Counter Kicks special contributor Jonathan Eng asks a simple question: Why hasn’t Nike Basketball used mesh on its Flywire-based shoes? Continue reading for his in-depth analysis and editorial on the issue…

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All of Nike Basketball’s Flywire-based models we’ve seen so far (Hyperdunk, Zoom Kobe IV, Hypermax, Hyperize, Air Max LeBron VII, Zoom Kobe V, LeBron VII P.S., Hyperfly, Hyperdunk 2010, and Hypermax 2010) house their Flywire within a TPU film or PU skin with little to no ventilation. While these aren’t the least breathable shoes out there, they also aren’t the best. Even with mesh tongues and perforations here and there, myself and others are still sometimes left with drenched socks. As the HOOP Magazine testers put it, they were left with ”swamp feet”. Don’t get me wrong, these shoes are amazing performers but awesome breathability is sometimes a rare attribute in hoops shoes and it could be the difference between a ‘great’ shoe and a ‘perfect’ shoe.

For example, the Air Max 2009 uses a two-layer mesh upper with the Flywire laminated to the top layer mesh. End result? Super breathable. Feeling the wind breeze around your toes in them is beautiful. I understand running is a linear sport and doesn’t require as much strength in the upper but this is just one example. What about the Zoom Raketa or Zoom Court Luna?

The Zoom Court Luna tennis model (above) and Zoom Raketa badminton model (below) were made exclusively for those competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. More comparable to basketball, both badminton and tennis involve quick lateral movements yet Nike still managed to make use of a mesh upper. Why haven’t we seen this in basketball? (The Raketa also uses heat-venting perforations on the outsole!)

It’s also important to know that the material used for Flywire is different in certain shoes. It was advertised in 2008 that Flywire was made of Vectran, a multifilament yarn spun from liquid crystal polymer. A material 5 times stronger than steel. But according to SC Magazine, Nike Basketball shoes with Flywire use nylon instead. Type 6/6 Nylon, the most common commercial grade of nylon has an ultimate tensile strength of about 2.5% of Vectran’s (i.e. it’s much weaker).

Sometimes I question if the strength of the upper really comes from the Flywire or if it’s from the thick film it’s housed in. If it really is the Flywire, I’d love to see a mesh upper in Nike’s basketball line. Nike could compete with the breathability of adidas’ Climacool products and can turn their great performing shoes into perfect performing shoes.