Thursday, November 1, 2012

Review: Converse MVP Mid

Today we take a look at the star chevron brand's latest entry to its basketball line: The Converse MVP Mid. This is the first time Converse will benefit the flywire technology from it's sister brand. The MVP  mid, along with the all star legend mid are the star chevron brand's releases for this basketball season.


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As of present, we have seen several sneaker companies share their technologies from other brands, be it their sister companies or not. We have seen Reebok's Zigtech soles develop a twin with Adidas CC series. Numerous training brands such as New Balance and Merell adapt it's soles from Vibrams.Then Converse's new trainer, the Auckland Racer remix also had it's collaboratory treatment from it's mother company with a Nike Free esque midsole.



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So far, most inter brand performance sneaker collaborations are limited to trainers/ runners and only involve the midsole part. However, Converse, particularly it's baskerball line, has finally adopted another technology from Nike, the Flywire.


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The Flywire is a Vectran thread created by Jay Meschter of the swoosh. By strategically placing these Vectran threads over key support points in the shoe, it is able to provide ample support for the feet while minimizing the shoe's weight. It's logo, a fixture in Hyperdunk shoes proudly displays itself at the front.

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The Look

The look is similar to another shoe released from the previous year, the Defcon.  Having been built with 1 solid piece of rubber based vamp for most of the shoe with the exemption of the flywire enabled toebox. It's signature colorway involves a gradient of an accent color starting from the heel up to the midfoot. Upon passing the central star chevron logo, the colors fade to black with the exemption of the flywire accents. This was supposed to appeal/ accent in several team colors, but as of present only five accent based colorways were made (orange, blue, red, white and gunmetal).
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The Sole

The sole feels simple as compared to other previous Converse basketball releases. No visible balls cushioning in the sole, but the grip and the feel remains true. 


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Weight


After taking this on the court for a few games,the weight of the foam based bulk at the rear end of the shoe is balanced by the flywire induced front area. Running in the did not cause much problems and with it's construction, the extra protection intended for the ankle did not materialize in added weight. Last year's problem with the Defcon is that the foam upper placed a lot of emphasis on stability but added weight to the cost.



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Stability

Being a player with large calf muscles, I am always in caution in regards to ankle protection. The injected foam acts like a soft cast/ protector from those sudden ankle rolls when sidestepping on defense. The ortholite insole gives contrast for comfort following the hard outsole.

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Ventilation

Heat buildup was less compared to older releases due to the heat vents strategically located towards the shoe.



The MVP mid can be found at local sporting goods stores throughout the metro.
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