Prof. K: I know this is pretty broad, but I figured I'd start with it: is there anything you've ever wanted to communicate to the shoeheads around the world?
Avar: That sounds too deep for me. [Laughs] We're just trying to do good stuff. Honestly, that's really all that it comes down to.

It kind of blows my mind at times that there is such a rich shoe culture out there.

Prof. K: Do you ever come to work and think "Holy crap — this is crazy...this whole place [the Nike World Headquarters] came about from shoes!"?
Avar: You know, I never really think that big picture. I mean, the campus is a trip...it's pretty amazing and big and what not, and it is, to your point, kind of amazing that this started with a shoe...Bill Bowerman fooling around with track shoes.

But we just come in and each day you just try to do your own thing...you try to make the best shoes and do good stuff. Everything else and the scope of things...it blows me away if I think about it, but I rarely think about it. You just try to do what you have to do.

Prof. K: This is something I've been asking everyone: do you have a favorite Kicksology.net review?
Avar: You know, I'd probably have to say — although it was one of the most negative reviews — the Hyperflight...

Prof. K: Jeff Johnson [Product Creation Director for Nike Basketball] picked that one too...
Avar: Did he?

Well, we knew we were doing a controversial kind of shoe and that it could be kind of niche. You know, sometimes we get kind of wrapped up internally in what we think things are, how we perceive things...sometimes we make things bigger than they are and sometimes we don't give things enough credit for what they are. So it was interesting because I just always felt like your reviews were, for the most part, entirely right on.

They were objective and to the point...I always enjoyed that and the site was just kind of a good barometer or gut check. You know, there's always a little bit of subjectivity...we don't always agree with what you say, but, for the most part, it's a pretty objective point of view on product.

So, even though your review of the Hyperflight wasn't the most positive review, it was a controversial shoe and — as opposed to just being a review that was right in the middle, like "eh, it was good...3 1/2, maybe 4 stars" — it was on one end of the spectrum.

It's the reviews that are either on one end of the spectrum or the other that are always the most interesting...that evoke that love/hate relationship.

I think it's that way with Jordan. Early on and to this day, Tinker has such a point of view where he'll be one or two steps ahead of where people's minds or expectations are. I think Tinker is always one step ahead of his time and it reflected in the product...sometimes it just took people a little time to catch up with him. But once they did, it's undeniable...it's just an awesome shoe, but it promotes this kind of love/hate relationship and we've seen that with a number of products.

So, as that reflects back to the reviews, it's even that much more interesting. [Since Jeff Johnson already picked the Nike Air Hyperflight as his favorite review, Eric Avar has picked my Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 review as his alternate favorite — see below for the full review]

Prof. K: Those are the ones that are most fun for me to write too, I hate the middle-of-the-road shoes...
Avar: It's good that you did something...obviously we didn't set out to make it a sucky shoe [Prof. busts out laughing]...we don't think it was a sucky shoe, it was a niche shoe.

We knew that from the beginning, you know, it's an 11-ounce, minus 11-ounce basketball shoe that's completely sleek and totally minimal. Only a few points guards could wear it and...I don't know if you know any of the history behind that shoe?

Prof. K: A little bit, but I'd love to hear it from you...
Avar: That was when Bill Bowerman [the legendary "teacher" of the University of Oregon track team and Co-Founder of Nike] had just passed away and I was actually working out in the gym [on campus] and I had wandered up to the top floor and they were setting up in the gym for Bill Bowerman's tribute the next day.

They had put together about a five minute video about Bill Bowerman and his life...it was very artfully, poetically put together...with music. So they were going through rehearsals for the next day...that video started and my first inclination was to run away so I could wait 'till the next day to see it. But it was voiced over by Phil Knight and there was music and it just immediately sucked me right in.

So I stood up there all by myself as they were going through rehearsal just kind of playing it and I watched the video and it was a very profound moment for me in my career at Nike...to just really kind of relive the spirit of Bill and what this company was really founded on.

And you see it through people like Tinker and a lot of other people here, but it was very profound and I just said to myself right there: "Okay, if Bill Bowerman were here, how would he design a basketball shoe?" It would be minimal, it would be light weight, it would be controversial...you know, and all those things. And that's what the Nike team set out to do.

The Hyperflight was not for everyone [Laughs], so that's why that's one of my favorite reviews.

Prof. K: But I think that's what makes Nike Nike — that both you and Jeff liked a negative review most...
Avar: We do thrive on competition.

I think it's just kind of inherent in Nike culture. We're just not happy with just trying to maintain the status quo...we want to make it better.

When it first came out, people were coming up to me and asking "Man, did you read Professor K's review?"

I'm like "No, how was it?" And the response was "Oh, man..."

I thought, it couldn't be that bad then I read it and, oh man, it was that bad! [Laughter]

Prof. K: Hey, I gave you guys love for trying...
Avar: No, you gave us credit for exactly what we were trying to do, but something like that always serves as motivation. You know, it's like when someone beats you at something...you just think "How can I make myself better?" And that's what Nike's all about...just trying to do good stuff and make it better all the time.

Prof. K: If it's alright, I'd like to touch back on Bill Bowerman passing away...it seems like, pretty soon, there's going to be a generational shift at Nike in terms of some of the people who started things here like Tinker and even Phil Knight. At some point they're going to move on and it seems like you guys...your "class" is going to have to move into their leadership positions. Do you ever think about that?
Avar: It's kind of like the scope of Nike that I mentioned a minute ago...I think other designers in my positions...well, I shouldn't really speak for them, but it's my gut feeling that we don't think of it that way.

You know, Tinker's Tinker...I just can't imagine Tinker not being here. But, if there is a lot that — in the meantime — I can learn from him...there isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something from him or try to make a point of learning something from him.

And it's not an effort of, like, "Oh, when he's gone..." There's just maybe a sense of responsibility to help keep that spirit alive. I think it's more about keeping that spirit alive. You can't ever replace anyone like Tinker, but you can learn from them and you can keep that spirit.

Prof. K: Something I heard Tinker talk about in another interview was that he's really changed his mindset in recent years from being really competitive — trying to design better shoes than anybody else — to being a teacher...that that's how he now finds fulfillment. Do you see yourself transitioning into that type of role as well?
Avar: Well...I might not be at the teacher, mentoring role that Tinker is, but I'm learning from that more all the time and I'm learning that every day from Tinker.

Probably more the role that I am playing is much more of a collaborative role within different project like the FREE project...really trying to branch out and work with different people, whether they be designers, engineers. The FREE project was very much in collaboration with Nike Sports Research Lab and people like Jeff Pisciotta [Senior Researcher, Nike Sports Research Lab], Tobie Hatfield [Senior Advanced Project Engineer, Nike Innovation Kitchen] and Kevin Hoffer [Senior Designer, Nike Innovation Kitchen].

It's not new...I mean, in design you always try to be collaborative and we talk about teamwork a lot...the basketball design team talks a lot about teamwork, it's always there. It's just even that much clearer or that much more of a sense of priority for me that this collaboration and team approach is just so, so critical to really do good stuff.

Prof. K: One thing that's always amazed me about Nike is that it's retained this small company culture of always pushing the envelope...usually when a company gets so big it gets slow and stops trying to innovate, but that hasn't happened at Nike. And I've felt that a lot of the reason for that has been people like you and Tinker who've really pushed the boundaries and forced the company to keep pushing boundaries. Do you worry about that at all...that, as the company continues to get bigger and financial pressure gets ever greater...
Avar: I apologize again...that's why I was half-an-hour late...I was fighting that exact battle. It's getting more difficult all the time and I believe that everyone — from top management all the way down — is committed to keeping that spirit alive. I believe people believe in it.

It just, realistically, gets more difficult...through size and Wall Street expectations and all of those types of things. It just becomes more difficult to maintain that smaller company kind of feel and that sense of risk. As you get much bigger that sense of risk...take the Hyperflight for instance, I still think we're a better company for doing that shoe than not doing that shoe. That's just one example...the FREE product, that's a risk, that's a huge risk, you know...

It does maybe become a little more difficult to think small. When you are smaller you have a greater sense of risk taking. But that goes back to that spirit...as long as you can try to keep that spirit alive and infuse that in people...hopefully, no matter how big you get, it may get a little more difficult, but you still have that.

I think that is one of the things that makes Nike...we manage to keep that alive.

Prof. K: How long have you been at Nike?
Avar: It'll 14 years in December.

Prof. K: Has your whole career in footwear been at Nike?
Avar: Well, I worked six months right out of school for adidas actually.

I did an independent study in my junior year — I went to school back East — and I graduated and they asked me if I wanted a job so I went for it...I was there about six months.

I always wanted to be at Nike though. It was more like "Oh man, I got a job right out of school!" I think it probably actually helped, even though I just had six months, you know, it was like "Hey, he's got a little experience, but he's still a little green..."

I mean, I was green as green could be... [Laughter]

Prof. K: Was it very different back then?
Avar: Yes and no.

Like I said, the company has definitely gotten bigger and more complicated, but that spirit is still alive and you still see it and find it in people every day.

Maybe you have to look for it a little more than you had to, but, you know, as an employee who was fortunate enough to grow up with a little bit of that, it's kind of also our responsibility to try to pass that along and keep that alive in our own way.

And I think working down in the [Innovation] Kitchen...which I can't believe reformed four years ago...it feels like when I first started at Nike...the same group.

You know, it's got the same amount of designers, so it is definitely kind of a throwback, which is good. Just the chance to work with some of the people down there...it's a great situation.

Prof. K: Switching gears a little bit, something I wanted to talk about was the power of design. There seem to be some clear examples of enlightened companies using design as a means to succeed in their line of business, be it you guys or Volkswagen or Apple or what have you, but they're the exception rather than the rule. Do you have any thoughts on why more business people don't view design as a strategic tool for business?
Avar: We kind of joke or say that, at the end of the day, product is king.

I don't care what the product is or what the industry is, if you do good product that serves a purpose, a function...one of the words I use or talk about or I certainly think about a lot in the design process is balance. That balance between art and science.

It's when you create that balance and that right mix — when something is beautiful and it serves a purpose and it functions...solves a problem — no matter what it is, I think people will be attracted to it. I think Apple is an excellent example that you cited.

So, at the end of the day, if you're strategic and do good stuff, that speaks louder than anything else.

Prof. K: Do you find that you have to find other ways to justify that to non-designers — business people basically — who are more worried about the financial aspects of products?
Avar: That's funny because we really do say product is king...at the end of the day, you do good product and you put it out on the table and it works and it sells...everyone's happy.

Something that I've always tried to do is to keep my head down...you take in as much information as you can...you always learn. The day you stop learning you're in trouble, so there's always this quest to learn more. But I'm just going to try to do good product and put that on the table and hopefully...

Prof. K: So you shouldn't have to explain it...
Avar: Well, some products require a little more romancing or selling, if you will, but that's the great thing about Nike...there's a little bit of that, but at the heart of it, the spirit's still here. There's still that sense of risk and still trying to do the right thing, and that's why I personally couldn't imagine being anywhere else. And not just in footwear, but in all of our products.

Prof. K: Where do you think that comes from...the guys who started the company...Phil Knight, Bill Bowerman?
Avar: I think so.

Phil and Bill Bowerman and that irreverent, risk taking...you know, Prefontaine...and it's just embedded in people like Tinker and Mark. I mean, it's amazing to have someone like Mark Parker [President, Nike Brand] who is such a design geek in such a leadership role. He's a brilliant strategist, but he has this love and this understanding of product design and it just doesn't get much better than that.

Prof. K: Do you have any advice for young people who want to get into the industry?
Avar: It's like anything in life...practice!

Practice and always try to learn more. Like I mentioned earlier, the day you start thinking that you know everything, you're in trouble. A constant quest for knowledge is really important...just to have the mindset of really going through the strategic design process of identifying a problem, solving a problem...I think that's what will really help designers. And, in the meantime, practice, practice, practice! Drawing, rendering, this and that — that's all part of it.

It's back to that balance — you want to be able to make stuff look beautiful, but that balance is really important...that science side and that problem solving side is really important.

Prof. K: It seems like being able to collaborate is also important...
Avar: Yes, I think teamwork and collaboration are both extremely important and the [Nike] basketball team is an excellent example of that collaboration. All of the products we have talked about would never have happened without all of the expertise and passion of design, development and marketing. People like Coop, Kenzo, Kris [Kris Aman, Product Marketing Director, Nike Basketball] and JJ are just a few people who help make magic happen and I am honored and privileged to have worked with them and have been a part of their team.

Prof. K: You've talked a lot about balance. One thing that's always been interesting about Nike product to me is that, more often than not, it does strike that balance between being really compelling visually and functionally. To me that's one of the most interesting things about Nike because, oftentimes, companies will go overboard in one area or the other. How do you guys achieve that balance? As a designer, how do you ensure that that's always there?
Avar: That's a good question...it's a difficult question to answer.

I think a lot of it may just be kind of ingrained or kind of learned or taught from people like Tinker. Some of it may just be intuition...I think good design or good designers are intuitive by nature. And then, personally, for me to strike that balance, I can have a lot of fanciful ideas or thoughts about how something can look, but I always try to start it from the science or problem solving side. If you really hold true to that, more often than not, the shoe, the product, whatever you may be working on, will start to design itself.

It's kind of the old adage: form follows function — there's a lot of truth to that. And then, at the end of it, it's just like, "Okay, let's make this as beautiful as we can...let's strike that balance."

Sometimes I think when you approach it from "Oh man, let's make this beautiful" and then "Okay, what is this going to do and how are we going to make it work?"...it's a little more difficult. Not to say that you can't do that, but it's sometimes a little more forced that way.

Prof. K: Do you find yourself spending a lot of time taking away? Because one of the things that I've always loved about your designs is that they're so simple...the Flightposite being a great example. I think it's my favorite ever in terms of the design of the shoe, because it's so organic and so simple, where it could have been so complex because it's such a technical shoe. Is that something that comes naturally to you or do you have to spend a lot of time taking away from your initial designs?
Avar: It probably comes naturally. I mean, the Flightposite for instance, it was just kind of this vision. A number of us had this thought of "If you dipped your foot into this liquid and it sucked around your foot, what would it look like?" That was the vision and, on the performance side, it was just to try to do away with layers and extra junk. So it just kind of took on the anatomical, simple form that it did.

But there are definitely projects where you'll start heading down the road and add a little of this and a little of that and you'll get caught up in the "You gotta have perceived value..." thing and this and that, and you just have to say to yourself: "Wait a minute, I'm kind of gunking it up."

There's a place that, you know, more stuff is good. But, personally, I've always gravitated towards simpler...less is more.

Prof. K: Alright, I know you need to get back to designing, but do you have any parting words of wisdom for me?
Avar: What are you going to do next?

Prof. K: Oh...well, I'll be writing for the magazine [Sole Collector].
Avar: So you're still going to be doing reviews for the magazine...

Prof. K: Yes, but it'll be a little less frequent so, hopefully, I'll be able to actually have a life...my wife has been very patient with me.
Avar: Well, I don't know if I'd dare give you any advice, but what I would venture to say is just "thank you."

From me personally, but I probably speak for a lot of other designers, engineers, everyone else involved in the process. Maybe on the other end of the spectrum, the 2K4 review was, for all intents and purposes, very, very positive...it was spot on and we feel like it's one of the better basketball products we've done in a long time.

You know, so it was a three or four page review and the thoroughness — just kind of the validation that you've brought to footwear design — you've brought it more into a product design realm.

I mean, you read that and it's, in a lot of ways, a better written review or article than you would read in Road & Track about a $60,000 BMW or something and, for me personally, it's just kind of like "Hey, we are trying to do good stuff, we are trying to do stuff that makes a difference!"

We're not going to change the world or anything like that, but the site brought a sense of validation and purpose and...I don't know, I appreciate it so, if anything, what I would say to you is thank you and I hope you continue to stay involved.

Prof. K: Ah, man...I don't know what to say Eric. Coming from a true living legend like you...that just blows my mind, but I have to say that it all comes from you guys. I wouldn't have spent all those hours and all those sleepless nights writing reviews and taking pictures if people like you and others in the industry hadn't put your hearts and souls into developing so many inspirational products.

And don't sell yourself short — you guys have changed the world! And I know that your work, and the work of people like Tinker and Aaron Cooper and Wilson Smith, et al, has inspired many young people who might not have had much direction in their lives to work towards the goal of breaking into the footwear industry. You might not know it, but your work has touched a lot of people in a really positive way and that's just awesome.

Alright then, I could go on with the accolades for hours, but enough from me. Here's Eric Avar's favorite Kicksology.net review...

by Professor K, posted May 14, 2004

Anyone who's watched the NCAA tournament, NBA Playoffs, or read a sports magazine has seen the ads: a blast from the past chronicling the past 30+ years of Nike hoops shoe design that's sure to put a smile on the face of any serious shoehead, a series of morphing shoes culminating in an Aliens-esque hatching of the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4, and the print ads emphasizing the shoe's eight inspirations. The message conveyed across all of the pieces is that the Huarache 2K4 is the culmination of all that's come before it; a modern-day shoe with roots running deep into Nike's storied past.

Now, the folks in Beaverton consistently do a lot of basketball-related advertising, but it has been many moons since that advertising has focused so specifically on a single shoe. I can't say why Nike has chosen this particular time and this particular shoe to make such a clear break away from the brand and personality driven advertising that's been its bread-and-butter for as long as I can remember, but I can say that it's working. I've heard and read more people talking and posting about the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 than any other Nike-branded shoe in recent memory. If you're one of the many people who've been wondering aloud about the merits of the 2K4, this review is for you.

First things first: the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 is a different kind of shoe. As much as Nike's ads emphasize the 2K4's rich heritage — and although its design draws heavily on retro themes — the Huarache 2K4 has a fit and feel all its own. This is something that I have to admit warms the cockles of my shoe loving heart. Love 'em or hate 'em, if you're a shoe head you have to respect Nike's willingness to experiment and take risks. Every other company in the industry today would have taken a conservative, "better safe than sorry" approach to a hoops shoe backed by such a huge and costly marketing campaign (the adidas T-MAC 3 and Reebok Answer VII are perfect examples of this). But Nike didn't go Buchanan with the 2K4. Instead, the company pushed the limits of what a hoops shoe could and should be.

Now, the thing is, whenever you push the envelope, you always run the risk that it'll push back. And though I appreciated the Huarache 2K4's innovative design and construction, after a few wearings I felt like a Tokyo subway commuter during the morning rush. The shoe was terrifically comfortable and, thanks to its ultra-minimalistic upper, remarkably light, but I could feel my foot sliding around within the inner on every quick stop and hard cut. The extent of the movement was alarmingly excessive and really hindered my ability to play effectively. I was ready to write up a largely negative review when, at the eleventh hour, I learned two critical pieces of information.

First, the midnight navy/white/varsity red colorway (see figure 4) that I was testing is unique amongst the various versions of Huarache 2K4 in that it features a suede upper. The other colorways of the shoe feature synthetic leather or durabuck uppers and, unlike those materials, suede stretches with wear. If the 2K4's upper were thicker, or backed by the internal structure of a hidden eyestay lacing system, it's likely that this wouldn't have been a problem. But the ultra-thin nature of the 2K4's upper, combined with the inherent elasticity of suede, conspired to make this a big issue.

Second, the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 runs about a half-size larger than usual for a hoops shoe from Nike. I don't usually comment on sizing issues because people's perception of size can vary greatly based on foot shape, but it's quite clear that the 2K4 runs large (or perhaps it's that the ultra-thin upper effectively makes the inner larger?). I had ordered my first test pair online and initially thought sizing was normal, but before writing up my review I figured I should at least try on a smaller pair (a U.S. men's 10.5 vs. my usual 11). I was surprised to find that they provided significantly better fit — snug along the sides without feeling tight, and about a finger's width of room beyond my longest toe. I was surprised by this not only because it's the first time I've had to change up my size in a Nike hoops shoe, but also because I had read some initial reports online that the 2K4 ran narrow. My feet are on the wide side and I didn't find this to be the case at all, even at a half-size smaller than my norm. These reports of narrowness may have been due to the 2K4's old-school lacing system, which isn't as easy to adjust as the now nearly ubiquitous hidden eyestay lacing setup. To get a true indication of fit, make sure to loosen up the 2K4's laces all the way down to the first row of eyelets before trying the shoe on for the first time. Otherwise, you may end up going with a shoe a half or full-size too large.

When I recognized the ramifications of these two issues I decided to re-conduct my test using a different colorway (namely white/white/varsity red/black) and in a size 10.5. I'm glad I did because, in the new colorway and size, the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 felt like an entirely different shoe. The exceptional comfort and feather-light weight were still on hand, but they were now accompanied by very good fit and good (though still not great) support around the sides and top of my foot. The only still extant fit issue was a bit of front-to-back movement within the shoe on hard stops, but it was minimal.

One aspect of the Huarache 2K4's fit that was not at all an issue was heel fit, which was phenomenal. I believe this was attributable to a combination of the shoe's beefy externalized thermoplastic urethane (TPU) heel counter and the Huarache concept underlying the 2K4's design and construction. Before going any further to explain this, though, let me provide a little Huarache history.

Introduced in 1992 in the form of shoes for running (Air Huarache), cross training (Air Trainer Huarache), and hoops (Air Flight Huarache), the big idea behind Nike's Huarache line was as simple as it was ambitious: to deliver high-performance footwear as comfortable as a pair of sandals ("Huarache" is an American Spanish word — most likely of Mexican origin — for a type of sandal). This might not sound all that fanciful today given the advances in materials technologies that have been made during the intervening years, but back in '92 a lot of people thought Nike had completely lost it.

The company's approach to achieving this sandal-like feel was to build the Huarache shoes around a supremely comfortable elastic inner bootie reinforced by a skeletal upper that, in the case of the hoops version of the shoe, extended up very high, while leaving the malleoli (the large bones that protrude from both sides of the ankle) completely exposed. As I wrote in my review of the Air Jordan VII, which was deeply influenced by the Huarache concept, "Much in the same way that sandals have straps only where they're absolutely necessary, shoes in the Huarache line had outer material only where it was absolutely necessary...The end result was a line of shoes that was extremely light and insanely comfortable, but not particularly durable."

Durability was definitely a weak point, as was support, but in addition to terrific comfort and feathery weight, a stand-out attribute of the Air Flight Huarache was exceptional heel fit. The high cut and ultra-minimal, ultra-flexible upper of that shoe kept its rearfoot absolutely glued to the heel of the wearer's foot at all times. This, in conjunction with its plush inner bootie, gave the Flight Huarache a sock-like feel that many came to love.

Jump forward to 2004 and the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 and, though the specifics of the Huarache concept implementation differ greatly in detail, the excellent heel fit and sock-like feel of the 1K992 (doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it) have been retained. Only now, those features are accompanied by improved durability and support thanks to a more substantial upper (it's still light and flexible, but is made largely of a single piece of material as opposed to the collection of narrow strips that made up the upper of the Air Flight Huarache) and the aforementioned externalized TPU heel counter. Throughout my testing I felt that support around the sides and over the top of my foot could have been better, but it was definitely an improvement over the original.

Another area where the 2K4 clearly outshone its primary predecessor was support at the ankle. As is visible in the accompanying photos, the 2K4 has large ovoid windows cut out along the sides of the ankle. A fine mesh material fills the openings, but the windows effectively leave the malleoli exposed — a key Huarache attribute. This eliminates the potential for pressure build-up and keeps the shoe from limiting the ankle's range of motion, but in the Air Flight Huarache at least, it also meant close to zero ankle support. The Huarache 2K4 addresses this deficiency of the original shoe by way of a simple, but surprisingly effective, ankle strap.

I have to admit that when I first saw the 2K4 I pretty much assumed it would provide little to no support around the ankle. First, there were the cutouts along the malleoli, but more of a factor was that the shoe's lacing system does not extend up beyond the base of the ankle. In effect, the 2K4 is a low-top shoe with a strap across the ankle. And the strap isn't even of the beefy pass-through variety that you'd normally find on a hoops shoe (see our Nike Shox Stunner review for an example of a pass-through ankle strap). Instead, it simply lays across the front of the ankle.

So I had my doubts. But when I laced the shoe up and secured the strap I found, to my surprise, that it provided a highly supportive feel around my ankle — moreso than the majority of thickly padded mid-cut shoes I've tested over the years. Actually, I think the key to the 2K4's surprisingly supportive feel was precisely the fact that it is almost completely devoid of ankle padding. The upper portion of the 2K4's inner bootie provides a thin layer of padding across the front of the ankle and there's a wafer-thin strip of dense padding around the back, but that's it. A thick layer of light foam padding around the ankle can create the impression of support, but — because the material compresses so easily — shoes that rely on a lot of padding often underperform when it comes to "in-game" support, while severely limiting mobility and often hurting comfort.

With effectively no padding in the way to attenuate its effect, the Huarache 2K4's strap was able to lock the upper directly around my ankle with just the right amount of pressure. A pass through design, in addition to adding bulk due to the necessary hardware, would almost certainly have encouraged over tightening of the strap. As is, the simpler "lay-over" design keeps the shoe light and gets the job done. Thanks to it and the 2K4's solid heel counter I was able to play with absolute confidence — rolling my ankles was never a concern during my testing.

Also contributing greatly to the Huarache 2K4's confidence inspiring feel were the elements under my foot. The 2K4 is built on a lightweight Phylon midsole augmented with Zoom Air-Sole units under the forefoot and heel. Sitting above that is a light foam sockliner backed by high-density anti-shock inserts (see figure 2) designed to take the edge off of impacts. And wrapped around the perimeter of the midsole is a thin strip of polyurethane, which is shaped to provide additional support around the base of the foot.

The net result of all of these elements was excellent impact protection and astonishingly good court feel. The Huarache 2K4's thin, but firm midsole had me feeling directly connected to the court. It may be too thin for the biggest of players, but active guards and forwards (and even light centers) will love its low-profile feel. The only thing missing was the springiness usually associated with Nike's Zoom Air technology. I liked the 2K4's solid feel underfoot, but just a bit more bounce would have been nice.

Sandwiched between the midsole and outsole is a full-length, two-piece carbon fiber spring plate. The two pieces sit side-by-side, running along most of the length of the shoe. As a pair, they serve the same basic purpose as a one-piece spring plate (see my review of the Nike Air Zoom Generation for more background on spring plates), but the fact that they're split allows the foot to work and move more naturally — particularly under the ball of the foot. Working in tandem with the deep, longitudinal flex groove carved into the outsole of the 2K4 (see figure 1), the two-piece spring plate provided all the benefits of a conventional one-piece unit, but with a much more natural feel underfoot. The best way that I can think of to describe the sensation is that I felt like I was playing barefoot, with just a thin strip of rubber glued to the bottom of my feet. The Huarache 2K4 was so comfortable and felt so natural that, at times, I almost forgot I was wearing it!

Speaking of rubber, the only part of the shoe I haven't touched on yet is its outsole, which is a solid rubber affair. It's fairly conventional save for two features: the deep longitudinal flex groove noted above and a large outrigger extending out at the lateral forefoot. As I touched on in my recent review of the Air Jordan XIX, Nike's latest generation of outriggers are designed to flex. Their purpose is not to try to enhance stability by physically propping up the outer side of the foot on hard cuts, but rather to provide an important bit of biomechanical feedback to the brain — letting it know that the shoe is reaching its outer limits of stability and allowing it to direct the body to compensate. This is not unlike the almost extrasensory cues that a well designed, perfectly balanced rear-wheel drive car will communicate to its driver, letting him know that the rear-end of the car is nearing its limits of adhesion (or perhaps how far beyond the limits of adhesion he's gone) and allowing him to compensate before he ends up in the ditch alongside the road.

One last thing about the 2K4 that I should mention before summing up is that it does an excellent job dissipating heat and moisture, which is a good thing considering summer is right around the corner. It's inner bootie is marked by a repeating pattern of perforations, the medial side of the upper features an array of large perfs (see figure 7), and the large windows cut through the ankle prevent any heat build up at the rearfoot. Even the sockliner is perfed to help prevent heat build-up underfoot (see figure 2).

Alrighty then, to sum up, the Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 is a huge improvement over the original Air Flight Huarache, which is saying a lot considering the O.G. Huarache's status as a hoops classic. It delivers exceptional comfort, very good fit (with one exception noted below), exceptional heel fit, surprisingly good ankle support, top-notch impact protection, astonishingly good court feel, and very good traction. And it does all that in a nearly running shoe-light 15.4 ounces in a U.S. men's size 11. The only things I would have liked a bit more of were lockdown in terms of front-to-back movement, support around the midfoot/instep, and cushioning feel from the midsole. Just stay away from the suede midnight navy colorway if performance is your primary concern. As far as looks go it's my personal favorite, but its natural suede upper compromises fit. And finally, there's the sizing issue; you should always try shoes on for size before buying, but if you're going to be ordering online I'd strongly recommend stepping down a half size from your usual (for example, if you normally wear a size 11, go with a 10.5). The Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 isn't perfect, but if you're looking for superb all-around performance in an ultra-light package, there's nothing on the market today that can match it.

Who's Worn It
Chris Andersen (F- Denver Nuggets), Ron Artest (F- Indiana Pacers), Carlos Boozer (F- Cleveland Caveliers), Devin Brown (G- San Antonio Spurs), Kobe Bryant (G- L.A. Lakers), Sam Cassell (G- Minnesota Timberwolves), Manu Ginobli (G- San Antonio Spurs), Lindsey Hunter (G- Detroit Pistons), Brad Miller (F/C- Sacramento Kings), Dirk Nowitzki (F/C- Dallas Mavericks), Paul Pierce (G/F- Boston Celtics), Michael Redd (G- Milwaukee Bucks), and many others