Best Foot Forward: Rajon Rondo's RR1 by Anta

Hi everyone! I'm back again. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas celebration. With all the different shoes out there in the market, I'm sure there other other brands that makes you wonder if they really can catch up with the big brands that you are more familiar with. Well, here is a brand that you often see in shelves and I am going to provide you with some initial thoughts in today's Best Foot Forward segment: Rajon Rondo's signature shoe with Anta.

We all know that Rondo used to wear Nike back then. What made him switch brands? Is it comfortable for him to wear Anta shoes given the type of skill set he has?

Well for the first question, well personally I think the offer is good enough to place him on a better spot. Nike had their flag bearers and these players carry the brand on their shoulders. So with Rondo on a different brand, I think this is a good place for him since it would put him on a similar spot like Nike's big 3. We all know Rondo's resume, being a champion in Boston, his stats, and all. Anta is really treating him good by giving him a signature shoe since he really could back it up (same with KG who is also with Anta).

Now, let's go to the shoe itself. The shoe's upper is mainly made up of synthetic materials which isn't new in the sneaker world today. With this, you can be assured that the shoe is pretty light and with the mesh panels in the toe area, adequate ventilation is present.

If you are value the cushioning like me, then it should be noted that cushioning is provided with a combination of EVA and their A-Jelly technology. If you don't know what A-Jelly brings to the table, then check out this video so at least you know what to expect. From the image above, you can see the A-Jelly material colored in green. This shoe was bought before Rondo's trade to the Mavs so we still don't know if Anta could make their A-Jelly blue. I have seen it in black since A-Jelly is also used in KG's shoes so we will just have to wait.

I think the shoe's traction will be the highlight. You can see a multi-directional pattern on the outsole so I think it will cover most of your movements. It is made up of solid rubber and is thick enough to last outdoors.

These are all first impressions. This is just from a visual standpoint so I cannot tell them how would they play on court. I will be testing them in the next coming days and will be releasing a performance review so stay tuned to Analykix for the review.