Performance Review: Li Ning Way of Wade Fission 2

A good mix of past and present, and you will love them.

Some time ago, I posted what to expect on the Li Ning Way of Wade Fission 2 on the Best Foot Forward Segment <HERE>. Now, I will be giving you the performance review on them. So without further ado, let's go ahead and analyze the shoe.

Materials: 4.25/5

Leather upper gives a balance of support and comfort.

Leather was used in the upper which is rare nowadays. Most of the shoes now are either made from synthetic materials or textile (woven or knit). While synthetics offer lightweight and textile require minimum to no break-in time, each of them have their disadvantages which if not addressed properly would give the wearer either irritation from pinching of materials or durability issues due to ripping of the fabric. With leather, although not the lightest, would give you adequate support and allows some stretch as it breaks in. The leather used here is soft and requires minimum break-in time. An hour of just walking around allows the leather to break-in nicely. The shoe is a bit bulky though, so those who are into lightweight kicks would want to look elsewhere. But me growing up in the 90's, I am personally fine with this. The tongue is made up of padded mesh and there are also some holes on the forefoot and medial side to give some airflow, albeit not too much. But at least it's there.

Another thing worth noting is that the colorful paint design would likely be scuffed especially if you ball aggressively. Either being stepped on or your own movements around the court would likely give your kicks some battle scuffs so this might turn you off when you also rock your basketball kicks casually.

A nasty scuff from being stepped on the court.

This one is on the medial side so probably from kicks rubbing together because it's bulky.

Cushion: 4.5/5

Bounse cushion. Yes, I love them.

Li Ning's Bounse cushion is probably their best cushion source when you compare them to their Cloud or Cushion. Yes, it gives you some "bouncy" feeling when you grab that rebound or attack the basket. So you will feel secured that there are no knee for foot pain after games. Although you sacrifice some responsiveness or court feel in this shoe because the midsole is somewhat thick, it does provide adequate protection so even bigs would likely enjoy this as well. They even come with a nice padded insole for some step-in comfort so additional points for that. This is the best attribute of the shoe in my opinion.

The insole adds more comfort. Thumbs up, Li Ning.

Traction: 4.00/5

Tuff OS which is ideal outdoors.

I thought the outsole would botch the shoe's performance due toe the different patterns. Gladly, this is not the case as it hold up nicely on court. The forefoot area is where most of the court coverage can be seen and the mid part and heel lacks this although they don't disappoint me too much, as I rely on my forefoot most of the time. It is not that squeaky but it still gets the job done and wiping is seldom on the court that I played on. I had the chance to use them outdoors as well and it was able to withstand the rough surface of the court although you will need to wipe more if there are lots of dust or debris present on the court.

Fit: 3.5/5

Try them in stores, that's the best advice I could give you. Seriously, the fit is critical here if you want to enjoy playing in them. My natural size is 8.5 but I wear 9 most of the time because I love some wiggle room in the toe area. But since 9 was not available (even 8.5), I got 9.5 and at first it feels fine. However, the upper material is made up of leather so it stretches a bit over time. With that being said, there is more dead space between my foot and the shoe. Keep in mind that the material will still stretch a bit more so getting true to size and trying them in store is the best thing that you need to do. In my case, I have to bear with it and wore thicker socks and tie the laces up to the top eyelet to ensure that I my foot is secured inside the shoe. But even with all of that, I am still aware of the dead space inside so I have to be more cautious with it. In terms of support, there is a TPU plate underneath to provide you with a stable base. The shoe is fairly wide as well but the overall support will come from the fit so it is really important that you get the right size.

Because of the fit, I have to use the top eyelets of the shoe which I seldom use.

The padded heel notch is a good addition here especially in my case.

The TPU plate provides a good base.

Price: 4.5/5

The shoe is fairly cheap especially if you consider the techs that were used here. And given another 20% by the sales agent even makes the deal even sweeter. The actual retail price is Php 3,790 and using the 20% coupon which the sales agent just gave me for no apparent reason (props to sales agent Joseph), I was able to get this for just Pjp 3,032. Not bad, right?

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed playing in the Wade of Wade Fission 2. The upper gave me flashbacks of a 90's shoe (also the bulky feel). Even for the regular price of Php 3,790 the shoe is still highly recommendable since it is good for both indoor and outdoor use. The cushioning for me is the highlight of the shoe, as it gave me the impact protection that I needed. I would have given this a better rating in the fit department if I have gotten my right size so it is really, really important that you get the right size for you to enjoy them. For me, the shoe offers a perfect balance of everything and is highly recommendable if you are looking for a bang for your buck shoes.  These are still available in various SM Stores and Li Ning stores.

Analykix Grade: 4.15/5