I sold the old shoes on eBay and splashed on a pair of the new Kobe 9 EMs. What a difference! I think the true sign of a good shoe is one that you forget you’re wearing – this is what I’m getting with the new shoes, vs the feeling of lugging around two lumps of concrete. Probably didn’t hurt that I mobilized quads, gastroc, hamstrings etc over the previous 24 hours before the wear test. As I typically wear Converse All Stars and Merrell Barefoot shoes the transition was easy. I highly recommend people who play hoops to find a shoe that allows the foot to be the foot, not a pivot point for a clunky piece of leather or plastic.