and forefoot with no break in? Sounds good to me.
These actually have the almost same forefoot Zoom set up as the OG AJ XIV which explains why I love this cushioning set up so much. The XIV has four sections while these seem to “only” have three. Amazingly, this 2006 retro pair has the same set up as the OG while the Jordan XIV retros do not. Cheaping out JB, who’s the CEO of JB? 😬
These feel awesome from the get go and still haven’t popped or deflated so yea, I’m sticking with these for a bit. I’d be really shocked if Nike retros these again and keeps the same set up.
Fit
True to size or half a size down depending on preference. There is enough padding to adapt to your foot in case you’re off by half a size.
A one piece bootie with a outer shell? Wait, is this from 2018 or 1998?
Oddly the “bootie” doesn’t connect at the bottom of the shoe.
Check out how many eyelets there are. Ten!! Adidas, are you listening ? I’m not sure if you really need this many rows of eyelets but better safe than sorry and sure as hell better than five.
Zero issues with the fit. The bootie upper hugs the foot out of the box and the leather upper just conforms to your foot after break in. This design pretty much set the precedent for almost every shoe you see today except this was done twenty years ago.
Materials
Leather!!
I will say that today’s knits do not need the break in time that leather does and in this world of On Demand, people would not have the patience to wait on breaking in a shoe.
Even during break in with the stiffer leather, it didn’t affect my play. I’ve said it before but you have a lot of muscle and weight to push through a few millimeters of material.
You won’t see leather much nowadays since synthetics and knits are saving the planet (which is a great thing) while making shoe companies more profitable. There is always a caveat to saving the world I guess.
Support and stability
A mid with just enough mobility in the ankle. Sounds good to me
Midfoot support comes from a large plastic shank. In retrospect, Scottie deserved a carbon fiber shank.
No issues with stability due a wide flat base with no tippiness.
It’s slightly wider than the Curry 4 which is ultra stable.
Containment
Leather and that plastic rail runs almost across the entire shoe.
As you guess, no issues
Conclusion
Another old shoe that outperforms the majority of shoes today. But this time the shoe is twenty years old, not twelve. Sure it’s simplistic looking, almost on the verge of following the dad shoe trend but don’t let its looks deceive you, it plays like a beast after all these years. The Pippen II, the Uncle Drew of kicks. Don’t reach Youngblood!
These get a first team rating even after twenty years. And could it be more appropriate?
Pic courtesy of SI
schwollo.com 
That rail on top the midsole is plastic? I always thought that it was phylon. Anyway, good review as always and its interesting that Nike decided to ditch this zoom air setup with the articulated forefoot and decided to put small rectangles instead. These are simple yet beautiful and perform that way. Always wanted a pair.
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The blue part is plastic the white is phylon. Cheaper for Nike to make a single rectangle than this set up.
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Pippen 2 is one of my all-time favorites performance-wise, but its lacing is really a pain in the ass
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Haha well there are a lot of laces !!
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Excellent review! One of the shoes I regret never getting. And you’re probably right. If Nike retros these, it will be with cheap materials and / or poor cushioning a la Air Up retro.
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Yep
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I hope they retro the Chicago colorway!
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Hey Schwollo, would you mind outlining the pros and cons of the Lebron IX?
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Go up half a size it runs short cushioning is a great balance of impact protection and responsiveness (one of my favorite cushioning set ups on Lebrons for my style (speed cuts). Fit support is good. Traction is it’s weakness on dusty floors. Stiffer than most shoes out today but I had no issues.
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Thanks! Also, how bad is the traction? Is there a shoe from the past few years which has traction that is comparable to that of the IX’s traction?
(PS: sorry for the late reply, been slaving away at multivariable calculus lol)
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Its not terrible.pretty much what I consider average on dusty floors where you need to wipe periodically not every time down. I’ll think of a recent example when it comes to mind
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I’m curious Schwollo, what’s your foot length and width? You’ve always said you have wide feet. When I trace mine on paper, it is 25.5 cm in length and 11.5 cm in width. Or 10.04″ in length and 4.53″ in width.
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I’m not sure I’ll check when I have a chance. All of it is preference so a slight difference in measurement isn’t going to make a huge difference
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True, a slight difference should be fine but the other day I found out my feet measurement translated to 6E width! And I thought it’s just slightly wide.
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Damn!!
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Great review Schwollo.
This might be one of my all time ‘underrated’ shoes – such a clean and simple look to go along with great performance – but seems like a pretty forgotten shoe overall.
Keep the closet finds coming!
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Yea it is very underrated . Best of luck in your tourney !
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Great review Schwollo!
Could you please tell me the top 3 shoes from nike/jordan for players who rely on speed and make alot of cuts
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How far back do you want to go? Look at my 2017 and 2016 year end reviews. Hd17 and Kobe ad mid or nxt come to mind off the top of my head. Great traction on all three
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My bad, I should’ve been more specific. I wanted to ask for your list of the top 3 shoes from nike/jordan (for players who rely on speed) out of all the nike/jordan shoes that you have ever played in. Nonetheless, thanks for your reply
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All good. Hmm I’d stick with Kobe iv VI VIII IX (a little tippy in the heel for me) aj xiv OG . zoom bb I also a beast. Newer shoes i like for your style would be mamba instinct (very similar to Kobe 8) hyperdunk 2017 (2016 is pretty good too) Jordan xxxi low solid outsole
Kobe nxt (peep my top 10 and my 2017 2016 year end reviews ). All shoes mentioned have really good traction and are relatively light
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Loved your dig on ‘story telling traction’.I’ve always thought it was unnecessary gimmick. Shoes from the 90’s bring back such nostalgia for me. Any chance you’d do Penny for the next one?
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I’m so envy of you! I am trying to find these Pippens in a reasonable price and in good condition!
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Tough to find nowadays but no impassive
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Impossible
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I had the OG white and red ones in college. You dropping the line 20 years ago reminds me how old I am. Loved the shoe though….
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Lol yes 20
Years is a long time ago !!
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Great stuff ! Looking forward to Soldier XII review !
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Actually decided to try Kobe 360 first haha
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Hey Schwollo! Just wondering, what do shoe reviewers meaning when they say that a shoe is “clunky”?
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It doesn’t feel smooth as they are running compared to other shoes..or it feels bulky
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I remember trying these on when they came out and wasn’t feeling how they looked on me. I also wasn’t a fan of the bootie only wrapping around the ankles and not being a full bootie, or even a half.
You wouldn’t happen to have the Pippen IV in your stash, would you?
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I did back in the day lol
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Pimpin 2 2006 retro (no yellowing) or Kobe 1 Protro?
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Ha that’s a pretty tough one. I’d go protro mainly bc that 2006 won’t last much longer . 14 years is about as long as Zoom and glue can last. Both great shoes
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