It’s said that absolute power corrupts absolutely and, after two weeks with the Nike Shox VC II, I can say that I agree…absolutely. I definitely didn’t want to go back to life without it.

by Professor K, posted December 13, 2002

Basketball is a funny game. You can spend hours in the gym working on your shot, running through drills, and lifting weights, but when it comes down to making the big play at crunch time none of those things matters as much as what’s in your head. For such a physical game it’s remarkable how much of basketball is psychological. Don’t get me wrong, you can’t sit around filling out crossword puzzles and expect your game to improve, but in the NBA — which is full of exceptional athletes — the thing that sets the great players apart from the good players is the big wrinkled lump that takes up the space between our ears.

The funny thing about the brain is that it’s so damn mysterious. Why is it that on some days we are completely unstoppable and on other days can’t hit a shot to save our lives? Why do guys like Shaq and Tim Duncan, who hit free throws with ease in practice, put up bricks during the regular season…only to dramatically improve in the post season? Why does Robert Horry always seem to hit the big three in the clutch? Back in the 1997 finals, how was Michael Jordan able to lead all scorers with 38 points and hit a clutch three-pointer to take game five against the Jazz — all while on the edge of physical collapse due to a stomach virus? Back in the 2000 Olympics, how the hell was Vince Carter able to jump completely over a standing 7′2″ Frenchman? Was it the shoes? Hmmm, let me think about that for a minute…no. But for us mere mortals something as simple as the right pair of shoes can make a big psychological difference and proof of this came to me in the form of the Nike Shox VC II.

figure 1. This shot of the Nike Shox VC II provides a clear look at the shoe’s unique outsole design. The outsole provided good traction so long as it was kept clean, but I don’t think that traction is quite at the level of the original Nike Shox VC.

The VC in Shox VC II is for the aforementioned Vince Carter and the II indicates that this is his second signature shoe from Nike. The original Shox VC was a remarkably good performance shoe so I had high hopes for the Shox VC II. I’m glad to say that I was not disappointed; my testing of the Shox VC II left me more than impressed. But the Shox VC II is not an evolution of the original Shox VC as you might assume from its name. It is very much its own shoe with its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. It has a fit and feel all its own and provides a very different feel underfoot. This means that some who liked the original Shox VC may not like the Shox VC II. It also means that those who couldn’t get accustomed to the feel of the original shoe should not dismiss this latest offering without trying it on for size. Call it a gut feeling, but something tells me that the Shox VC II is going to be an extremely popular shoe. Here’s why…

When I first stepped into the Shox VC II the word that immediately came to mind was “damn.” Not damn meaning bad, but damn meaning good as in “damn, this shoe feels good!” This was a bit of a surprise to me because the Shox VC II features a seemingly simple upper. Unlike the original Shox VC, the VC II does not employ an inner-bootie or an elastic outer shroud. Instead, the VC II makes-do with a fairly standard hidden eye-stay lacing system and a traditional tongue.

The inner of the Shox VC II is somewhat unique, though, in that it’s fully lined from front to back — even the base of the tongue is lined. This means that there are no exposed or raised seams within the shoe. There is some exposed stitching, but it’s all completely flush against the inner and is kept away from any areas where it could cause chafing. One nice design touch that I noticed before putting on the Shox VC II is that its sockliner is lined with the same dimpled elastic mesh material that lines the shoe’s inner walls. This gives the entire inner a unified look, as though it’s all fashioned out of one seamless piece of material. I think that’s probably also the best way to describe how the inner felt; as though it was one piece of material wrapped around my foot. Usually only shoes with an internal bootie provide this sort of one-piece feel, but somehow Nike managed to achieve it sans bootie in the Shox VC II.

figure 2. This shot of the Nike Shox VC II provides a good look at the revised Shox system employed at the heel and midfoot of the shoe. Note that the columns at the heel and midfoot are grouped in pairs. Note also the large, highly sculpted TPU impact distribution plate, which doubles as an externalized heel counter at the rear of the shoe. In addition to distributing and dispersing impact forces, the structure helps to give the shoe a super-stable, locked down feel at the heel.

This is one of the biggest differences between the Shox VC II and its predecessor. The original Shox VC featured a full-length internal fit sleeve (i.e. a full-length bootie) which coddled the foot and gave the shoe a super comfortable sock-like feel. An elastic shroud was then stretched over the fit sleeve to provide an added measure of support for the entire foot. I absolutely loved the feel that this combo provided, but apparently a lot of people felt that the Shox VC provided an overly snug fit. My personal feeling is that this is because a lot of people have become accustomed to wearing ill fitting shoes, but the bottom line is that it turned some people off to the shoe.

With the non-bootie-based design of the Shox VC II Nike has addressed this issue. The fairly standard hidden eye-stay lacing system and tongue provide a more “normal” feel, and yet the shoe still manages to provide extremely high levels of comfort and fit — a neat trick. The more conventional upper also makes it possible to wear the Shox VC II loose while off-court and locked down while on-court, a measure of flexibility that many will appreciate. This is one of the reasons why I think the Shox VC II is going to be very popular.

Another reason is the shoe’s cushioning, which is, to put it mildly, insanely good. The Shox VC II is the first shoe from Nike to employ full-length Shox. The original Shox VC featured Shox columns at the forefoot and heel, but, since the shoe had a raised midfoot, there were no Shox columns at the midfoot of the shoe. With the Shox VC II Nike has gone whole hog and placed Shox columns along the full-length of the shoe. But this doesn’t mean that the company simply added a few more columns under the midfoot — the full-length Shox system employed in the Shox VC II is substantively different from any previous implementation of Shox.

figure 3. Here’s a shot of the Nike Shox VC II after seven test wearings. As you can see, the synthetic upper shows only minimal wear. It’s a fairly safe bet that the shoe will hold up very well over time, particularly the cushioning setup, which will outlast traditional EVA-based midsoles by a wide margin.

The most obvious difference is in the shape of the Shox columns. In all of Nike’s pre-existing Shox-based hoops shoes the heel Shox columns are cylinders that are canted slightly outwards such that the Shox system is widest at the base of the shoe. This outward cant is unique to the hoops implementations of Shox and is meant specifically to maximize stability, which it does extremely well. In contrast, the running, cross training, and walking implementations of Shox all feature straight columns that are designed to maximize energy retention and return (thought they’re not too shabby in the stability department either). Another feature unique to the hoops implementations of Shox is the elastic band wrapped around each heel column. The purpose of the band is to limit the compressability of the columns, thereby preventing the system from “bottoming out.” Given the density of the Shox columns this might seem like an excessive measure, but I think that the engineers at Nike figured that it would be better to be safe than sorry — particularly when you consider the size and power of players in the NBA these days.

The Shox VC II takes a completely different approach to the columns at the heel and midfoot and represents the first major change in the hoops implementation of the technology since Shox was introduced two years ago. The columns at the heel and midfoot of the Shox VC II are not canted outwards and are not encircled by the aforementioned elastic bands. In fact, the Shox columns at the heel and midfoot are no longer individual columns at all, but instead constructed in pairs (see figure 2). Yet the columns in each pair group are not identical (I know, this is getting complicated, but bear with me), they are each molded a little bit differently to allow each column to deform in very specific ways during the various modes of heelstrike. And finally, it’s hard to be sure whether it’s due to their revised geometry or to a tuning of the Shox material (or perhaps both), but the columns at the heel and midfoot of the Shox VC II felt softer to me than in previous Shox implementations.

The columns at the forefoot, on the other hand, do follow along the same basic principles as previous Shox-based hoops shoes. They are set off as individual columns and are canted outwards such that they’re widest at the base of the shoe. As far as I can tell there are 19 columns at the forefoot of the Shox VC II; three rows of five and one row of four at the front-most part of the forefoot, though it’s possible that there’s one more row of columns hidden behind the wedge of polyurethane at the front of the shoe. Including the columns at the heel and midfoot the shoe has a total of 27 columns. Sitting between each of those columns and the wearer’s foot is a full-length impact distribution plate and sitting on top of that from the midfoot on forward is a thin Phylon midsole. Just thinking about the complexity of bringing all of these elements together from an engineering perspective gives me a headache, but, incredibly, it all works together and works together seamlessly.

figure 4. This shot of the Nike Shox VC II provides a good look at the thickness of the midsole at the forefoot. Court feel at the heel and midfoot is actually quite good, but it’s not so good at the forefoot. High fliers and big players will welcome the added impact protection, but small, agile guards may prefer a shoe that’s lower to the ground.

Case in point; the Shox VC II has the sweetest heel-to-toe transition that I’ve ever felt in a hoops shoe. I don’t think I’ve ever called out heel-to-toe transition in any of my reviews before. This is, in part, because you don’t really do a lot of heel-to-toe running while playing hoops and because no shoe has ever struck me as being particularly special in this regard. But there’s a first time for everything and the Shox VC II is the first hoops shoe I’ve tested that provides a stand-out heel-to-toe transition feel. The first time I noticed it was on a breakaway layup. When I take it to the basket I’m usually on the balls of my feet for every step — that is until my last step when I let my heel strike first so I can use the heel-to-toe transition to maximize the conversion of my forward momentum into upward momentum. When I did this on the last step of my breakaway layup the Shox VC II just sort of blew my mind. It’s hard to explain, but it felt so natural and at the same time sort of supernatural, so much so that I actually thought that I was going to get high enough to dunk (I didn’t, but that has more to do with my legs than the shoes).

This is where the whole psychology thing that I mentioned at the start of this review comes into play. The Shox VC II made me think that I could do things that I don’t normally think I can do. I mean, I know I can’t dunk, but the Shox VC II made me feel like I just maybe, possibly could. The shoe’s incredible impact protection and super-stable feel also allowed me to play with reckless abandon. I could feel myself going a little bit harder for every rebound and taking it a little bit stronger to the basket on every drive. Of course the shoe couldn’t make me a better rebounder or a better player for that matter, but it did give me the confidence I needed to play to the best of my abilities.

The Shox VC II does, however, have a few weaknesses. First, the thickness of the midsole at the forefoot means that the Shox VC II does not provide much in the way of court feel. If you’re an active guard who likes to cut and slash to the basket with regularity you’ll probably prefer a shoe that keeps your forefoot closer to the ground such as the Nike Zoom Flight Turbine. The Shox VC II is also on the heavy side at 19.3 ounces in a U.S. men’s size 11 (though it’s lighter than the Nike Shox Stunner). Finally, the material that lines the sockliner (the same material that I praised above for matching the rest of the inner) came unglued along the edges of the sockliner in both the left and right shoe after just my first wearing. It never became fully detached, but this was a bit of a disappointment in what is otherwise a beautifully constructed and manufactured shoe.

figure 5. Whenever I look at this shot of the Shox VC II one word always comes to mind; “Yum!” This shoe means business.

Speaking of beauty, I don’t usually comment on the design of the shoes that I test, but I wanted to share a few observations about the design of the Shox VC II. First, I think the shoe looks great, particularly in the black/black – metallic silver colorway that I tested. Judging by the number of people who commented positively on the shoe’s looks I’m not alone in thinking this. The mix of shades of black and of shiny and matte materials gives the Shox VC II a wonderfully subdued and elegant look. This is no small feat given that the very technical looking full-length Shox system is such a dominant visual feature. According to Sole Provider the inspiration for the Shox VC II was a Bentley, which is fitting given that Bentley’s are all about blending elegance and performance technologies. For those who aren’t familiar with the company, Bentley is essentially the performance division of Rolls Royce (fyi: Bentley and Rolls will be going their own separate ways in the near future, but I won’t go into that here). To give you an idea of the level of performance I’m talking about, in top-spec Arnage T form a 5,500+ pound Bentley can go from 0 – 60 in 5.5 seconds, which is two-tenths of a second faster than a Porsche Boxster S that weighs nearly half as much. The amazing thing is that, while sitting inside the car doing upwards of 170 mph, you’ll still feel like you’re riding in a Rolls. And that’s pretty much the profile of the Shox VC II — wicked performance in a shoe that feels über comfortable and manages to convey a timeless elegance.

A few final notes on the Shox VC II before wrapping up. Thanks to the full-length Shox system the Shox VC II provides excellent support at the midfoot and particularly at the arch. Some people might feel a little soreness at the lateral side of the midfoot on the first wearing of the shoe, but this should go away within a few minutes of wear (the soreness is nowhere near as severe as the break-in soreness that wearers of the Nike Shox BB4 will be familiar with). The Shox VC II also provides excellent support and protection at the ankle. The shoe includes a monkey paw structure on its medial side to prevent ankle inversion and the structure seems more robust than in previous incarnations. Lastly, the Shox VC II’s outsole provides good traction so long as it’s kept clean. Strangely, the rubber on the outsole didn’t squeak — even when wet — and I wouldn’t describe it as being glue-like, but it did do a good job of keeping me connected to the court.

figure 6. One last look at the Nike Shox VC II. The shoe’s simple lines give it an elegant, timeless look — even with the visually dominating full-length Shox system at the midsole. The great thing about the design is that it makes the shoe look like a singular, coherent whole rather than an upper glued onto a midsole. Also worth noting is the “VC” logo stiched into the medial side of the Shox VC II’s inner (it’s partially obscured in the shot above). When viewed from the right angle the logo is visible through the notch carved into the lateral side of the shoe, a nice touch.

To sum up, the Shox VC II is a more than worthy successor to the original Shox VC. With a full-length Shox system and a substantively modified column design at the heel and midfoot, the shoe provides incredible levels of impact protection and extremely good stability. Smaller guards might prefer a lighter shoe that provides better court feel, but high flying guards and mobile big men will find a lot to love about the Shox VC II. In addition to class leading impact protection and stability, the shoe provides excellent comfort, fit, and support. Protection at the ankle is also top-notch and no hoops shoe I’ve tested to date can match the VC II’s sweet heel-to-toe transition feel. It’s certainly pricey at $150, but the Shox VC II is one of those rare shoes that can actually boost your confidence on-court. The Shox system should also hold up far longer than traditional EVA-based midsoles.

Call me crazy, but I believe that at some point in the future the Shox VC II will be the first Shox-based hoops shoe to be retroed by Nike. Of course, if and when that happens no one will remember this review, but I do think that people will remember the Shox VC II.

Who’s Worn It
Vince Carter (G/F- Toronto Raptors), Antonio Davis (F/C- Toronto Raptors), Lindsey Hunter (G- Toronto Raptors)

Nike Shox VC II Review Update
by Professor K, posted February 28, 2003

Same great shoe, hot new colorway. That’s the bottom line on the Shox VC II in white/varsity red – sport red. If you craved the performance of the Shox VC II, but stayed away because of an aversion to black shoes, this is what you’ve been waiting for.

This latest release of the Shox VC II provides the same excellent performance as the original. The materials used for the upper are slightly different, but the only substantive difference is the color combination that, as you can see from our photos, is very eye-catching.

figure 7. The substantial heel counter and Shox system of the Nike Shox VC II give the shoe a wonderfully aggressive look, particularly when viewed from the rear as shown above.

Now, I don’t usually talk about running shoes, but I think the Nike Shox TL deserves some mention here because, like the Shox VC II, it employs full-length Shox. The Shox TL is, in fact, the first running shoe from Nike to employ full-length Shox and I think that it, more than any other Shox-based shoe released to date, most fully realizes the potential of Shox technology. As is visible in figure 9a & b, the shape of the Shox columns differs significantly from one side of the shoe to the other, though you can’t even really call the structures at the forefoot of the Shox TL “columns” because they curve wildly (but since I can’t think of any better way to refer to them I’ll keep calling them columns).

figure 8. What I like about the white/varsity red – sport red colorway of the Nike Shox VC II is that it’s highly distinctive without sacrificing the design’s inherent elegance, a combination that I think really shines through in this profile shot.

But shape of the columns is not all that differs — they also vary tremendously in density. The reason is that each column is specifically tuned to account for the way that the foot interacts with the ground as it transitions from heel-strike to toe-off. In concept this is similar to Nike’s Tuned Air-based cushioning system. Functionally, however, the feel provided by the full-length Shox in the TL is very different. I’m not a serious runner (except on the hardwood), but I do run for conditioning and have worn running shoes from a variety of manufacturers including Nike, and none of them can come close to matching the cushioning feel provided by the Shox TL. Not only did the TL take the edge off of impacts, it provided an incredibly sweet heel-to-transition feel that made me feel like I was just floating along. The upper also provided terrific support and was extremely well vented (it was actually a bit too well vented for outdoor running in Chicago in the winter).

figure 9a & b. Shown here is the Nike Shox TL, the first running shoe from Nike to employ full-length Shox. As you can see in the photos, the shape of the Shox columns is significantly different from one side of the shoe to the other. Read the full text of our review update for more on the Shox TL.

As a shoe geared towards neutral runners the Shox TL isn’t for everyone, but if you fit the profile and aren’t afraid to wear a shoe that’ll become a conversation piece on every run, the TL is a great choice. And lest you think that my positive impression of the shoe is only due my lack of hard-core running experience, the Shox TL was named an “Editor’s Choice” in Runner’s World’s Spring 2003 Shoe Buyer’s Guide.

figure 10. A last look at the white/varsity red – sport red colorway of the Nike Shox VC II. What’s remarkable about the shoe’s design is that it manages to make something that is insanely complex look deceptively simple.

Both the Shox VC II and Shox TL prove that Nike’s Shox technology provides compelling advantages. Not only in terms of impact protection, tuned cushioning, stability, and heel-to-toe transition feel, but also in terms of durability. The polyurethane used for the Shox columns is very durable and will hold up a good deal longer than traditional foam-based midsole materials. Whether that justifies their steep price tags (both the Shox VC II and Shox TL retail for $150) is ultimately up to you, but I’m fairly certain that those who fit the profile for the Shox VC II and Shox TL will think they’re worth every cent.

Nike Shox VC II Review Update 2
by Professor K, posted June 30, 2003

The Nike Shox VC II is being offered in one last colorway and oh what a colorway it is; a combo of white and metallic silver, with just a few hints of chrome. This is the best sort of bling — tasty instead of tawdry, beautiful instead of blatant, and straight up gorgeous instead of gaudy…at least that’s my opinion.

figure 11a & b. Here are two views of the Nike Shox VC II in white/metallic silver – chrome. I know design tastes are subjective, but this shoe’s design is so pure and so classic that I just can’t see how anyone could not be drawn to it based on looks alone. The kicker, though, is that it provides performance to match.

Now, I know design tastes are subjective and that some may prefer more shine, but it would be tough for anyone to argue with the Nike Shox VC II’s on-court performance. If you’re nitpicking you might call out the shoe’s weight and less than stellar court feel at the forefoot. But complaining about those issues would be akin to frowning on the Mercedes SL55 AMG because it lacks seating for four. Like the SL55, the Shox VC II is not for everyone, but if you’re a high-flyer or simply a big player who needs the ultimate in cushioning, support, stability, comfort, and fit, it doesn’t get much better than this.

figure 12. Here’s one last look at the Nike Shox VC II in its most recently released and last colorway; white/metallic silver – chrome.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I think the Shox VC II will be the first Shox-based hoops shoe to be retroed by Nike — even before the Shox BB4. Why? Because the design is so pure and so classic. There’s no doubt in my mind that it will withstand the test of time and look as hot eight – 10 years from now as it does today, particularly in black/black/metallic silver and this white/metallic silver – chrome colorway.