PG13 for MVP? It’s gotta be the shoes right? #itainttheshoes
Thank you PG you made this so easy that I’m just going to make this short and sweet. You’re the Shimano Curado of shoes PG. (only fishing dudes would get that reference).
The PG3 is Really a shoe with zero flaws just like PG13’s game this year. Cushioning from the HDX has carried over to the. PG3 and the fit has improved slightly from the PG2 while keeping that excellent traction.
Pros: traction, cushioning, fit, stability, containment, adaptable fit, just a fun shoe to play in
Cons: needs a little break in to feel fluid, really bland colorblocking thus far (not performance related)
Best for: any, it’s a Hyperdunk X low with PGs name on it and improved traction, which is a good thing
Sizing advice: true to size, wide footers can go up half a size if needed
Buying advice: as great of a price $110 is, collectors and consumers aren’t clamoring for the latest PG (yet). Wait a week or two and you’ll be able to use coupons and eventually price cuts. Fair is $90 or less, low around $50-60 as usual.
Weight
14 ounces about average for a low. Half an ounce lighter than the PG2
Traction
Sticking with the NASA theme, we give you circles.. or moons.. or planets..or orbits. Or basketball rims and basketballs? Oh Nike I can never figure you out you’re so sneaky. ☺️
The good news is that circles work and that’s all that matters. Circles don’t have sides but they cover you in all directions which is what matters. Whether you’re playing on clean courts, courts with dirt or moon dust, you’re good in the Pg3. The only area I had any issue with at all was the flat lateral edge which could pick up some dust. I had one really bad slip out on a clean court due to that rim but other than that I can’t think of any major issues. Soft rubber, multi directional coverage and nice depth allows the traction to do its job. Well done Nike!
CushioningNot sure why the forefoot outer midsole (93552 portion) is made of a hard rubber. Foot doesn’t sit deep enough for containment purposes and probably adds a little to break in time.
I think everyone will enjoy this cushioning since Nike put the same foam in the PG3 as they did in the HDX. Nike kept the same big forefoot Zoom as last years so yea it’s freakin great with a slightly softer and bouncier foam carrier.
Same super duper thick Ortholite insole as the PG1 and 2. Top insole is from the WhyNot 2
If you called this foam Lunarfly X Zoom Max Foam instead of injected Phylon or Cushlon, people would probably think it was the best things for their knees. Very smooth heel to toe cushioning just like PG’s game.
Well done Nike!
Fit
Top eyelet is higher and further back than the 2 for better lockdown
True to size. So simple isn’t it ? These do start out tight so I recommend thinner socks before you jump into your normal premium socks. I wanted to get these off my feet ASAP when I tried them with thicker socks but dropping to thinner socks gave me a little more breathing room until the shoes broke in.
No dead space, no side to side movement, no heel slip right out of the box. This is just a great fitting one to one fit with no need to break in anything. I was messing around at Dick’s (man that sounds wrong) and they had a size 12 out and I could fit it just fine with only a little extra length. The point being, PG1-3 are adaptive and are not one size fits one. UA, three stripes are you listening ?
The Achilles pillows don’t go down as far toward the heel as the PG2 which gave me a little better better heel lockdown than the 2 since fits right into that notch at the Achilles.
Overall, aside from a short break in period, the fit is excellent. Well done Nike!
Materials
If you think softer is better, well stick to the PG2. This upper has a synthetic backing that pops slightly to start but warms up after a few hours. The PG2 did not feature a stiffer backing probably since the mesh was a little thicker overall and is probably where Nike saved half an ounce of weight. Nike has made the materials a little less premium since the PG 1 but hey it works. Do cheaper feeling materials make you play worse or get your more tired ? Nope they just make you feel like you’re playing in more or less expensive shoes. If nicer feeling materials is what you want, you’ll probably love the Why Not 2.
Support and Stability
Like the PG2 the 3 is a high low so support comes from the great fit and the heel counter. No issues here at all
There is a plastic midfoot shank that stiffens up the midsole just enough. No portable rollie pollie action here.
Stability is great as well and is just as wide as the PG2 despite no outrigger.
Zero issues overall with support and stability on the PG3. Nice job Nike!
Containment
Zero issues. Raised midsole, synthetic forefoot straps. We good Nike.
Conclusion
Well sh*t 2019 is killing it or I’m reallly getting good at picking winners. Zero complaints about anything and it’s considered a budget shoe? PG has been balling out with Russ, Aquaman and the Thunder so I think the causal fan may finally get to to know Playoff P..
Everything you want or need in a low top for a lower than average price of $110 (NASA was $120..gotta pay NASA for the use of their name).but if you wait a few weeks you’ll be able to use your coupons to bring the price down to $90 and eventually scoop more up at the $50-60 price point by end of summer or so. Don’t expect PG prices to stay low if he keeps up this play over the next few years though. Every player is a brand now and with great player performances come incremental price hikes *see Kobe, Lebron, Kyrie, Curry, Dame**
I enjoyed these shoes so much I attempted to NikeID them but the blocking and color choices just didn’t look great to me. Maybe Normcore blandness has worked it’s way into basketball but I needed a little more pop with these BHM’s so I swapped the laces for fun.
Color makes the world fun don’t you think ?
Looks sell but I guess at this price point, nobody cares ? Or Nike assumes nobody cares ? Or they want everyone to make IDs? Oh well
Well done Nike
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAY ABOUT THESE BRO. BEST SHOE IN THE SERIES TO ME. IM A WIDE FOOTER AND WENT HALF A SIZE UP JUST LIKE I DID WITH THE 1, 2 AND 2.5. SMOOTH, COMFORTABLE CUSHIONING AND GREAT TRACTION. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?
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Yep def could have gone up half a size as well and had no issues. Nothing more you could want really
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I’ve been reading your reviews for a while. Definitely prefer your take versus all the other reviewers out there. I want to like the PG3’s but when I tried them on they were really tight on my wide feet. Going up half a size didn’t help too much. Can you recommend a shoe that plays like the PG3, but is more wide footer friendly? Thanks!
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You gotta break them in just like my review said and or use thinner socks. Tightness comes from the upper and that thick insole (you can replace the insole to make more wiggle room). Or even try a full size up. Shoe is very adaptable.
Other shoes like it? Pg2 lol. Everything I reviewed this year pretty good. Why not 2 is good as well similar cushioning set up a little more wide foot friendly
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Thanks for the reply. Yeah, you mentioned the break in time in the review. I could definitely try a thinner insole until they break in. I’ll also try the why not 2, see how it feels. My current shoe is the M11 and they sound pretty similar. Keep up the great work!
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You’ll like the why not 2 a lot if the m11 is your go to. Bigger zoom and softer foam overall. Great all around
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Great review bro! I have to try these out. I kind of let the ‘blah’ design get to me. I didn’t even have these on my radar. But the simple ones tend to be performance beasts, much like the Harden 3.
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Yea they are bland bc the color blocking is terrible. This is where knits would be nice to give some texture and depth to the design. They’ll go cheap bc of the plain design
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Tried them on in store. My true size is 9.5 but my toes would be jammed in that size for these. Had to go up to a 10 for b-ball shoes for some reasons. Love the fit. Cushioning is better than the 2 imo cuz they moved the zoom up. I couldn’t feel zoom in the 2 or 2.5 cuz Nike put it below the ball of my foot. Traction needs breaking in but I take your word for it. Solid review schwollo!
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Up a half to full size should work fine glad you were able to try on!
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Had to go to a 10 in the why not 2. Do you have to size up for those? Stg my feet been weird with sizing lately
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Why not 2? No i went tts
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Ok……I need the next couple of releases to suck because all these shoes lately seem to be good.
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Just pick one haha every shoe so far has been great this year
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I think when its all said and done I will probably end up with hardens, these or the why not 2. All about cushion, containment, and traction.
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You’re good with all three
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I think you know what I’ll ask next lol……..which cushion has the most bounce out of those 3?
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I think the PG, why not, dame5 in that order
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Great reviews Schwollo! If you had to pick one, which one would it be? Dame 5 or PG3? Thanks in advance.
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Pg3. Gives me everything including a little springier ride than the Dame 5. Both great though can’t go wrong either way
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I can’t get over how generic these look. I mean PG1 n 2 had some exciting/unique designs and premium-lookin materials. What happened here? No doubt they’d be a solid performer tho. Then again most generic looking shoes are solid performers ’cause that’s what generic designs give you.
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Nice concise and to the point review! I’m not even considering these but you are tempting me!!!
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Lol they are sitting so no rush lol
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Nice touch with the lace swap on the BHM pair!
This one might be the easiest review of the year lol! Awesome performer, very well-rounded …just like PG on the court! Color ways definitely underwhelming, wish Nike would release some of his PE’s…maybe we’ll get more flavors (and a strap) when they drop the PG 3.5 ha!
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100% agree. Bland is in? 🤷🏻♂️ lol
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Good comprehensive review. So far everyone has a lot of good things to say about these. I’m currently playing in the Kyrie 5 and Kobe A.D. (exodus). Both are ok, Kyrie 5 has good traction, but cushioning is a little on the stiffer side while the AD has good cushioning, but traction is hit or miss. I was wondering if the PG 3 is better in terms of cushioning, traction, and containment/lockdown?
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It’s a more rounded shoe all across the board. No frills no hype just plays well
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Thoughts on the KD 12? There is some fluff to the marketing but I think the ripstop upper and cushioning will perform. I think the perforated midsole is actually cooler than the zoom strobel. Directing the compression in and down rather than should in theory work very well. Only questions to me are heel slip, clunkiness in the heel, and traction/durability. These could be pretty nice👀
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I think they’ll feel great underfoot I don’t see how they can’t haha
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I’m looking swap the insoles with Sof Soles. Would you recommend going half size up?
Thanks!
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Yea probably depending on its thickness.
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Hi Schwollo,
First off, I just want to say that I really enjoy reading your reviews. Thank you for putting in the work!
My questions is, have the PG3s made it into your top 10? Have the Dame 5s made it into your top 10? Which do you prefer between the PG3s and DAme 5s?
Best,
Sedfrey
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It’s my favorite of the year so far. I have too many good memories in my top 10 but it can be a sub for sure. Good performances in my top 10 will always beat out shoes that are just good performers. All that being said, I wouldn’t hesitate to put any shoe I reviewed this year on the court. All great all around which is rare.
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Cool. So you’d take the PG3s over the Dame 5s?
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I personally would bc cushioning feels better than the Dame 5. As I told some other ppl, buy the shoe that looks the best or has your fav players name on it bc it’s really splitting hairs lol
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Thanks for your replies!
If you don’t mind me asking, what are the top 5 sneakers in your rotation right now?
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Same as my post from a few months ago. Kobe vi iv I curry 2 Lebron soldier vi
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Schwollo,
Just curious, which nike shoe has the softest foam carrier?
Also, which nike shoe has the bounciest foam carrier?
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Anythbg with lunarlon or cushlon will be the softest while injected Phylon will also feel pretty soft. Off top of my head Kd Xi, Kyrie 4 feel softish. Pg3, why not 2 hdx also softish side. As for springiness too hard to differentiate the carrier from the zoom so if you have a specific model to question you want me to answer be more specific
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Kobe ad mid Kobe ad Exodus also good springy softish cushioning set ups
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Thanks for the reply Schwollo. And, to answer your question, I do have a few specific models in mind: Kobe 1, Kobe 5, Kobe 6, Kobe 7, Kobe 8, LeBron 9 Elite, Kyrie 5. Could you please tell me which of these have the most springy cushion setup?
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I wrote reviews on all of those except the Lebron 9 elite and vii. . Kobe 5 is the softer overall foam and is a little too soft around the heel due to the design. Vi is pretty much perfect, 7 is also very good with drop in forefoot and heel but has some heel slip. Kobe 8 is good w drop in lunar but lunar dies. Lebron elite is good overall but firmer overall and is max air in the heel midfoot not zoom. Kyrie is firmer than all of the above overall.
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Ah, my bad, I should’ve google’d harder. Thanks for the reply!
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Does the forefoot cushion of the PG 3s feel similar to the forefoot cushion found in the Kobe 7s ?
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I think it feels a little better since it protrudes a little a pushes up into your forefoot. The drop in insole of the vii makes it pretty close though
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Thanks! I’ve been wearing the kobe vii elites since 2013 and I’m looking for a replacement. Was curious about how these stacked up against the vii’s. Btw, do you plan on doing a performance review for the kobe vii’s anytime soon?
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I plan to just haven’t gotten to it. You don’t really need one if you have them lol
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Haha yeah that’s true. I guess I’m just curious as to what your experience was like, because the 7’s had a ton of mixed reviews. People either loved it or hated it.
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I thought it was good except for heel slip which I remedied by cutting part of the back heel insole out. Fit was good other than that, traction good, cushioning good, elites looked 🔥 also very stable. Fit a little tight in the forefoot but after breaking in the upper it was fine
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Yeah I also had heel slip issues and I did the same thing as you to fix it.
My brother played in the USA colourway of the 7’s and he got mad blisters on his arch, but I never ran into that issue myself. Isn’t that weird lol
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Would you prefer these over the harden vol 2?
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I do
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After eliminating the heel slip in the kobe 7’s, where do they rank in your hierachy of Nike Kobe Signature Models?
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It still isn’t perfect heel fit for me but great overall shoe. More Kobe I, 10, Ad like than 4-6, 8,9, 11. Id put it around the middle somewhere behind the 4-6.
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How does the forefoot zoom in the PG3s compare to the forefoot zoom in one of your favorite hoop shoes of all time, the Lebron Soldier 6s?
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Just as good if not better if the forefoot. It’s a big zoom bag in the pg3
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How does the zoom air in the PG 3’s compare to the unlocked zoom found in the air jordan 28’s and air jordan 29’s ?
Also, which shoe do you prefer, the PG 3’s or the Kobe 4’s?
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It’s not as good feeling as the 28 bc the protrusion isn’t as big but it’s pretty great.
I still prefer the Kobe iv due to lower ride and more responsiveness not to mention a decade of memories but the pg3 is great as well.
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Oh ok. Does the zoom in the PG 3 feel similar to the zoom found in the 29s?
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Almost not quite. Same thing about protrusion but it’s still very good
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Hey Schwollo! Does the protruding zoom unit in this shoe make you feel quicker, or is it the other way around?
Also, between the Kobe I, Kobe IV, PG 3, Freak 1, Why Not 2, and Kyrie 5, which shoe makes you feel fast when hooping in them?
PS: Thank you for all your in-depth, unbiased reviews!
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No it doesn’t make me feel any faster it just feels good to have that bounce and feedback. Freak I and Kobe IV are my favorites out of that group maybe the Kyrie 5 also.
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Thanks! Btw, do you plan on purchasing a pair of Freak 1s with a full solid rubber outsole?
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Not sure . It has to be the right colorway or ID
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How long is to break in this shoe? Which one you prefer tts or 1/2size up after breaking in the shoe? I have slightly wide foot
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I wore thin socks true to size so if you like thicker socks go up half a size. Doesn’t take long to break in
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how much dangerous iw going up half a size in a shoe where length wise is perfect for you but width wise is little too tight?
also, if a shoe its just perfect and width and length but you go half size up, it is dangerous?
thanks 🙂
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No it isn’t dangerous in either case
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Hi Schwollo
Question :Between PG3 and Kobe IV, Which has best:
– cushion ?
– lockdown/ containement ?
– confort/padding ?
Thanks
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Weird my replies didn’t go through.
Cushioning in forefoot is better with Pg while heel is better with Kobe iv.
Lockdown is better with Kobe iv
Pg 3 is more padded overall
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Damn !! It will be Hard to choose mostly with the new Lakers color of the Kobe IV!!!!!!!
Thanks Schwollo 😉
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Maybe the Kobe IV is slighty bulky and wider at the forefoot ?
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Than what?
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PG3
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Really late question but my Burlington has these for 39.99 so my interest was piqued. My only hesitation is the width of the forefoot and not having any kind of outrigger. I have been in the Hardens for the past few years (the 2 is my absolute favorite), but was looking at these for:
1: Traction
2: Good things I’ve heard about the Zoom
I love Boost and I have plenty of Vol 2 to still play in. I loved the Vol 3 but the heel slip was just too much, but the traction was amazing vs the 2. The Boost was thinner so ended up back in the 2s, but also just want something lighter (the 3s), but with more stability in the forefoot and heel lockdown.
Would the PG3 work for me, I just really need the stability the Vol 2 provides at least.
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Btw, do have the Vol 4 but the traction is flat out dangerous for the courts I play on. I have the barbershop colorway and I have slid so hard that I tore my hip flexor, slid and fell (and I’m 33 so just lucky to still be playing). Lightstrike just wasn’t it for me either because it felt too thin and didn’t give me confidence to push hard (though I think it did offer impact protection strangely because I wasn’t sore after playing).
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Lightstrike is good enough cushioning imo. Fun bouncy and light . It works well as its intended . After adding holes in the vol 3, I put the 3 ahead of the 4 .
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Try them on? Don’t think Burlington will notice if you run around in them
They do sit higher than vol 3
Also I added eyelets to the vol 3 like I did with the crazylight 16 and it made the fit 👌.
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Thanks for the reply. Turns out Burlington misplaced the size tag and they were way too small (size 8) when I thought they were a 9.5).
I’ll have to try the hole trick I guess for the Vol 3, I’m going to give the Vol 2 again and if the traction is not good then I’ll have to go with the Vol 3 trick.
How does the PG3 feel in terms of lateral stability with no outrigger compared to the Vol 2 and Vol 3?
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It sits higher off the ground than the 3 about the same as the 2. No issues since it wide sole in the forefoot
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