Performance Review: World Balance Game Evolution

With brands having their own key techs to showcase their footwear, some of are caught up with these brands especially the more familiar ones a.k.a. the giant brands to the point of we do not step out of our comfort zone to explore other options. Well, I have tried homegrown brand, World Balance and now present you the performance review for the World Balance Game Evolution. For the Best Foot Forward or initial impression, you can check <HERE>. For the actual performance review, you can continue reading this blog post.

MATERIALS: 4.25/5 

Textile upper, that's the way to go!

Wow, textile upper. I mean, I know this is very usual nowadays. But for a local brand to explore this and incorporate in their performance kicks is very much appreciated. No break in time needed. Of course, there are other materials underneath to act as padding or for more structure. If you compare it to performance knit uppers from other brands, this still has a long way to go. But, World Balance is heading the right direction and who knows, we might see release performance knit uppers in the future. The upper is durable enough, didn't rip during my testing sessions. Aside from that aesthetically, I love this colorway and I've rocked this off court as well. The ribbing that run across the whole upper adds some texture and provide more structure as well so it is really good.

CUSHION: 3.5/5

Impact protection is mainly felt here in the heel area.

EVA foam. Stable enough, not that stiff.

This TerraSoft Insole gives additional layer of impact protection. Not that much, but it's okay.

The Game Evolution uses standard EVA foam. While I would prefer more cushioning, it isn't that bad. There are times where I would want more cushioning in the forefoot since I rely on it most of the time, but if you will just use this for quick or short ball game sessions or even shootarounds, you will be fine. More impact protection can be felt on the heel which is good. The TerraSoft insole adds additional layer of impact protection although not very dramatic, you really can't complain about it especially considering the pricepoint. If you love court feel, this is a good choice. For heavy players or those who want excellent impact protection, there are other kicks out there. But to tell you honestly, these aren't bad. It's just that I would prefer a bit cushioning especially for long basketball games like 2-4 hours. During the second hour, my legs and knees were starting to complain and that's where I start to hope that there could have been more cushioning.

TRACTION: 4.50/5 

I love the grip that I felt during the testing phase. Yes, it may gather some dust especially when the court has a lot of dust and debris, but the good is that it would still hold up and give you good floor grip. If you feel that there is some dust buildup underneath, then a quick wipe would do the trick. But I seldom do that in this shoe and I'm impressed. The shoe's pricepoint is low that most of us who bought this would likely trash them in outdoor courts and while the rubber looks durable enough, this could also be great for indoor use as well. The traction pattern is a combination of bladed traction and herringbone in some sections. It is multi-directional and it helps with covering different moves inside the curl, either it's curling from screens or even crossing someone else, you'll get a good grip from this. I have worn them casually as well because the look is appealing and I'm amazed that even though these were worn outside in a mall or in a park, the dirt/dust buildup wasn't a hindrance.

FIT: 4/5

This TPU piece right here takes care of heel lockdown.

I wish the outrigger could be wider.

If possible, please fit them in stores first. Sizing is tricky.

Fit is tricky. I wore usually a size 9 because I prefer some toe wiggle room. In a lowtop basketball shoe, I prefer size 8.5 to get a more secured fit because I don't usually wear lows for basketball. Sure that would sacrifice the wiggle room that I want. But between a tighter fit (or even an end-to-end fit) or potential injury because my feet was unstable inside, I would prefer a tight shoe. But for this particular model, I got a size 8 and still a tad bit of room in the toe area. I don't know about the fitting of their other performance models, but I highly recommend that you try them in stores. The support is pretty basic, so having the right size is critical. The base is flat which is good, there is an outrigger but I hope it is more pronounced so that the forefoot area is wider. It's just a personal preference that I would like to be implemented because I'm not really a fan of lowtops for balling. There is a TPU piece in the ankle area and while there are some padding in the ankle and Achilles area, I just felt that there should be more support pieces just for my peace of mind. It could add a bit more weight, but support is an important factor for me so that's why I am throwing these things out there. The material is soft, so players who really challenge the shoe's materials in terms of their movements like quick cuts, dishing out crazy crossovers, the shoe's basic support could be compromised. However, that's for top-caliber players and I think those people wouldn't rock this because those athletes would probably want more cushioning as well. But as I said earlier, for quick or casual games, you'll be fine.

PRICE: 4.5/5

For Php 2,199 these are a great deal. You get a good shoe that you can wear both indoors and outdoors, the look is nice with 3 more color options, I'm happy with this purchase. The shoe look also good casually. It is comfortable and it doesn't look cheap. The price is a good way to entice us Pinoy consumers to try local brands without spending too much. World Balance has are other models that are worth checking out like the Court Shooter and Court Dynasty that features lightweight materials and could be a good basketball shoe as well.

OVERALL: 4.15/5

In conclusion, the World Balance Game Evolution is a good shoe considering its budget-friendly price. I love the direction World Balance is heading and I'm also impressed with their latest designs particularly the Court Dynasty and Court Shooter (including this). Sure, there's still some room for improvement particularly in the cushioning department and maybe more support pieces. But in general, the shoe's performance exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend this shoe especially if you are on a tight budget and would like to wear a good basketball shoe. Also, supporting a local product is always good in the market, right? The shoe is available at various World Balance stores in malls either in department stores or even their own shoe boutique.

ANALYKIX RATING: GOOD BUY