Nike Air Force 1 07 LV8 review

Elevate your whole wardrobe with the Air Force 1 07 LV8 if:

• You're looking for a super comfortable and trendy pair of trainers to make the whole street your runway.
• You're all about basketball aesthetics and you want to feel a little bit closer to your NBA heroes regarding height.
• You need a versatile shoe that feels high quality and looks good with pretty much anything.

If you're absolutely done with break-in periods, forget about the LV8. Its tough upper materials and high torsional rigidity levels make it pretty unfriendly at the beginning. If you don't want to give up the basketball aesthetics and you don't mind changing brands, the New Balance 480 might be your cup of tea.

If you're a big Air Force 1 fan, you might not want to go for the LV8 unless you really want to feel taller. The Nike Air Force 1 07 looks pretty much the same, yet it features more durable materials overall, as well as a softer midsole. This icon of a shoe is also slightly cheaper, which makes its value for money superb. So think about it twice before you go for this newer version!

This shoe is called LV8 because of its "elevated" midsole, which is one of the main differences regarding the original trainers. We've found many others during our lab review (such as the heel padding durability that we've already mentioned), though.

Our calliper returned 36.7 mm when we measured this shoe's heel stack, which is also way higher than average. This shoe features a full-length Air Unit that doesn't only make you taller, it also makes the whole experience even more comfortable!

Look at this picture comparing both, the original Air Force 1 07 (top) and the Air Force 1 07 LV8 (bottom). As you can see, the latter is a whole 5.0 mm taller, even though both models feature the brand's iconic Air Units.

We loved that the forefoot stack was also higher than average.

At 20.1 mm, we felt comfortable and protected from the street's pebbles. Once again, this newest version is higher than the AF 1 07 standard, as our calliper returned 17.2 mm when we measured its forefoot stack.

There's a big difference between both these stack heights, so we ended up with a massive drop of 16.6 mm.

As you can clearly see in the picture, the heel of this shoe is way higher than the ball of the foot. But don't worry, it didn't feel weird and we didn't have to get used to it or anything. It feels like your heel has some extra cushioning, and that's pretty much it!

When we cut this AF in half, we got full access to its inner materials.

And among those, we have the midsole. When we pressed our durometer against it, it returned 26.5 HA, which is a score lower than average. This means the foam is on the softer side, which is something our feet loved.

During our wear tests, this shoe felt pretty comfortable. We can't say it's incredibly soft underfoot, the Nike Air Max 1 felt way more cloud-like, but the overall experience is still pretty nice.

A 5.4 mm thick insole was waiting for our feet inside the AF 1 07 LV8.

It's pretty much average, and it just focused on making our walking experience even nicer.

The toebox follows the overall slim build of this shoe.

Our calliper returned 97.5 mm when we measured its widest part, which means it's narrower than average. Even though our standard-width feet were fine with it, we can see big-feet sneakerheads feeling cramped.

We can't say this shoe transforms into an arrow at the tip, but it's definitely not wider than average either.

At 74.1 mm according to our calliper, it embraces Nike's tradition with its pointy toebox. Consequently, we definitely believe this is not the best pair for wide-toed people!

Nevertheless, regarding this shoe's vertical space we can't complain. It felt roomy enough for our toes not to be pressed or uncomfortable.

The leather upper of this Air Force stopped our ankles instantly when we went for a slight wobble.

As you can see, this shoe has a solid structure that doesn't joke around when it comes to containment!

The lateral stability and foot containment of the LV8 come mainly from the high torsional rigidity of its upper materials.

When we tried to twist this shoe in our lab, we almost got a cramp on our thumbs! Just look at the video, we were really trying there, but nothing. Apart from the solid upper materials, this high level of torsional rigidity also comes from the chunkier sole of this AF.

But the heel takes this to a whole new level. If you want to see what a real wall looks like, check the video below.

Now that's absolutely impossible to move! We did press it hard, you'll realise if you check how tensed up our thumb and fingers look. If we could've given it a 10/5, we would have, trust us. But this time the LV8 will have to settle down with a 5/5, our top score!

The LV8 follows the same narrower-than-average midsole design as the AF1 07.

Our calliper returned 103.8 mm, so it's not like our feet had plenty of space to land after every step. We don't think this shoe is unstable or anything, but it does have an overall slim design.

Just like in the forefoot, the midsole is also narrower than average in the heel.

At 77.9 mm, our calliper confirmed it. Also, aside from this snug design, the stiff heel counter of this shoe could mean a break-in period will be needed. We know this might not be a general experience, but we had to endure it, so we want to warn you just in case!

The durable and overall rigid materials of this shoe might not be the friendliest at the beginning, and our force gauge knows it well.

37.8N of force were needed to bend this shoe all the way up to 90 degrees. This means the LV8 needs a whole 39% more force to bow down than average, and even though this didn't translate into an uncomfortable feel underfoot, we did need to go through a break-in period before we could enjoy the highest comfort levels this AF had in store for us.

The LV8 follows the same narrower-than-average midsole design as the AF1 07.

Our calliper returned 103.8 mm, so it's not like our feet had plenty of space to land after every step. We don't think this shoe is unstable or anything, but it does have an overall slim design.

Honestly, this shoe felt kind of heavy on foot. During our wear tests, we walked around town, ran errands, and went for a drink or to eat something. And it wasn't like we were feeling uncomfortable, it's just... that this AF felt heavier than what our feet are used to.

We understood what was up when we took it to our lab. Our scale went all the way up to 16.8 oz/476.0g, which is a pretty crazy 12% heavier than average.

Still, we found this shoe really comfortable. It might feel heavier, but its style and high quality feel kind of make up for it. What's more, when we cut the LV8 in half, we found its interiors were heavily (sorry) padded, so we kind of understand why it's not a lightweight sneaker.

Even though this shoe's outsole is way less durable than average, Nike opted to go for a piece of rubber that's also thinner than average.

At 4.9 mm, we understand the brand didn't go for a chunkier piece in order not to add some extra weight to the shoe. But ah well, the thinner the outsole and the less durable the rubber, the sooner you'll have to get a new pair of shoes!

Still, as long as you keep this pair for its intended use (which is basically casual, so forget about anything adventurous), it should be by your side for a while.

Just like many other Air Force pairs, the LV8 has many small holes throughout its toebox. But thanks to our vast experience, we've learned not to trust that little detail until our tests and/or tools check it actually lets the air flow.

Our light test verified the light can come through the two ventilation holes that are in the middle area, closer to the sole. But it didn't really show us much more, so we grabbed our second tool: the reliable smoke machine.

As you can see, the toebox did let the smoke come through. And pretty easily too! We were satisfied with this result, so we decided to give this AF an average 3/5 on our breathability test. This becomes even more impressive if we compare it with the poor results of the Nike Phase Court which, despite having a similar build, couldn't get any more than a 1/5.

Our microscope showed us that it looks like there isn't actually a second layer stopping the air from going in and out inside the ventilation hole.

To check if this Air Force uses authentic or synthetic materials, we grabbed our torch and our scratch awl.

We started by burning the middle panel, which didn't catch fire. Also, when we started scratching it, the material didn't get stuck on our awl like a piece of gum on a kid's hair. Consequently, this leather is authentic.

But the Swoosh had a different idea. We saw a flame burst as soon as our torch burned the material a little bit too much, and it became just as sticky as melted cheese! This means the Swoosh is synthetic.

After taking this shoe out of its box and having a look at its structure, we instantly thought it would be a good rival to our Dremel.

At 5K RPM and with 3.2N of force, we saw the tool roll and roll and roll some more. The white dust flying around was scary, we're not gonna lie, but we kept our hopes up until the 12 seconds of the test were over.

And the result wasn't so bad! It looked way worse when the Dremel was drilling, so we decided to give this AF1 07 LV8 a solid 4/5 on our toebox durability test.

Sadly, the heel padding didn't put up as much of a fight as the toebox.

At the same 5K RPM and with 3.2N of force once again, the Dremel didn't even think about having mercy.

As you can see, we ended up with a pretty messed up heel, so we decided to give the LV8 a sad 1/5 on our durability test. This caught us by surprise (in the worst way possible), as the AF 1 07 managed to score a wonderful 4/5 on this same test.

We pressed our durometer against this Air Force's outsole to check its hardness.

It returned 87.9 HC, which is slightly higher than average. This should mean the shoe offers a healthy mix of traction and durability, and we sure hope so!

When we saw the results of this test, we realised our hopes for durability had been crushed.

It all started with our Dremel going all out at 10K RPM and with the same 3.2N of force. It attacked the outsole's rubber during 22 seconds, and trust us, the LV8 would have run away if it could!

Our tread gauge claimed the tool got rid of 1.8 mm of material, which is actually a lot. In fact, this dent is a whole 44% deeper than average, which means this shoe's outsole won't be as durable.

Even though this shoe's outsole is way less durable than average, Nike opted to go for a piece of rubber that's also thinner than average.

At 4.9 mm, we understand the brand didn't go for a chunkier piece in order not to add some extra weight to the shoe. But ah well, the thinner the outsole and the less durable the rubber, the sooner you'll have to get a new pair of shoes!

Still, as long as you keep this pair for its intended use (which is basically casual, so forget about anything adventurous), it should be by your side for a while.

Nike decided to copy-paste the tread pattern or the AF 1 07. And we totally get it; like, why would you change something so iconic that works just fine?

Moving away once again from the traditional herringbone pattern, the LV8's outsole features 2 pivot points (one at the ball of the foot and the other one at the heel) that give away its basketball heritage. The traction this pair provided was alright, and even though we didn't make much use of the pivot points, we're satisfied with the overall grip.

After getting to know the Air Force 1 07 and now being introduced to its LV8 sister, we believe the main price difference (which is basically 10 dollars) comes from the higher stack of the latter.

If that's what you're looking for, we can't say this shoe is overprized. But the original model is way more durable (upper, heel padding and outsole), which means it'll withstand constant use way better. So, even though this newer iteration has a higher sole, it's not even softer, and it features an Air Unit just like the original.

We can understand the higher price that comes with a new model, but it becomes a hard-to-swallow pill if we compare our lab test results of both shoes.

The AF 1 07 LV8 doesn't have reflective elements even though its aesthetics are pure fire!

The overall padded structure of this AF didn't disappoint us when we measured its tongue.

Our calliper returned 8.0 mm, which is lower than average but more than enough for us! A more stuffed tongue could've: a) made the whole shoe heavier, b) jeopardised its breathability, and c) reduced the inner space of an already snug pair.

In conclusion, we believe the brand made the right choice, and maybe it could've even opted for a thinner tongue, saving up some weight.

The LV8 doesn't have any kind of heel tab, but with its non-gusseted tongue, we don't think it needed one.

We didn't have any problems when we put the shoe on, and we really liked the suede touch with the name of the line and the logo.

Superb aesthetics once again, Nike!

You know it, we know it, everybody knows it. We're huge fans of removable insoles!

And this AF pair features one, so if you want or need to change it, feel free to do it! Just please keep in mind that we're not talking about the roomiest sneaker out there, so if you go for a super padded tongue, it might lead to discomfort.