Performance Review: Li Ning Way of Wade All City Encore 2

Dwyane Wade has been Li-Ning's flag bearer. With the Way of Wade line continuing to grow, Li Ning has been releasing shoe lines which doesn't cost much and an example of this is the Way of Wade All City Encore 2. Does it perform well even though it is not the top tier model? Here is my performance review on the Way of Wade All City Encore 2.

Synthetic leather was used which added more structure and support.

A mesh tongue for some airflow.

Materials: 4.25/5

For the shoe's upper, Li Ning used synthetic leather. While it is not premium or genuine leather, using this kind of material is still okay even when most kicks today are made from plastic or synthetics as it provide more support and structure. Patent leather was used on the toe guard to give some premium look and feel. While ventilation is not a strong attribute here, the tongue is made from mesh material to provide some airflow. With the upper material made from leather, there is some break-in time required and in my case, it was on my third game where I felt the upper is okay as the shoe flexes more naturally during transition.

Li Ning used their latest cushioning source called Cloud

Cushion: 3.75/5

Now, we go to the cushion department which is my least favorite part here, The Way of Wade All City Encore 2 featured their latest cushion source which they called "Cloud". Honestly, I have no idea about this cushion source so I searched the net for some product information. I was able to find a video clip about the Cloud cushion which you can find <HERE>, After watching the vid, it really made me excited to performance test the shoe. Unfortunately, this is not what I felt. The video clip gave an impression that it would promote some kind of good energy return or bounce. However, after 15 hours of playing in them, the "bounce"that I'm looking for is still not there. Now, if you will ask me,"Is the cushion terrible?"My answer would be, no. The shoe has a low-to the-ground feel and offers good impact protection. I felt no pain during and after ball games which is a good thing. If you are looking for maximum impact protection, you might want to check other Li Ning models but this still gets the job done.

A mixture of herringbone and DWade logo can be seen in the outsole

Traction: 4.5/5

In my opinion, this is the highlight of the shoe. The outsole features a mixture of herringbone and DWade logo with the herringbone being placed on significant zones on the outsole and the rubber used is thick enough for outdoor use. I was able to play in these on 4 different courts with the first court being a dusty court. How dusty? Well, they are planning to renovate the court so some construction materials are in the premises with some diggings found beside the court so you could imagine the amount of dirt and debris present. Even with that kind of dust buildup in the court, there is just minimal wiping needed and I'm surprised that the shoe offered great traction.

The padding is really comfortable

An outrigger is also present

The heel counter is very reliable

A triangular TPU piece is placed underneath for some torsional support

Fit: 4.25/5

At first, I thought the shoe has a low-cut profile but the amount of padding provided in the collar made it look and feel like a mid-cut shoe. There is an outrigger in the forefoot area and a heel counter which did its job. The midfoot is reinforced with nylon to give a secure fit. The shoe feels snug and fits true to size which is great for low-cut shoes. You don't want too much dead space inside because will cause some instability as your feet will not be secured inside thus increasing your chance in having injuries. Wide footers are advised to try them in stores for a more accurate fit. There is also a triangular TPU piece underneath for torsional support.

Price: 4.5/5

I was able to purchase the shoe for Php 2,790 which is a bang for your buck especially for an entry-level price point which has good performance attributes. The shoe is still available at Olympic Village Trinoma.

Conclusion:

The Li Ning Way of Wade All City Encore 2 is a good sneaker in my opinion. A basic setup with enough components to get the job done. Although the Cloud cushion marketing ad is a letdown for me as it gave the impression of giving you some high energy return or bounce. However, it still offer a good amount of impact protection and is ideal for guards who want good court feel. If they just presented it in other ways, maybe I could have scored it much higher. Nonetheless, it still is a good shoe which offered great traction and a price that is very affordable.

Overall Grade: 4.25/5

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