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Friday, October 19, 2007

Starbury Team Review

Stephon Marbury debuted the Starbury Team last season after the NBA All-Star game. He wore the Team and the Starbury II for the second half of the 07 NBA season. The Starbury team has a very plain yet sleek design to it. It reminds me of a lot of some previous And 1 designs. My first reaction to the shoe was that it looked like a shoe that would perform well on the court. I initially had no intention of doing a write up on these, but on a recent trip to Steve & Barry’s I decided to pick up a pair of these just to see how they perform in comparison to the Starbury 1 or 2.

When you first look and feel the materials on the Starbury Team, you can tell it is definitely built better than the Starbury 1 and 2. It feels like it has added padding and uses better leathers than other shoes in the line. I would advise that you go down a half size on these. I tried on my usual 9.5 and I found them to be a bit roomy and too wide in the forefoot area. I ended up going with a size 9 and it worked out a lot better. The Team features added foam padding around the forefoot area that feels great. The shoe has a traditional lacing system. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. You get a pretty good lock down fit which keeps side to side movement within the shoe to a minimal. I did find that there was a lot of heel to toe sliding movement within the shoe on quick starts and stops. Other than that, the overall fit is great for a shoe that costs the same price as a CD.

The cut of the Starbury Team is almost perfect. I have heard complaints about the Starbury 1 being too high and giving a restrictive feeling. Others complain that the Starbury 2 is cut far too low to truly deliver any kind of ankle support. It seems to me like they got it just right with the Team. Also, the Team does an excellent job of keeping your feet dry. The tongue is made up of perforated leather which does a pretty good job of providing good breathability. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, the Starbury shoes can have as much cushioning as you desire. You just have to shell out the extra cash for a better insole. The stock insole that comes with the Starbury Team is sufficient, but the cushioning could be better.

The Starbury Team’s greatest strength is the traction it delivers on the court. Weather outdoors on dusty courts or indoors on clean hardwood, I felt like I had glue or tape on the bottom of my shoes. The shoe has a basic tread pattern which provides outstanding traction!! One complaint I had with these shoes and all the shoes in the Starbury line is that the soles wear down very easily and quickly. I try not to complain about it too much seeing as how they only cost $15, but I can definitely see this as being a problem for the brand down the road. The Team also offers great arch support. The shoe has the same full-width shank as the Starbury 2, but is far more supportive.

My final thought is that the Starbury Team is definitely worth the $15 price tag, maybe even a little more. Without a doubt it performs better than the Starbury 1 and 2. From a design standpoint the shoe is plain and to some it might be a little boring, but it functions well on the court and does what it was made to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Mr. Marbury rocking these more than the 2’s this year. I know I definitely would. The Starbury Team is available in a total of 5 colorways and like all other Starbury merchandise; it is exclusive to Steve & Barry’s. Here’s is a list of all the colorways that are currently available:

*White/White
*Black/Black
*White/Baby Blue
*White/Navy Blue
*Navy Blue/Orange

Colorway Tested: White/Navy Blue
Tested on: Hardwood & Asphalt

Final Analysis:
Comfort & Cushioning: B
Support: B+
Traction: A+
Breathability: B-
Overall: B+

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