Sneaker Tribe Curry Flow 8 Review
Welcome to the Sneaker Tribe! We are a bunch from SG Basketball who love our kicks and will be reviewing a pair every week on our program, The Practical Sneaker Review!
For this week, we have Stephen Curry’s signature shoe, the Curry 8 ! Stephen Curry, who plays point guard for the Golden State Warriors, signed with Under Armour in 2013. Since he joined the NBA, Curry has won three NBA championships with the Warriors and at the age of 31 years old, sports analysts have called him the greatest shooter in NBA history.
The Curry Flow 8 is the first sneaker to be launched under Curry Brand. The technology of UA Flow and the Curry Flow 8 took more than three years to develop.
Design
Upon unboxing the shoe, the first thing that caught our eyes was the rainbow pattern from the side of the shoe. Among the different colorways of the Curry 8 now available, this was perhaps the most striking pair. Most other Curry 8 colorways were one singular color along with the same white sole (more on that later), for example, CNY Red, Butter Yellow, All-White with gold accent, etc.
It is evident that much emphasis is being placed on the design of the first Curry Brand sneaker. On the heel of the shoe, the logo at the side of the shoe which included S C which stands for his name Stephen Curry, the High Wing logo and lastly his signature celebration of the game’s Most Valued Shot. Last but not the least, the signature Under Armour logo on the soles of the shoe.
UA Flow discarded unnecessary weight by eliminating the need for a rubber outsole, which usually adds up to 2 oz. of weight. The Curry Flow 8 weighs in at 12.1 oz. (men’s size 9).
Usage
The Curry Flow 8 effectively disrupts the design of a traditional basketball shoe by eliminating the rubber outsole, bringing unparalleled traction, lightweight performance ground-contact cushioning and grip on-court feel. These shoes were meant to be lightweight performance shoes and materials are catering to fit the theme.
We felt that the material around the ankle could provide flexibility and mobility on the court. Comparing to other basketball or running shoes, UA went all-in on the lightweight idea, removing the rubber outsole and adding another component to help regulate the shoe's overall weight. Furthermore, the soles not only act as the midsole foam but also as the outsole at the same time. For traction wise, the shoe is very stable as there is no skidding, no sliding and no squeaking.
Is It worth the money?
The Curry 8 is retailing at $239 SGD, which I would say is pretty much value for money for the all-foam traction and flexible material. In essence, it followed the trail of its predecessors in terms of pricing with improved overall performance. The Curry 7 before it was already a pretty slick shoe and this pair lives up to expectations.
Summary
Overall, the shoe's best feature is its traction, which is provided by an all-foam outsole that is extremely sticky. The cushion is very pleasant to the touch and provides excellent court feel and response. Other reviewers thought it was the best cushion in Curry's entire line up since the Curry 1. The top is made of a soft and flexible knit with synthetic overlays for structure. To see the Curry 8 Flow in action, we have performed a functionality test and you can view the video version of our review on YouTube here.