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Our verdict
Pros
- Pretty solid bite on clean courts
- Comfortable fabric-like upper
- Solid impact protection
- Dependable energy return
- Support is great
- Easy on-and-off
- Lighter than average
- Really durable toe drag guard
Cons
- Seriously needs to be broken in
- Definitely not for wide-footers
- Dust pickup is a problem
- Lacks breathability
Audience verdict
Comparison
The most similar basketball shoes compared
+ + Add a shoe | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audience score | 76 Bad! | 84 Good! | 90 Superb! | 69 Bad! | |
| Price | $120 | $150 | $130 | $120 | |
| Signature | Elena Delle Donne | Kevin Durant | LaMelo Ball | - | |
| Top | Mid | Low | Mid | Mid | |
| Ankle-support | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Weight lab | 13.2 oz / 375g | 13.8 oz / 390g | 14.6 oz / 414g | 13.1 oz / 372g | |
| Lightweight | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Breathability | Moderate | Breathable | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Outsole durability | - | Good | - | - | |
| Drop lab | 5.0 mm | 5.6 mm | 6.7 mm | 8.9 mm | |
| Heel stack lab | 25.2 mm | 26.1 mm | 31.6 mm | 29.0 mm | |
| Forefoot | 20.2 mm | 20.5 mm | 24.9 mm | 20.1 mm | |
| Midsole softness | Firm | Balanced | Balanced | Firm | |
| Stiffness | Stiff | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Torsional rigidity | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Heel counter stiffness | Moderate | Moderate | Flexible | Moderate | |
| Toebox width at the widest part | Narrow | Medium | Medium | Narrow | |
| Toebox width at the big toe | - | Narrow | Medium | Medium | |
| Midsole width - forefoot | Very narrow | Average | Narrow | Narrow | |
| Midsole width - heel | Narrow | Average | Average | Average | |
| Heel padding durability | - | Decent | Decent | Bad | |
| Toebox durability | - | Decent | Decent | - | |
| Insole thickness | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
| Outsole hardness | Average | Average | Average | Soft | |
| Outsole thickness | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
| Heel tab | None | None | None | None | |
| Ranking | #47 Bottom 2% | #34 Bottom 29% | #5 Top 11% | #48 Bottom 1% | |
| Popularity | #39 Bottom 18% | #16 Top 34% | #48 Bottom 1% | #42 Bottom 12% |
Size
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Who should buy the Nike Air Deldon
The first signature shoe for Elena Delle Donne suits you if you:
- are looking for handicap-ready basketball shoes
- have narrow to medium-sized feet
- keep your games indoors
Who should NOT buy this signature shoe from Nike
Basketball players who get easily annoyed by the constant wiping of dust are not going to be happy with the Air Deldon. We believe that these people are better off with the Nike KD 15.
Like many Nike shoes, the Air Deldon has to be broken in. For players who do not have time to break in their shoes, we urge you to check out the Jordan Luka 1.
Generally unique configuration
The unusual appearance of the Nike Air Deldon absolutely caught our attention. We recognised that the shoe has technologies that are not usually found in basketball shoes.
Regardless, this unusual setup does not hinder it from performing well on the court.
Breathability is minimal
We realised that it can get really toasty inside the Nike Air Deldon. The shoe's upper barely lets any air pass.
In our transparency test below, you can also see how the light does not shine through the material either. There are a few ventilation holes in the toebox but they don't seem to be sufficient.
Grip that you can rely on
Admittedly, the Air Deldons are not the stop-on-a-dime type of shoes, but they are definitely not bad. In fact, this shoe delivers a pretty solid bite on cleaner courts, based on our basketball matches.
We would like to note here that the shoe, particularly the outsole, needs some time to break in. The Nike Air Deldon simply does not hit the ground running.
Dust is an issue for the Air Deldon
On our outdoor games, we found that the outsole attracts so much dust. Not only that, but we really had a freaking hard time to wipe off the dust. Definitely, this shoe is not for the impatient ones.
Also, the shoe's tendency to attract so much dust makes it not suitable for outdoor use.
The Nike Air Deldon's upper offers comfort
We love the fabric-like feel of the upper as it has a really plush feeling. We felt that this is one of the reasons why it had a tonne of comfort.
It has one of the thickest tongues imaginable. It is 14.5 mm thick! For reference, the average is 9.8 mm.
The shoe is easy to put on and off
The Nike Air Deldon employs the FlyEase technology, which makes it handicap-ready. This means that the opening can be wide enough to accommodate those with special needs.
Be protected from toe drags
Our toes are also guarded well from toe drags. We discovered that what makes this possible is the shoe's super-aggressive guard around the toes.
Impact protection is reliable
We found the midsole setup definitely interesting because even if the foam is quite minimal, it is still able to deliver solid impact protection. Because of this, we are protected from harsh landings and aggressive strikes.
The foam thickness is indeed more minimal than average. We measured the heel stack height at 25.2 mm which is 2.3 mm thinner than the average (27.5 mm).
The insole is 4.2 mm thick - an average for basketball shoes.
The spring back is definitely there
For a shoe that has minimal foam and absolutely no shank, we attest that the energy return of the Nike Air Deldon is really good. Sprints to the basket and runs past opponents are all fuelled by this shoe.
One of the most flexible shoes
The Nike Air Deldon turns out to be more flexible than average. This allows us to feel more naturally inside the shoe, as it bends along with our foot.
In our lab, we revealed that the Nike Air Deldon is 18% more flexible than basketball shoes on average.
Containment? No problem with the Air Deldon
We witnessed how this shoe is able to deliver a truly secure lockdown and foot containment. We do not worry that the shoe will come off even when our movements become so aggressive and intense.
The tongue is gusseted which helps with foot containment as well.
A stiff and well-padded heel counter is also very efficient in locking our ankles in place.
Run light with the Air Deldon
At 12 ounces or 340 grammes, the Nike Air Deldon is significantly lower than the average of all the shoes we have on record, which now stands at 13.5 ounces or 383 grammes. This shoe definitely won't weigh you down.
Wide-footers beware!
We realised that Nike Air Deldon is quite on the narrow side, though going true to size works for some of us, testers. We advise those who have wide feet to go at least half a size up or go for another shoe altogether.
Comparable to the Air Jordans
We identify this shoe as the WNBA's version of the Air Jordans. We are impressed that the Nike Air Deldon is comparable to the illustrious Air Jordans in terms of style and comfort. Mind you, they are not at the same price!
