New Balance Kawhi review
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all basketball shoes.
This shoe has a 8% penalty on its user ratings because it has fewer than 50 ratings. This is to avoid that shoes with few reviews unjustly receives high scores.
Learn moreVerdict from 9 experts & 45 users
Pros
- Reliable grip
- Appealing style
- Plush cushioning
- Effective heel compression
- Anti-blister materials
- Breathable
- Really supportive construction
Cons
- Narrow
- Needs to be broken in
93% say it's true to size.
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Rankings
- Top 13% most popular basketball shoes
Comparison to similar basketball shoes
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Who should buy the New Balance Kawhi
This New Balance basketball shoe will be great for the following:
- players with normal-sized to narrow feet
- big men who love and/or need a lot of impact protection
- hoopers who also want to wear their kicks casually
Who should NOT buy this shoe from New Balance
The NB Kawhi is not for those who have no time to break in their shoes. They will be happier with the New Balance OMN1s because they will surely hit the ground running. Besides, these shoes are also closely associated with Kawhi Leonard.
Wide footers should also avoid this shoe. Unless they are willing to make size adjustments, New Balance does not offer much for this type of players. With this, they are better off going to other brands. The Nike LeBron 19 and other Nike LeBron shoes are going to be great starting points.
The NB Kawhi really has the friction
Many players regard traction as a shoe's most important feature, so it's great that this shoe has a nice grip on the floor. Slips and falls are going to be things of the past when you wear Kawhi Leonard's first signature shoe in your games.
This shoe also has the style
Many wearers will surely be impressed by how stylish the NB Kawhi is; many already say that they can wear this shoe with jeans and other casual wear. Indeed, this shoe caters to both function and fashion. What more can you ask for?
Worried about impact? Rest assured that you'll be protected from it
The proprietary NB foam that the Kawhi shares with the OMN1s gives dependable cushioning during heel strikes and hard landings. This shoe, therefore, is going to be a blessing to those who do a lot of rebounds, jump shots, and even aggressive dunks. Their experience is surely going to be pain-free.
Blister-free comfort, anyone?
There is no need to worry about blisters because the New Balance Kawhi wraps so comfortably around the foot. The material is also breathable, so it effectively gets rid of heat and dampness that make the skin more prone to breakage.
All-around support is easy with the NB Kawhi
Being comfortable doesn't really mean that the shoe is already flimy when it comes to hard action. This mid-top shoe has a sturdy collar and upper materials to give the foot much-needed support during motion. Ankle support and lateral stability are not going to be problems for this signature shoe from New Balance.