Nike Hyperdunks

Ballin' Ain't Easy.

What's good shoeheads? I know you're all still floating in outer space after my last post on the Space Jams, but I gotta reel you back in on a shoe that's NOT a Jordan brand. Presenting to you, the Nike Hyperdunks first release! As you all know, I love to ball, but I gotta have the right shoe that fits my game and is extremely comfortable. Eerily similar to the Huarache series, the Hyperdunks debuted in 2008 with a very similar style. I loved the high-top design and overall look of the shoe. This was also the introduction of the flywire technology that made the shoe light, flexible, but able to keep its shape under pressure. They fit like a glove and meld to my feet to give me ultimate response time and fantastic grip. Been playing in these for years, and have even bought the 2013 Hyperdunks, which will debut in a later post. Lucky for you guys, this will be a double post! The black ones I kept for style (which one of two first colorway releases), and the blues are the ones I actually balled in (team color release). Please enjoy!

Suede toe.

Look at all that flywire.

Can never have enough flywire.

The midnight blues is what I call them.

High-top system is my favorite.

Tremendous grip.

Flawless.

New shoe, new legacy, new hope

Even though the Hyperdunks only debuted in 2008, they hold a tremendous spot in Nike lore. Debuting in 2008, this was the first time the world saw the flywire technology, which allows the shoe to be lightweight, but keep its shape under duress. The lunarlite cushioning also made its debut in this shoe, which allows the shoe to be lighter and more responsive. But with every great shoe, there has to be a great player that stands behind it. In the summer of 2008, the U.S. wanted to prove that Olympic gold was the only metal that belonged around the necks of the best. Deemed the "Redeem Team", Kobe Bryant was undeniably the heart and soul of that team. Tearing up the world in the Hyperdunks, Kobe saved his best performance for last during the Gold Medal game against Spain, where he took over in the 4th and forever cemented the Hyperdunks in shoe history. Please see below.

Team USA middle school basketball roster picture.

Photoshoot in front of the statue of liberty.

Don't sweat the technique.

Doing work.

Kobe silencing the world before potentially converting a 4-point play during the Gold Medal game against Spain.

Showing the kids (Lebron, DWade, Melo) how it's done.

Basketball at it's finest.

Maybe it's the shoes?

In case you think you've seen these shoes before, it might've been during Kobe's commercial where he supposedly jumped over an Aston Martin. Again it's fake, but it definitely pushed up the hype and made people think Kobe was superhuman. Please see the video below.