We here at Kicksologists finally got our hands the newest signature sneaker from Nike Basketball, the PG 1 by Paul George.
I can’t remember the last time I was excited about a sneaker debut since maybe, the Kobe 8 and 9? Paul George isn’t that far from the Mamba series as he’s made it well known that he’s a big Bryant fan. Not only has he shown interest in the Lakers, but he also resides in Southern California growing up. His sneaker is also inspired the low-cut Kobe series as he now has his own signature sneaker sporting that soccer type feel.
Priced at $110.00 USD, the Nike PG 1 offers a lot. Unlike the Kyrie series, the Zoom Air is placed correctly in the forefoot. It boggles my mind why designers from all brands include cushion systems placed in the rear rather than the front. The sport of basketball requires a lot of forefoot movement starting with accleration, pivoting, pushing off, dribbling and more. All of those moves require you to be on your toes at all times, not the heel. So once I found this out, they won me over. Although the Zoom is bottom loaded, you still receive that energy return, just not as immediate. I do however prefer top loaded Zoom.
Top loaded means that the Zoom bag is sitting right underneath the foot providing extreme response time and reaction. Perhaps designers believe that the immediate response could possibly create instability for the foot. Either way, the Zoom in the sneaker feels great. It’s solid and apparent when you run. If you have played in the Air Jordan XX8, it is nothing like that. And for those who wonder about the Zoom popping, I doubt it highly as the Zoom bag is covered and secured real well.
The materials are also great for the price. You have a combination of fuse, mesh, and suede like material on the upper with a very solid rubber compound for durability. The inner lining is great as well offering comfort and support for the achilles. The suede on the side panels will get scuffed up during play, but you must already know that right?
Now there is one small issue with the PG 1, the fit. They run a bit narrow and short on the toes. I’m a true size 9. My whole closet is a 9 with an exception of a few. The PG 1, is that exception as I went up to a 9.5. Mind you that the size 9 was not available for me at the time of purchase, but I settled with the 9.5 as it was meant to be. If there was a 9, I don’t think I would’ve been happy. It was just too snug for me already, but snug enough where I can operate for hoops.
Once you got your foot in, the comfort is great. Surprisingly the shoe felt stable. Thanks to the outrigger and wide forefoot base, the shoe sits naturally on my feet. The rear part of the sneaker has a bit of a awkward feel to it as it’s pretty small, but it might just be a matter of getting used to.
I do plan on making a performance review here on the site once I get to hooping in them. If you’re not familiar with our performance grading, you can check out our previous reviews here. If you were thinking about getting the PG 1, we definitely recommend doing so as you are getting a lot for the price.
Thanks for tuning into our initial impression and stay tuned for the performance review in the coming weeks. Don’t forget to subscribe!
