Performance Review Peak Howard 1

With Dwight Howard leaving the 3 stripes for Peak, the Chinese brand quickly welcomed him with his own signature shoe and I placed the tech specs in the shoe's Best Foot Forward segment (HERE). Does the Howard 1 prove to be a good performance sneaker? Check out my performance review on the Peak Howard 1.

Materials: 4.25/5

Peak Surface proved to be durable synthetic upper which is also lightweight.

Peak used synthetic upper dubbed as Peak Surface. The upper material is durable enough to withstand the harsh grind of basketball games. It is basically made up of a combination of mesh and synthetics with some coating to provide protection from scuffs. Although it features synthetic mesh, don't expect it to be breathable since the shoe is built like a tank with different layers which gives the shoe adequate protection. Because of that, breathability takes a back seat but this is a case where the pro outweighs the con so it isn't much of a bother and for me, this is the shoe's best feature.

You can see here the scuffs that happened last game

Cushion: 4/5

The foam used here requires some break-in time

Cushion-3 still proves to be a good cushion setup

The Peak Howard 1 utilized Cushion 3 which is ideal for impact protection. Keep in mind that the foam carrier requires some break-in time and it is quite a bit on the thick side and stiff at first so you have to be patient. Just give it 2-3 hours worth of playing time until the foam breaks down so you can enjoy the impact protection. Personally, I preferred the whole Cushion-3 setup of the Peak Battier IX over this but it doesn't mean that the cushioning here is bad. Actually, it does provide good impact protection especially for big men because the foam here is somewhat thicker. It is just a personal preference because I am not that big and I need some court feel. Overall, the Peak Howard 1's cushion still gets the job done and it suitable for bigs who are quick on their feet.

Traction 4.25/5

Herringbone traction pattern is still the way to go

Herringbone traction pattern is still one of the best traction patterns out there. They used solid rubber here and it needs some occasional wiping if there are some dust present. Even moisture or sweat drops on the floor would require you to do some wiping but it doesn't hinder you from enjoying the game. If the floor you are playing is clean or at least maintained, then you wouldn't have some problems. The solid rubber is quite a bit durable and honestly, I wasn't able to test them often in outdoor courts so I cannot really tell if how long they would last. But what I do know is that they would last for quite some time but of course, it all depends on how often you ball and how rough is the court surface is.

Fit: 3.5/5

I recommend that you try them on in store because sizing is tricky

Fit is one of the most important aspects when you are looking for a basketball sneaker. With that said, I recommend that you try them in stores to get your right size. Usually I wear a size 9 since I personally like some wiggle room in my toes. In the case here, I find my desired "wiggle room" on a size 9.5 so it shows that their sizing here runs small (for my foot at least). So the best advice I would give is to try them on in stores. The good thing here (in the Philippines) is that these aren't hard to find in Peak stores so you won't encounter too much problems finding them. The support comes from the wide base which most of these Chinese brands do with their kicks. The upper provides protection from being step on which I stated earlier, it feels like it is built like a tank, ready for abuse. There is a lateral outrigger to provide more support together with the wide base, The heel TPU counter provide stability as well at the back of the shoe to help you secure your Achilles area. Underneath is their Tenacity Unit-C which is a carbon fiber with some coating for a smooth feel. This has been widely used as well to provide you torsional support preventing you from over stretching your arch area.

Tenacity Unit-C provides torsional support

TPU heel counter secures your foot at the back

Lateral outrigger was also provided together with the wide flat base

Price: 4.5/5

Priced at Php 4,795, these are moderately priced in my opinion especially for a signature shoe that offers a lot of protection be it in the materials, cushioning, or support department (as long as you get your right size). Is it a bang for your buck? I would say, yes.

Conclusion:

For his first signature shoe with Peak, the Howard 1 is promising as it sets the bar high enough that you would be excited to see what Peak has in store for his second shoe. The best feature of the shoe would be the upper giving you a durable shoe. All the support pieces combined together will provide you with what you need in a basketball shoe. The Cushion-3 provides adequate impact protection which is ideal for agile big men. For Php 4,795, this shoe is truly worth copping if you are looking for a quality shoe without spending too much. These are available at Olympic World so you can head there to grab a pair if you are interested.

Analykix Grade: 4.1/5