Performance review: BALL’N All Out.

Out of nowhere, BALL’N goes All Out with a new cushioning technology and an eye-catching design. Did they throw down or airball?

BAAAAAALLLLL’NNN… I can’t help it. Every time I see the logo or hear the name, I have to say or at least think it. Maybe lame, but also kinda fun. And that is exactly what I love about this shoe – it is F-U-N. Sometimes I love this gig, and this shoe is every reason for it. From the design – nubuck and patent; clear outsole; carbon shank; thick, old-school collar padding; and straight-forward packaging. I used to always read Professor K on the now defunct shoe review website Kicksology, and he always talked about “fun” shoes. Shoes that fit well, are cushioned well, and worked well. That describes the Ball’N All Out perfectly.

First things first, at least the box is different. Utilizing the slide out drawer that I first saw on the Nike Zoom LeBron IV, it is still simple cardboard, but just the little slide detail adds some personality. As soon as I saw the shoe, I loved it. Again, the nubuck/patent combination works well to break up the monotone “Cool Grey” colorway. The only exposed stitching is on the toecap – every other seam is turned under and has no visible thread-lines. The logo, although rather sparkly in the pictures, is also grey and blends in well on the collar, drawing only minimal attention. As soon as I saw the outsole, I was concerned. The grooves in the clear gum are not very deep, which usually leads to slip-sliding across the court. Trust me, we will come back to that in MUCH detail. I was very pleasantly surprised by the use of carbon fiber for the shank, as it usually only appears on high-end Nike or Jordan models. This immediately let me know that Ball’N is trying to add as much value as possible for the consumer.

Smart foam. What will they think of next…

The biggest draw of the shoe, for me at least, was the curiosity about the d3o cushioning. I first heard about the technology during the Winter Olympics, as it was used by the British Ski team as padding for the ski suits to protect from impacts and falls. Basically, it is… well, I’ll let the manufacturer d3o tell it in their own words: “The functionality of the raw material originates from the synergistic effects of the polymer based dilatants. Energy is distributed throughout the synthetic elastomeric polymer and the enhanced chemistry continues to distribute energy on throughout the matrix, significantly reducing the effect of impact.” So essentially, it is an “intelligent” elastomer. It is soft and pliable when under normal forces and impacts, but when traumatized or pressured it stiffens and rebounds (watch this video of Ball’N founder Rodney Jeter hitting his hand with a hammer to show off the unique properties of d3o). All right, enough techno-jumbo, let’s get at it…

When I put the Ball’N All Out on for the first time, I forgot one VERY important thing: loosen the laces ALL THE WAY. The toe is cut moderately narrow, and my foot is a little wide, and I thought they were the wrong size. I was a little upset, because the shoes look so nice. However, just a little tug here and pull there and all was good. The FAT ankle padding feels great on my feet. Dense memory foam is good, and I love lows as much as the next player, but sometimes I crave the old-school mid-top 90’s era padding, and these don’t disappoint. The lacing system is very simple – straight up and down and set fairly narrow as well, so pulling as tight as possible is not necessary for the best fit. The seam at the patent/nubuck toe is exposed on the interior, but I experienced no chafing or rubbing what-so-ever during my three weeks of wear testing. The heel is another point of interest. Where most companies are cutting the Achilles notch low to allow for range of motion, Ball’N added a padded heel notch for a better fit and reduction of heel slip. And it works well. After a few minutes of uncomfortable running up and down, the notch “broke in” and felt fine. I had started off in Nike Elite quarter socks, but by the end of the testing I was back in my trusty no-shows with no problems. It does have a bit of a funny look on the foot. The ankle is WAY wider in appearance than the toe, lending to a snow-ski look, but nothing I can’t get over.

Continue to Page 2 of the BALL’N All Out performance review…