BEST FOOT FORWARD: World Balance Scottie 1

 

What's up guys! I was fortunate enough to be sent a pair of the World Balance Scottie 1 a.k.a. Scottie Thompson's first signature shoe. World Balance really made this shoe look and feel like a signature shoe. Just from looking at the box, there are lots of goodies to check out from the words written inside to describing Scottie's journey, as well as some photos to somewhat chronicle starting from way back up to his professional career. Speaking of professional career, you can find the NSD letters on the side of the box as well as Digos City's area code which is his hometown.

Now for the main attraction, the shoes. The shoe looks very light and modern due to its material. The outer part of the upper is made from a synthetic material which may be comparable to a ripstop nylon fabric. Underneath is a knit material which is really conforms to your foot giving a sock-like fit. While it may be lightweight, there are ribbings on the knit material for structural support giving the stretchy areas a good amount of sturdiness. Fuse panels can be seen on the toe guard area as well as on the eyelet section of the shoe. These are considered high-wear areas, and adding this TPU material on it prevents the shoe from ripping when you yank the laces too tightly or during toe drags (toe guard). Other key techs found in the shoe are the TPU piece found on the lateral aspect of the shoe. World Balance is calling it lateral swaybar which gives stability to the feet during hard cuts or curls which for a guy like Scottie Thompson who is versatile in both the defensive and offensive end, this is very much welcome. Scottie's explosiveness will never be negated here, thanks to the cushioning which they are calling S-Ride. I was able to try it on feet and there is some bounciness to it. It feels responsive and I really can't wait to try them on court once basketball are permitted here in my place. I have a hunch that I am gonna love the cushioning on these. For sizing, you can either go with your EUR size but take not that it feels really snug so if you don't like too much snug fit, you can go one size higher especially if you like wearing thick sports socks or if you are wearing ankle brace. As for me, I think I would prefer to go one size higher just because I usually wear really thick socks for basketball. And while there might be more room or volume, I don't think it would be too much since the ankle and heel area is really padded so heel slips won't be too much of a problem. Maybe when it officially releases, I will try to purchase a pair and maybe do a quick comparison just from the fit aspect alone. For the outsole, a solid rubber was used with herringbone traction pattern. The rubber is thick enough which a lot of outside hoopers will appreciate. There are red sections  (circles) on the  outsole which according to World Balance has a more tacky consistency. Trying them on court in a real basketball game would be the best option to know its effectiveness so stay tuned here at analykix.com when I posted my performance review on these.

Retail price is Php 3,499 which is still very, very affordable considering it is a signature shoe, and have a lots of performance attributes. The shoe is scheduled to release this November so I suggest to follow World Balance's social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) for more news with regards to availability in stores. In the meantime you can check out the images below.