Air Max Uptempo 95

Jordan XX3 Low

AJF 3

Flight 95

Air Max Uptempo

OVERALL RATING:

7.9 / 10

Comfort:	8.5
Performance:	7.5
Cushioning:	8.6
Safety:	7
Weight:	7
Durability:	7.5
Style:	9

HIGHS: Great cushioning and comfort. The high quality upper and interior is a cushy sofa for your feet and the fit can be snug like a baseball glove. Styling is awesome and near-classic status. 8 years after its release, this shoe still sit on top of the luxury category.

LOWS: The ride is a bit too high for quicker guards. The trade-off for the cushioning is body-roll and being a tad too soft in extreme situations. Saftey at the ankle is also a concern.

VERDICT: The Golden Boy proves it still got it. After all these years, the Air Max Uptempo still holds its own in terms of comfort, performance and style. This is an all-around shoe for players who love great cushioning without giving up too much flexibility.

(Oct. 2003)

Today's generation probably remembers the Air Max Uptempo as Derek Fisher's shoes. The latest re-issue colorway is the white/gold/purple seen on Derek Fisher of the Los Angels Lakers for the past couple of seasons.

But let's get one thing straight right away: these are NOT just Fisher's shoes. The Air Max Uptempo is an icon in its own right. Numerous NBA Players rocked the 'Temp in assorted color combinations during the 90's. It was the #1 selling shoe of its time, a classic that soon became the standard by which all future basketball shoes were judged upon.

In Sole Providers, Scoop noted that these are "lace-for-lace, sole-for-sole, air cushion-for-air cushion the greatest on-court shoe ever made to play basketball in." Mighty strong words to endorse a shoe. We took out the retro (the box now names it the Air Max Tempo) for a test drive to see how it stacks up against today's competition.

The heat from the Air Max Uptempo starts from the very bottom. To even begin to understand the shoe, you got to first look at its soles. The simple and clean design is one of its kind. What may be a bunch of ovals actually come together to form one solid message: "Son, you are walking on Air Bubbles here".

That is the exact feeling you'll get when you put on the Uptempos. Remember, '95 was a time when a single Air Max bubble at the heel was a big deal. Well, these showed up with FOUR! Stretching from the rear to the front, it seems like Nike sure wanted you to know that every inch of your feet will be given the extra pillow treatment.

This lavishness allow you to indulge in the pinnacle of cushioning technology. But just how exactly does it compare with today's cushioning for example? We decided to take a quick comparison with one of the best cushioning shoes on the planet - the Air Foamposite Max, a shoe also with full-length Air Max cushioning.

In a back to back cushioning test, the Foamposite Max proves to be the firmer of the two. Its responsiveness is quicker and feedback more direct. The suspension is simply stiffer on the FP Max because it is a heavier shoe and designed for a heavier player. While the Uptempo can also be worn by big guys down low, its cushioning is very soft and luxurious-like. There's a much less break-in time for the Uptempo as it comes out of the box ready to go. It is also the better all around shoe, forwards and big guards can easily perform to their potential in the Uptempo. While the shoe may look like it sits high off the ground, it also fits very snug to the feet due to the lacing system and the feet sits alot closer to the ground than we had expect.

The cushioning on the FP Max may be more modern but it also feels like a Foamposite shoe built on top of an existing cushioning platform rather than act as one. The Uptempo on the other hand, feels more at home, its upper and full-length cushioning goes hand in hand for a great all-around feel.

The upper of the Air Max Uptempo is built with high quality leather. The lacing structure is a single pull up system, one tight tug on the laces and your entire feet gets locked down instantly. This is a great feature to maximize performance and fit during competiton. Yet if you loosen your laces, the shoe relaxes to focus on providing comfort and relief. The elastic bands in the middle of the shoe hold the shoes tight enough even when laces are undone. Such detail and innovation is just another reason why the Uptempo remained a fan favorite throughout the years.

So, what are the downsides? Well, all that richness come at a price. First, ankle support is something you may want to consider. Despite the high top, the highest loop of laces does not go high enough to give great ankle support. The ankle area is also relative soft and lacks reinforced support. This helps the upper to remain light-weight, but comes at the expense of safety.

To wrap it up, we think the design of the Air Max Uptempo is just magnificent. Every little detail, from the AIR that gets written along the lace row bands (ending with the swoosh at the very bottom row), to the subtle curves through out the side is done gracefully and elegantly. The style does not detract from the overall package in any way and its popular over the years has shown that the graceful lines have withstood the test of time.