.:SHOE REVIEWS:.

NIKE     [ Air Max Duncan II ] [ Air Futuristic ] [ Air Hyperflight ]
[ Air Jordan XVII ] [ Air Kidd ] [ Air Payton IV ] [ VC Shox ]

ADIDAS     [ ClimaCool ] [ KOBE TWO ] [ T-Mac ]

AND 1     [ Kg Select ] [ Silky Smooth ]

REEBOK     [ Answer V ] [ X-Beam Franchise ]

AIR PAYTON IV

The Nike Air Payton IV does a good job of reflecting Gary Payton's brash on-court style, but this glove certainly is not one size fits all.

by Professor K, posted March 1, 2002

After last year's diversion into technology driven MORF territory (see our review of the Nike Air Zoom GP III for more on Payton's previous shoe), Nike has returned to the concept of letting Gary Payton's game drive his shoe's specs. It's not that the Air Zoom GP III was a bad shoe, quite the contrary. But given its weight and spotty traction it was not a shoe that fit the Glove's game -- so much so that Payton only rarely wore the shoe.

The Nike Air Payton IV is a totally different story. While it certainly features its fair share of impressive technologies, the shoe is very much a reflection of Gary Payton's style and game. To start, the exterior of the Air Payton IV is much more distinctive and eye-catching than GP's previous shoe, better matching his high-profile on-court personality. But the similarities run much more than just skin deep and, like Payton the man, Payton the shoe backs up its style with plenty of substance.

Like any good guard-focused shoe should, the Nike Air Payton IV provides low-profile cushioning and excellent traction in a lightweight package. The cushioning was the first thing that I noticed upon first lacing up a pair of the Air Payton IVs. The full-length Zoom Air sockliner provides a springy response that I could feel at the forefoot and heel with every step. The feel is very similar to that provided by the Nike Air Flightposite III, but maybe just a bit softer.

Given the low-profile of the cushioning setup and the somewhat soft feel of the Zoom Air sockliner, I would not recommend the Air Payton IV to heavier players. I think there's a good chance that the cushioning would "bottom out" for heavy folks, particularly at the forefoot. Lighter or average weight guards, however, will love the low-to-the-court feel of the Air Payton IV as well as its springy feel. Considering that Gary Payton is light for his size (180 lbs at 6'4"), this makes a lot of sense.

Another thing that guards will love is the traction provided by the Air Payton IV's two-piece outsole. It felt great right out of the box and through all five of my test wearings. I could cut and make quick stops without ever worrying about slipping or sliding on the court (though the inner of the shoe is a different story -- more on this later). The prominent grooves carved into the outsole also allowed my foot to flex just where it wanted to, making the shoe feel more like an extension of my foot than a piece of equipment strapped onto it.

The Air Payton IV is also a very comfortable shoe. It employs an inner-bootie system very similar to that of the Air Jordan XVI, keeping exposed seams and stitching in the inner to an absolute minimum. The inner is also lined with Lycra, which is very smooth and helps to wick perspiration away from the foot. But there are some things about the fit of the Air Payton IV that are a bit peculiar.

First is the footbed, which is much flatter than in any other Nike hoops shoe that I've worn. And, since the Zoom Air sockliner is not removable, people who need a lot of support at the midfoot and/or arch don't have many options. For most this probably won't be a big issue, but it's something to look out for if you have flat feet or require custom orthotics.

What was a big issue for me was the narrowness of the shoe at the forefoot. The Air Payton IV has a narrow cut and since the synthetic upper does not stretch, the shoe will stay narrow. I tried loosening the laces, but it didn't do much to reduce the pain I was feeling at my forefoot and had a negative impact on the fit of the shoe. The cut of the Air Payton IV runs close to the similarly narrow Air Flightposite III. This was a big disappointment to me because it meant that the two hoops shoes that incorporate Nike's best implementation of Zoom Air are both too narrow for me to wear comfortably. I would guess that anyone with a foot width wider than E will experience some pain when wearing the Air Payton IV. Those with narrow feet, I envy you! Those with wide feet, remember that the upper of this shoe will not stretch, so don't buy the Air Payton IV thinking that it will eventually become comfortable.

The curious thing was that, even though the Air Payton IV was too narrow for me at the forefoot, it did not keep my foot locked in place within the shoe. While there wasn't a tremendous amount of internal movement, I could occasionally feel my feet sliding around within the shoe on sharp lateral movements and hard stops. This wasn't a big problem for me, but it was a bit of a surprise given the width issue.

One last area that I'll comment on before summing up is stability. Even though the Air Payton IV incorporates a carbon fiber spring plate, it's quite flexible at both the forefoot and midfoot. I expected that this would negatively impact on-court stability, but, in my testing, I was happy to find that it did not. I think that this is due in large part to the large support structures that run along both the lateral and medial sides of the shoe. They are similar in appearance to the support structures incorporated into the Nike Air Hyperflight, but on the Air Payton IV they do a much better job of stabilizing the foot and keeping it upright -- even through sharp lateral cuts. Thus, even though the shoe does not provide all that much in the way of ankle support, I was never concerned that I would roll my ankles, which is a good thing.

So, to sum up, the Nike Air Payton IV has a lot of positives, but it's definitely not for everyone. If you are a light to average-weight guard who has narrow feet and does not need much midfoot or arch support, the Air Payton IV is a great choice. If, on the other hand, you're on the heavy side, or have wide feet, or need a lot of midfoot/arch support, the Air Payton IV is not a very good choice. It's too bad that the shoe has such limited appeal because there's a lot to like about it, particularly the super responsive and low-profile cushioning. Anyone who's on the borderline between the two profiles I've outlined above should make sure to try carefully before you buy.




Who's Worn It
Gary Payton (G- Seattle Sonics)

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