Nike Kyrie Kybrid S2

Another great basketball shoe from the Kyrie line! Key features from the 4,5 & 6 make these a very fun shoe to play basketball in!

Traction: 3

What would be a Kyrie model without awesome traction?? These sneakers definitely do not disappoint on the court in this aspect. The traction setup is featured from the Kyrie 4. I enjoyed the traction from all angles and had no issues whatsoever laterally or vertically. I tested these solely indoors. Both courts I played on were semi dusty and not cleaned too often. The traction worked very well with no wiping necessarily at all even on these conditions. I have never really had any issues on any Kyrie model from a traction standpoint period. To sum it up or in simple terms, if you have enjoyed Kyrie traction in the past, and especially on the 4s you will love these as well!

Fit: 3

Kyrie models are known to have a tight fit, and these are no different. They do feature the flytrap as the Kyrie 5s did. I would consider the fit to be the same. I would recommend going true to size. I actually was forced to go down half a sz. due to that was all they had in the colorway I wanted. They work well for me, but I would prefer my true size 11.5. I do prefer my basketball sneakers to be more snug though, so if you are ok with snug sneakers and the fit of the Kyrie 5 you will be just fine with these guys.

Lockdown: 3

The lockdown was also another key feature for me with the Kybrids. I felt completely locked in from the time I put them on. I personally believe the lockdown is so good because of a few factors. one, the fit is nice and snug making you feel locked in from the start, two the traction works so well you feel safer in the shoe naturally, and lastly, the shoe overall makes you feel safe and stable on the court. I never noticed myself having any issues with rolling an ankle over or even thinking/feeling of any worry from a lockdown standpoint. I have pretty much always been a fan of Kyries models since the 1, and truthfully that has to do with them always having great traction and lockdown features. These are no different and will not disappoint!

Materials: 2

The materials are like most basketball shoes today. Nothing premium, but these definitely get the job done. They are made up of synthetic and textile materials. The single issue I had is they probably could have had a little more breathability, and I did notice them being a little sweaty after playing. Overall there were no major issues with the materials and as I said they will definitely be durable and get the job done on court!

Cushion: 2

The cushion is more of a preference in my opinion. The shoe features a similar Kyrie 4 setup with a full-length cushlon midsole and zoom air in the heel of the shoe. This setup is definitely more for court feel, than a super cushioned setup. it is very minimal cushion to be honest, which can be a good or bad thing. For me personally, I am fine with having a lot of court feel and on most occasions prefer this type of setup. Most Kyrie models in the past do not offer a whole lot of cushion, but with zoom turbo coming into the picture with recent models it may give these a back seat if you're looking for more cushion. If you liked the Kyrie 4, you are going to like these a lot! if you like the 6, or the newly released 7 with cushion being your favorite aspect you may not be as big of a fan of these. Either way, if you like these even the slightest I would recommend giving them a try as I really enjoyed playing in these even with the minimal cushion.

Colorway: 3

I went with the "Best Of" colorway and absolutely love them. I was always a huge fan of the Nike Basketball "What The" series when they still released them. I like having the mash-up of all the different models/colorways in this shoe. It basically gives you the best colorways from the 4, 5, and 6. When I initially saw them, I loved them but was worried they may be a little to wild on the court. I have had so many compliments playing in these and questions regarding what shoe it is, etc. They really do look better in person in my opinion and I hope they continue doing these types of colorways again in the future!

Overall: 3

I literally had so much fun in this shoe I have to give them a perfect rating. You will hear me say occasionally that a shoe is "fun" to play in and literally these are just so fun to play in! The only complaint I can really give is the cushion. As I stated in the category above I do not mind it to much, but as I keep getting older and not younger my knees are starting to need more cushion than they used to. I still just liked the shoe so much I could not really give them less than a 3 overall!

The ultimate downfall to this shoe has nothing to do with it actually performance-wise. I wish they would have released a little sooner than they did because the Kyrie 7 released just shortly after. I feel most will pass these right up and go straight to the Kyrie 7 which is understandable. New model, newer tech, so on and so forth I get it, but if you are a hooper that buys multiple on-court shoes a year you definitely need to give these a go! they are not going to disappoint!

I hope you enjoyed this review on the Kyrie Kybrid S2!

Enjoy Your Week & As Always Happy Hooping!