Will Easley's Nike SB P-Rod 7 Review
So here we are, after about 8 years since his very first pro model the Nike SB poster boy is on his 7th shoe. Dude has had some pretty good signatures with a couple mediocre ones and a boatload of different vulc & running shoe renditions, so its not like P-Rod getting another shoe is some "big deal". However this model is drastically different than all his other models and you can tell Nike's really trying to push so I figure I'd try em out for a shoe review. It would seem that despite being Nike's flagship rider, more people are buying Janoski's, Kostons, and Dunks more than the P-Rod's (not counting the vulc models they sell at the malls that all the scooter kids like to wear), so let's see if that changes with the 7's. The review categories are Appearance, Fit/Comfort, Skateability, Support, and Durability and are rated on a scale of 1-10
Appearance
Obviously this first category is subject to personal taste, so try not to cry too much if you disagree. Personally, I think these are fucking sick. Not everyone's gonna be down for the red tiger print, and I get that, but even still the actual design of the shoe is great and the black & white colorways are undeniable in my opinion. They look great on foot with the extra large toecap and that inner coloring on the sole is one of my favorite aesthetic touches. This is a Jordan-inspired shoe if I ever saw one, and that's definitely not a bad thing here. In my last review I gave the appearance a number rating, but like I said this category isn't really something you can measure like durability or comfort, so I'm just gonna post some pretty pictures and let yall form your own opinion. (Also just wanna say that due to the lighting in my room, it kind of distorts the color of my shoes, making them seem purple or pinkish, but these are definitely a very
red shoe)
Fit & Comfort
The 7's fit true to size with a somewhat unique feel to them. the heel/ankle area has a little extra padding and is very snug all the way up to the midfoot. Then from the forefoot to the top of your toes the shoe widens up to give you all the wiggle room you need, but the sockliner on the sides of the tongue still keep your mid-foot pretty stable. When you first get these they might feel a little tight around the sides, but they stretch out after a day or 2 of skating. The inner side of your foot is actually sitting on the curved part of the colored sole. Its really snug and comfortable but still give you that spacious feel in the toe/forefoot area. These shoes are comfortable as fuck. Like real talk one night I got high, layed down & took a nap in these shits. They are probably my most comfortable shoe I own, and I love walking around in them. I'd actually go out & skate in them, come home, shower up, then chill around the house in sweats while wearing these even more. They are exceptionally comfortable in every way. I couldn't imagine a more comfortable shoe outside of those crazy ass running shoes. The Lunarlon insole really gives it that soft, "cushy" feel on your feet. They also have some type of "ortho-lite" technology which is basically just some long grooves that go the length of the insole that evenly spread out the weight upon impact. The insole itself is decently thin, but that's typical of most cupsole shoes nowadays. Also on the heels it's not just a flat insert it actually curves upwards to sorta "cup" the ball of your heel. The vent holes on the sides and toe cap do a good job keeping your feet cool as well.
In this category I give this shoe a perfect 10 because I really couldn't image a more comfortable skate shoe. You'll actually enjoy walking around and wearing these outside of just skating in them. Here's a picture of the insole for those that're curious.
Skateability
You really think P-Rod would have his latest signature shoe be lacking in this area? You already know these things skate well! Like I said above, they are very comfortable and snug around the heels so your foot wont be sliding out of them, but at the same time you got all that wiggle room for your toes. The toecap is excellent though. Now I know everyone's gonna compare it to a dunk, which is understandable, but it's actually more different than you think. The shape of the toe itself is a lil bit pointer but the arrow-shaped toecap itself is MUCH bigger. Here's a side by side comparison of a 10.5 dunk mid next to my size 10 P-Rod's. As you can see on the P-Rod's, the toe piece covers more than half of the shoe whereas the dunk toe piece on covers maybe a forth or a third of it.
The bigger toecap is definitely better than the dunk's. When looking down at my feet before I do a trick I like to use the black part as somewhat of a guide for how I should flick, and it's noticeably helped my consistency with flip tricks. Also since that side-piece that goes up to the laces stretches out past the ollie-hole area, its alot more durable. Anyone who's skated dunks knows how the ollie hole is usually RIGHT on the fucking seam of that piece and rest of shoe which means its a vulnerable area when it comes to wear & tear. Same with the top part of the toe on the P-Rod's, its pushed up a little more so that seam where the toecap meets the leather is pretty safe. As for the sole, it's just the right amount grip. Like, its grippy but it isnt so grippy that it makes it hard to wiggle your feet around to get into foot position. It also seems like its thinner in the front part of the sole for boardfeel then gets beefier in the back. A very nice amount of boardfeel there tho, although honestly I'd personally rather have more padding there but that's just me. They break in fairly fast, but like with many shoes that feature built-in footbeds, mashing that down is what's
really break it in and make it nice & flexy. You can do that by way of a few long skate sessions or jump down a gap for a day and itll be good to go.
I give these a 9 in terms of skateability. If they were mid's (my more preferred type of shoe) I'd probably give them a perfect 10, haha. P-Rod always skates his own shoes religiously so it's not like he's gonna be skating a shoe that didnt skate well all around.
Support
Now this is category that Nike's REALLY trying to push. You know the ad's claiming "360 degress of protection" blah blah blah. For the most part, this is a pretty supportive shoe. As stated earlier the collar has plenty of firm but comfortable padding, and there's a built in footbed (seen thru the swoosh at the bottom and colored part on the inner sidewall of the sole) that helps with taking impacts as well. However, it does feel noticeable thinner in the toe area for the extra boardfeel. I've jumped down a lot of different shit in these, and it feels like the back half of my foot is fine, but I definitely feel the impact a lot more if I happen to land on my toes. It isn't all that bad, still much better than a vulc, but after skating these for a while and flattening out the insole, you definitely start to notice it, especially during those hour-long gap battles. I'd say anything from 1-7 stairs there's sufficient impact support, but you may want to put in some thicker insoles if you plan on taking on your local 10 stair. Obviously not everybody's gonna be skating that type of stuff so it isn't too big of a deal, and I understand that they want it to be a well-rounded shoe and give it enough boardfeel for tech shit, but if you're really gonna market this as a "total impact" shoe, you gotta live up to those claims.
It's still better than average with a snug, secure fit, and great padding in the heel areas, but its not at an exceptional level like most other aspects of this shoe, so I give it an 8.5Durability
(side by side comparison of new & used P-Rod 7's)
Ah yes the most fun part of the review. Obviously if you plan on skating a $90 shoe you want it to hold up & last, so this category is what really makes it or breaks it for most people. I'm just gonna give yall a little background of my skating & let the pictures do the talking. I started skating these on July 18 up to this day, almost everyday for at least 3 hours at a time. Often times more than that, and I only missed about 3 days due to weather or minor injury. I didn't use any super glue or anything else like that to help preserve the shoe. I only replaced one set of laces after the beginning of the 3rd week skating em. Also I very rarely skate switch or nollie, so that right shoe is taking pretty much 99% of all the abuse. Get ready for these big ass photos too because I wanna let yall see as much as possible. That pic with the insole is a side by side comparision of a NEW one and the one that's been skated. That ortholite shit that's made to evenly spread the weight upon impact definitely stretches that shit out over time. Alright enough small talk lets get to it!
So as you can see these things hold up pretty damn well. I was very surprised that I have yet to rip the seam where the suede meets the black leather on the toe, because normally on similar that shit's always obliterated after some good wear & tear. I really like how they stretched out that toecap to cover the ollie area as well, because that seam on the dunks is always the first to go, whereas on these that same seam didn't start to rip through until the past couple of days. They definitely used premium, high quality leather and suede with this shoe. I figured the tiger print would actually be LESS durable, but it went well beyond expectations. The grip holds up very well too. They still feel pretty grippy after skating them earlier today. I'm actually still gonna skate these for maybe 4-5 more days until I get some new shoes, as they still have a good amount of life in them. If I were the type that skated my shoes until the very end where they have a bajillion holes and no grip, these could probably last another week or two, and thats WITHOUT shoe goo n whatnot. The laces are placed a little more upwards on the shoe so those hold up better than average as well. The swoosh is fused on to the leather and that part of the shoe gets very minimal wear anyways so you dont have to worry about the swoosh coming undone and "flapping" off the shoe like with dunks & blazers. The insoles DO start to stretch and flatten out after heavy use though. They're still pretty comfortable but you will lose a bit of padding over time. That's probably my only gripe with the durabilty.
Overall, this what you would expect from a Nike shoe that uses all the premium materials. I give them a strong 9.Summary
As someone who's skated Nike's for years, I honestly feel like this is probably their best all-around cupsole shoe. You can tell they really tried to find that perfect balance of board feel & impact, and for the most part they nailed it (Personally, I would've liked it to be a tad bit thicker in the toe area, but thats the comprise they had to make to get that balance). It's super comfortable to wear and easy on your feet, has a simple yet flashier look, all while still feeling like a high-performance skate shoe that's gonna do what it's made for. The lunarlon actually plays a part in making this shoe good instead of just being a marketing gimmick, and all the other materials used in this shoe are very high-quality and worth the premium price tag. I feel like this is P-Rod's best shoe and a good flagship model for Nike SB.
Overall I give this shoe a 9 out of 10 and would recommend to anyone who likes to skate cupsoles.
Topic: Nike SB P-Rod 7 (Review) (Read 3101 times)