Occasionally you will find those pairs that just have it all.. Yeah, These are those guys! They absolutely have it all!
How is everyone doing?? AirJayP here, and today we are going to talk about a pair and brand that is a newer brand, but one that is definitely on the rise and something to be on the lookout for. I have followed along their journey from the start, and was always a little hesitant to purchase or try a pair. When I saw this "Joker" cw I said what the heck, let's give it a go! I did, and I couldn't have been any happier with the results that came next!
Traction: 5
If there is one thing and one thing only I need to tell you about the Player 1 Plus, it would be that the traction is an absolute beast. Thinking back to recent memory these guys here have one of, if not the best or my favorite traction setups I have played in, in a minute. The sneaker features a solid rubber outsole with a wavy type pattern that grips the floor and just sticks to any court I played on. I had no issues with wiping, or picking up dust, no matter what the condition of the floor was. I was able to get to where I wanted to go and was covered laterally and vertically at all times. I did not test these out or play in them outdoors, but the rubber does seem to be pretty hard/solid, and I do believe you would have great results outdoors as well. There is absolutely nothing about the traction setup I didn't like. Coming from me, with how I want a shoe to work and feel traction wise is saying a lot. I give these a perfect score from a traction standpoint no matter what the grading system is. Out of 5, out of 10, out of 100 trust me you are set to go in these!!
Fit: 5
I have been known or normally go down half a size in most of my basketball sneakers to get a more snug fit. With these, I had been told to possibly just go true to size as you will notice they fit more snug as is. That is what I did, and I liked the fit that I got. Had I gone down half, I could have dealt with it, but they would have been possibly a little too snug for my liking. I was more than happy going true to size with these and that is what I would recommend.
Materials: 5
Another perfect score in this category? I am telling you these are that good! The materials on the Player 1 Plus is another aspect of the shoe that I really liked. The sneaker features a nylon fabric that is knitted with TPU wire. These materials feel very light, durable, and in my opinion have a premium feel while on foot, on court. Aside from the tech, let's discuss what I liked most about the materials. While on court the materials seem to move/flex with you and your movements giving you a great feel while on court. The materials on the inner liner of basically the entire sneaker from heel to toe is very soft and just feels once again very premium while on foot. The ankle collar/sock liner is very soft and just has such a nice feel on foot. Last, but not least the tongue is not super thick but does offer a nice soft cushioned feel in my opinion. These were built to be light, durable, comfortable, and overall just made to work great on the basketball court. The materials are once again such a solid point to this sneaker.
Cushion: 5
The Player 1 Plus features a drop-in midsole cushion setup system. With each pair, you get two drop-in midsoles. The drop-ins are called the "Quick" or the "Strength." Personally I used the setup that came standard which was the "Quick." I liked it so much, that I never actually took the time to switch it out to try the other. With this setup though, you are getting a fairly soft, but very responsive feel. They had a comfortable, but bouncy feel to them in my experience. The setup does offer a great deal of court feel, but you are already so low to the ground in these you are most likely going to get that anyway. I felt the cushion just went right along with the entire shoe so far, and was just another big hit in a positive way. I am usually asking for a minimal but enough cushion setup along with a great deal of court feel. These offered a little more of a plush feel than maybe I was thinking or expecting, but it was all in a good or positive way. No complaints here once again, and only positives from the cushion setup! Are these guys going to get a perfect score in every category??
Lockdown: 5
Yep, they sure are and did! The lockdown on the Player 1 Plus once again gets a perfect score. I have had my issues in the past with low tops and these are what I consider to be a super low. I was a little worried about how I would like these or how they would work out for me. Never should I have been. These have you locked in from heel to toe at all times on court. The sneaker features a very nice outrigger with TPU running alongside the lateral side of the sneaker. This helps keep you contained at all times and helps with non-rolls of the ankle, etc. The lacing setup was another feature that I really liked. I felt as if once getting these on foot and lacing them up to the tightness I was looking for that the whole entire shoe just molded straight to my foot and everything just worked hand in hand together to create this beast of a basketball shoe. The fit, traction, and materials all work together on these to make the lockdown as solid as it is. I mean you have TPU built into the materials to help with containtment on cuts etc. You can't ask for much more than that!!
Overall: 5
The best way I know how to explain these without using phrases I already have in this review is that these are just something else! I had nothing negative to bring you about my experience in these. I loved playing in these and these could easily be my go-to basketball sneakers had I stopped testing basketball sneakers. As previously mentioned basically every part of this sneaker was made to work or mesh together with another category of the shoe. Had the fit/materials not been the way they were then the lockdown would have not worked the same. If the traction had not been so good the cushion may not have felt as nice or plush and vice versa. This sneaker was created very well, and very thought out. This is a pair and brand in general that if you haven't tried out yet, then you need to ASAP as you will not regret it!