Since the Soldier 12 launched I’ve been asked about reviewing it fairly constantly but my answer has always been the same “I’m going to wait until some good discounts”. And guess what, Nike had a end of season sale I got these for 80 bucks. I’m sure I could wait a little more but I think $80 is about my why not price.
Pros: traction, cushioning, fit, support and stability, containment
Cons: straps can come undone until schwollo’d (aka gerry rigged)
Best for: any position
Weight:
15.5 ounces
Average weight for a mid
Traction
So simple so effective.
Nice pliable rubber with a simple blade pattern just works on every surface with minimal wiping. The thing I like about this blade pattern is that the blades run perpendicular to desired movement (ie, the blades run more front to back on the lateral side to help with side to side movements while the majority of the blades run right to left)
One of the soldier’s best traction patterns in a few years (ix was up there too) in fact, although the XI was no slouch either.
Well done Nike!
Cushioning
Zoom in the forefoot and heel with less protrusion than the Soldier XI but still feels pretty good especially in the heel. Forefoot Zoom feel isn’t ultra springy since the protrusion has shrunken a bit (plus it’s bottom loaded) but it is adequate.
Heel Zoom is standard Soldier/Hyperdunk size and does a nice job. Nothing out of this world but feels good overall.
Thanks to good ol Fastpass you can see the difference between last year’s and this year’s Soldier. Right is Soldier 12
Heel
Forefoot
I was very surprised about the increased volume of the forefoot but it just comes to show you that the protrusion makes a difference in how it feels.
Overall, I’m happy with how the Soldier XII feels underfoot. It isn’t KD 9-11 good or Lebron 14-15 but it works and feels more than adequate.
Fit
True to size. Ahh so simple
Fit is very good overall with the Soldier XII without any heel slip or wide to side movement and no deadspace in the forefoot at all.
No laces again which I guess is the Soldier’s MO now.
The criss cross set up is similar to what you find on ankle braces like the Mcdavid or Zamst so it does a nice job cross right where it is supposed to to pull the ankle down and back.
Strap Velcro issues
The first few times I wore the XII I was POS bc it kept coming undone. You do have to pull hard on the straps to get maximum Velcro grip/surface area. The straps are slightly stretchy though so you should be able to get them across. After I figured this out and I could pull them across a little more I had no issues. Those with high insteps may have issues pulling them enough FYI
Of course if you do have trouble pulling all the way across, buy another set of Velcro and just stick it on top of the existing Velcro to improve its grip strength.
The upper part of the heel of the Soldier XII doesn’t really hug the ankle so it feels kind of like a low. Overall the fit was very good and excellent in the forefoot. Pull those straps tight to get it locked in.
Materials
Engineered circular knit upper for her pleasure
Fancy textile names and synthetic leather make and the Soldier feel and look like a premium shoe. Seriously the synthetic leather feels very premium and the knit looks very similar to Battleknit. Once again it’s a bang for the buck kind of thing with materials for me but it does look and feel nice.
Support and stability
Support is average with a pretty flexible sock like upper.
Midfoot support is good as well since I can’t bend it in half like a lot of today’s shoes.
Stability is great thanks to a flat outsole and less Zoom protrusion plus this outrigger of sorts
No rocking since the protrusions are pretty much gone too.
No issues at all here.
Containment
No issues here either just a nice raised midsole. Who would have thunk containment would be such a big deal…oh wait me
Good once again!
Conclusion
I know my review doesn’t sound super enthusiastic but it’s probably because it’s just more of the same year over year which is a good or bad thing depending on what you’re looking for. Newer almost never means better despite how it’s marketed to the consumer. No hype with the Soldier XII since Lebron didn’t pin a ball on the glass in the waning minutes of game 7.. he barely wore these if I’m not mistaken. But no hype is good because that means they are sitting and sitting means price cuts and price cuts makes happy consumers.
Overall the Soldier XII is an excellent shoe IF you can get the Velcro to stay and if you can’t just add extra strong velcro.
- Great traction: yep. By far the most important aspect to me
- Good cushioning: yep even though there are better set ups that might feel better underfoot this just plain works well
- Good fit (if you get the Velcro set)
- No support or stability issues
- Great containment
- Cheap thanks to discounts
If you want a shoe that does everything very well, this is your shoe. I think it does everything just as well or better (traction) than the Soldier XI but just barely. I’m on the fence about giving it a first team rating due to the Velcro issue that can arise for some but for me I just had to pull tighter to eliminate the problem. If not for that possible issue I’d give it a first team rating but for now I’m going to give it a second team rating.
schwollo.com 
Very nice and informative review once again! It’s a decent shoe but i still believe that the previous Soldier is by far the best model of this signature line.
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Did you grab a pair of the xis ? I thought they were surprisingly very good as well but these are just a little better all around
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hello schwollo. love your reviews. will you be doing a review on the UA Hovoc Low?
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Currently reviewing. Good overall shoe a little heel slip still, Cushioning is pretty good midfoot back and firm forefoot. I’d wait for MyFitnessPal coupons like I did before paying 105
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Hi! Thanks for this review. Aren’t you a mid top guy? Thought I read that some place. The UA Havoc is also available as a mid. I’m curious about that shoe, especially the cushion and containment. But it seems nobody is willing to review the mid/high.
-pac
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I am a mid guy and I bought both but the mid was about half -full size shorter then the low so I just sent them back . Did try them on though no heel slip at least but my toes touched front. So far they are pretty good nothing wows me though
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Hi, nice review of a well balanced, can you post a picture of the velcro “fix” you made?
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VELCRO Brand – Sticky Back Hook and Loop Fasteners | Perfect for Home or Office | General Purpose Peel & Stick | 3 1/2in x 3/4in Strips | Pack of 4 | Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TGSPV6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PLPLBbJKWKJ8T
It’s just velcro strips you can add on top of existing Velcro. You can buy it anywhere
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I’m a bit on the fence to buy this cuz if I pull the straps too tight the kinda suffocate my circulation (top midfoot). I had the same thought on the add-on straps, but it kinda bug me what kind of tightness is enough for proper lockdown, without cutting of the circulation lol.
Btw kudos for the review Schwollo! This review is a very pleasant surprise 😀
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Haha yea it’s all going to be determined by ankle shape instep which is really dumb and short sighted imo.
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Schwollo are u an engineer in texas?
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No why ?
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Thanks for the reply. Looking forward to your future reviews. Keep up the good work!
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Np!
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I loved the XIs but after a while the narrowness of the heel and zoom protrusion started to aggravate my ankles. Tried these on and they felt “sturdy”. They’re just so damn ugly I can’t get over it lol.
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Hahha I think they look good depending on colorway
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Nice review man. Might try these if they go way beyond under retail
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Already pretty cheap here in the
US but I know how long it takes to drop in price in the Uk!
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I bought a pair of the new xii and it just feels great in every possible way. Here’s the question, I’m going to grab another pair. What do you think about the aj32 or soider xii?
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Aj 32 has thicker zoom, is a little clunkier and traction isn’t quite as good but still solid
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i think i want to get these! I love the use of leather..feels like the good ol days..
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Haha
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Great review as always! I’ve noticed that in your reviews you mention that you have wider feet – have you tried on the Soldier XII FlyEase (Extra Wide Fit)? I too suffer from terrible proportions (7EE in dress shoes, always sizing up half or full size in today’s sneakers). Keep it up, thanks in advance!
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I haven’t tried the xii fly ease but I did try the VIII flyease and it works.
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schwollo who has more grip/bite traction adidas explosive bounce or soldier? 12 tks
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Pretty similar can’t really say one is better than the other good either way.
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Can the soldier xii traction compete with the Rose 7? I play on a really dusty court and need to use my Curry 2.5 but looking for an alternative. Debating between the two as prices have come down on the soldier. I have the Soldier vi and ix and Rose 4-6.
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It’s right up there. Better than the Soldier vi rose 4-6 for sure
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These or kobe protro 1???
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I can’t guarantee the soldier straps will work for everyone so safe bet is Kobe I .
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What is the benefits of bottom loaded zoom vs top loaded???
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Top loaded is right under your foot so you feel it more. No actual benefit other than it makes the shoe more fun to wear when you can feel the zoom
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