PEAK Dwight Howard II Performance Review
This was my very first performance review for a basketball shoe, it was also my first signature shoe I bought from PEAK brand. I've been looking for a replacement for my PEAK Rising Star basketball shoe since last week due to the fact that PEAK Rising Star series doesn't have any tech for its cushion and it only has standard phylon midsole which causes pain on both of my legs everytime i'm running in a basketball game using it. I decided that I need to replace it with something that comes with a technology for its cushion. I also wanted to try signature kicks from PEAK, plus I will be using the new shoe for an upcoming basketball league at CKBL (Chinese Kicks Basketball League) and the first thing and option that came to my mind was Dwight Howard's signature shoe, the PEAK DH II since I play as Power Forward/Center and I kinda like the way DH plays.
The shoe was priced at P5,995 but I was able to use my PEAK less 20% discount card given to me during one of their promotion in their PEAK Riverbanks store in Marikina, shoutout to Elijah and Melanie. Although I bought the shoe at PEAK Robinsons Manila for P4,796 only instead of P5,995 SRP and in red and black colorway, another special thanks to all the staff of PEAK Riverbanks and PEAK Robinsons Manila for being generous to loyal customers like me. Let's get things started...
TRACTION
The traction pattern isn't your standard herringbone, it uses multi directional lines. It still looks like a standard herringbone but underneath the grooves, the lines are crossing each other, it doesn't touch the floor but it gives the outsole a unique look. The traction was good, not that squeaky but it does squeak just like any other shoe. I didn't experience any slippage even when I stepped on the wooden floor covered with dropped sweat, the bite power is not that powerful but it grips the floor really well. I will rate it 8.5 out of 10.
CUSHION
The PEAK DH II come with PEAK's Cushion-3, for me its kinda like the same with the NIKE's zoom units in the forefoot and in the heel, although they are not exactly the same. During the warm up, I tried to jump multiple to test out how good the cushion was and I can feel the impact protection on the forefoot just a little bit while I can feel most on the heel part. I never had pain in my feet, specifically in my heels after 3 games. I can say I feel secure the way DH II protects my feet upon impact, I didn't feel the pain I felt using with my PEAK Rising Star before. I'll rate the cushion 9.5 out of 10.
MATERIALS
The is made with premium mesh like material, they call it PEAK surface with some fuse overlay on the toe area to protect the upper material from toe drags. The tounge feels stiff at first but after few runs, it feels really good anyway. The ankle collar is really comfortable, I also love the laces because it doesn't feel cheap. I can rate it 9 out of 10.
FIT
The shoe fits really nice, its a bit snug during the very first wear but its like molding to your feet after few runs and game possession, you only need short break in time to get used to with the shoe. There is some dead space on the toe which wiggles your feet up and down. Normally I use size 9.5US in PEAK basketball shoes, but the DH series has a weird sizing details. In other PEAK basketball shoe the size 9.5US is equivalent to size 43, but in the DH II the size 43 is converted as 10.5US, although the shoe fits like 9.5US on me, the reason why I picked size 43. How I'd wish the DH series should follow the standard sizing same with their other models.
SUPPORT
The PEAK DH II is a lightweight shoe low top shoe, it has minimal support even if the ankle collar was heavily padded. I experience a minor twist on my ankle during the game, or maybe I just made a mistake the way I walk on that moment. Due to that, I can say the my ankles aren't really secure with this shoe, despite of being a signature shoe of Dwight Howard who plays center in the NBA. I should've listened to my friend that I should've picked a mid or a high top shoe since I'm heavy and plays power forward/center. But charged it to experience, i'd still be using the DH II but I should just be more careful on playing. I should've get a high top shoe instead so that I have my ankles secured, just like with my LeBron Soldier X. I'll rate the support 7.5 out of 10.
OVERALL
The overall performance was really nice, but to be honest the only thing I hate about it was the support because its a bit low compare to my previous PEAK Rising Star. Although the ankle collars feels comfortable but they do come short for my preference. How I'd wish Dwight Howard should've pick high top silhouette for his signature shoe. As for the price it's too expensive but given the fact that it was a signature shoe, comes with cushion technology and it has premium materials. If it wasn't for the less 20% discount, I won't buy it due to the fact that there are other cheaper models available from PEAK that comes with cushion-3 technology but more affordable. However, there is something that I like in this model but I can't explain, its not the looks but maybe how it appeals on me.
TRACTION - 8.5/10
CUSHION - 9.5/10
MATERIALS - 9/10
SUPPORT - 7.5/10
