When I first saw the Cosmic Unity I didn’t think much of it. I thought to myself ‘here we go again, another subpar team shoe, alpha dunk levels of disappointment await.’ Then as I looked closer the bigger picture came into view. Zoom strobel? Those logos? Anthony Davis is wearing it over Kobe’s? Then it all clicked. These shoes were the precursor, the trial run for the Greater Than line! So I found a pair (on sale, score!) got them home, rented a gym and got busy in them!
Traction:
Full length herringbone almost feels like a thing of the past. So few shoes in Nike’s lineup actually use this pattern nowadays, yet I never find myself trusting any other pattern until after playing in it.
Why am I mistrustful? Is it bad experiences with other patterns? No. Is it because the best traction patterns I’ve ever used are herringbone? Partially, but no. Is it because I’m stupid and easily forget what I know to be true? Yup!
Here’s the honest truth, the pattern doesn’t matter. It’s all down to the rubber compound. If the rubber doesn’t grip the surface, it doesn’t matter the pattern. That’s why the KD Trey 5 VII & VII work so damned well. It’s why the Curry 8 is such a beast. It’s why the PG5 works well, but not as well as the Kobe 9 which has the exact same pattern, and it’s why on the LeBron 17’s that I had the translucent material gripped harder and shredded itself while the solid white rubber outsole didn’t grip nearly as well but lasted longer.
So don’t fool yourself. The herringbone is nice. It works well on the cosmic unity. But it’s not an insane grip. This isn’t the same application of full length herringbone as the Harden Vol. III. It’s still good and reliable, but it’s not great.
Cushion:
Full length Zoom Strobel is not to be under estimated. This is the best cushioning technology in basketball right now. It keeps you low to the ground for great responsiveness, while simultaneously giving you full length comfort you feel on every step.
In the Cosmic Unity the Zoom strobel is as bouncy as ever. Providing explosive first steps and all game comfort. It doesn’t have the best impact protection if you’re a high flyer, the unit is quite thin after all. Yet for the 98% of us who aren’t dunking from the free throw line, it’s more than enough.
Where the cushioning setup falls short is the Meteor Foam. Which is Nike talk for recycled materials they had lying around the warehouse. It’s an initiative I can get behind, I like reducing my eco footprint more than most. I just wish Nike would do two things. One, don’t tell me this foam has ANY performance benefits, it doesn’t. Two, stop marketing this and patting yourself on the back for it while simultaneously shipping your t-shirts to stores individually wrapped in plastic bags with three pieces of tissue paper wrapping each shirt.
(It’s better that they’re doing something, but we fight for Good here and we don’t settle for better. I’ll stop shouting now.)
Long story short, I wish this tech was in every shoe Nike made. Not just basketball or performance sneakers either. Drop this strobel unit into an Air Max 90, a Blazer, a Cortez or even a sandal and it would immediately be my favourite shoe to put on. It’s amazing tech and it’ll keep you going even on the longest of runs.
Fit:
The fit is true to size, maybe even a touch long compared to most Nike’s. The width is pretty standard, but that means it’s MUCH wider than the KD13 or KD14. Wide footers may still find it a little snug, but hallelujah, the Zoom Strobel tech is finally available in a sneaker that people with normal feet can wear with ease.
You’ll also find a more relaxed toe box. This isn’t huge with a lot of dead space like the Jordan Why Not Zer0.3 SE, but it’s definitely more comfortable than a Kyrie 7, allowing for a little wiggle room for your toes.
Support & Lockdown:
Well here it is. The disappointment I had been waiting for. No shoe is allowed to be perfect *sigh*.
The support is very nice. No issues on even the hardest of cuts.
The lockdown is really bad though, specifically in the heel. The shape of the heel and lack of achilles pillows means that you’ll always have a bit of heel slippage unless the shoe is a PERFECT fit to your foot. I know that doesn’t bother a lot of people, hell I know some people who will barely tie their shoes when they play. Yet it’s not something I can manage, I’m the guy who cranks the laces down and doesn’t want the shoe to move AT ALL until I’m done playing.
So to each their own, but for me, sadness ensues.
Materials:
I do love the materials. By today’s standards the knit material up top is quite heavy, and doesn’t breathe very well. Which feels perfect for me.
The materials help lock you down, they’re strong so you always feel secure when making a move. They’re also durable thanks to that weight. So the shoe should last a really long time unless you’re playing outdoors in them.
Much of the materials are recycled, which I do appreciate and won’t get into again, and the touch it feels premium and that brings piece of mind when spending $210 on a shoe. Something I can’t honestly say about the KD13 which felt like a $145 shoe in hand even though it was worth the money once you played in them.
In conclusion — when it’s all said and done I love the Cosmic Unity. It’s extremely comfortable, feels good on foot, nice design, interesting story with the recycled materials. Everything I could want on paper.
You won’t see me playing competitively in it though. The cushion is so good that you’ll see me at LA Fitness playing for 3+ hours in them. But when it comes down to giving 25 HARD minutes in league play. I don’t want any part of them because of the heel lockdown.
So in the end I recommend this to the casual hooper. Not the elite athlete.
Score – 3.75/5
Thanks for reading!
~ Clinton aka Phoenix, for HS.
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