Performance review: AND 1 Empire Mid.

Long known for their streetball roots, AND 1 comes correct with a hardwood-worthy performance beast in the Empire. Can it be the shoe that brings AND 1 back into the discussion? Take a seat and enjoy the ride…

When AND 1 came out in 1993 they were a t-shirt company known for “trash talk” tees and a no color, no face mascot simply named “The Player.” With slogans like “Call me the bus driver — I took you to school” and “Here is you collar — you just got dogged,” they were seen as brash, outlandish, and obscene, which meant I LOVED them. After years of ups and downs, the company has revamped their performance line and given us the Empire Mid, combining the L2G “Low 2 The Ground” cushioning system with a smooth, well designed upper. I can say AND 1 is back in the game.

I was given a choice of colors on this shoe and to be honest, yellow was NOT first. However, once I saw the pictures online, I had to grab them just for the shock factor. It just seemed right to go for in-your-face for a rebirth of the brand, and nothing could be more in your face than bright yellow. And I was right. They lit the room up when I opened the box. I could not have been happier. The first feature to immediately put hands on was the visible air bubble. I know, another company is well known for having those in their shoes. The air here is not the story, though, but merely a window to the technology. The L2G cushioning inside is the deal, and it is real. The upper is made of a high-grade synthetic latticework placed over a wide-celled mesh, and further fortified by TPU overlays in important stress points (around lace holes, lateral support on forefoot, ankles). The outsole is a one-piece rubber, thick and sticky. I wore the Empire Mid on court before I even got home that night and I have never, EVER had a shoe get as many I-want-those-when-do-they-come out comments. So much for being too bright. But how did they perform while breaking necks? That is the key…

When I slipped my foot in for the first time, I quickly figured out something very important: no-show socks are a no-go. I normally wear socks lower than the ankle height of the shoe but I had to change immediately with these. It wasn’t a big deal. The inner ankle is lined in a rougher mesh that really holds the foot in place and minimizes any heel slippage that might occur. Once I picked out a pair of socks that came just to the top of the shoe, I was good. I was initially worried about the higher collar cut. You may notice the lower cut around the ankle, which normally would lead to an increase in mobility. The rise on the heel would seem to negate this but I found it really helped in heel lockdown and fit. Lacing up, I found the forefoot to be a bit wider than normal. That was my only real problem with the shoe. I love a shoe tight but the forefoot bunched at the first lace hole when I pulled them as tight as I usually do. This created a hot spot right above my big toe joint, which was chafed for the first two wears. Eventually the spot broke in and the rubbing subsided. Just be aware if you have narrow feet as this could be a problem.

Note the lower ankle and higher Achilles. And our old “Player” friend…

I could really feel the overlays and TPU wraps when I laced these bad boys tight. Just feeling the upper when only in hand, there is a “Flywire” feel to the shoe – pliable, flexible, and not very supportive. However, once pulled up on foot, my shoe felt like it was wearing a full-body seatbelt. I had no issues with movement anywhere in the Empire Mid. There is an actual, perceptible feel of the TPU chassis pulling the foot down into the midsole to make the ride feel even lower. Just trying to roll my foot over when standing still was task. I could not get my foot to even dare to lean far enough to injure.