Nike Mamba Focus
Released 4/2019, Low Top, Kobe Bryant,
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Performance Ratings
7.4
EXPERT RATING
2 reviews
7.7
USER RATING
10 ratings
Performance Summary
Very lightweight budget model from Kobe's signature line
Pros
Very lightweight
Affordable price
Cons
Flimsy materials
Slippery traction and hard cushioning
Best Suitable For: An affordable shoe for playing outdoors
Category Performance Ratings
7.0
Traction
Hard rubber outsole with a basic tread pattern. Underwhelming indoor grip that only slightly improves after break-in but holds up well outdoors.
7.0
Cushion
Hard Phylon heel with a small forefoot Zoom bag. Very minimal cushioning with good court feel but poor impact protection.
8.0
Materials
Very lightweight synthetic upper with thin overlays. Comfortable on foot but feels cheap in hand; durability is acceptable for the price.
8.0
Support
External heel counter, large outrigger, and reinforced midfoot. Provides strong heel lockdown and stable lateral support for cuts.
7.5
Fit
Runs narrow and a little long with snug forefoot. Good heel lockdown but uncomfortable for wide-foot players even after break-in.
100%
Outdoor
Hard rubber outsole improves outdoor durability. Traction holds up on rough courts though indoor grip remains inconsistent.
small
large
Sizing
Runs a little long. Consider your normal size or a half size down for a snug fit if preferred.
narrow
wide
Width
Fits narrow to regular widths best. Wide-foot players will likely feel constricted in the forefoot and should avoid this model.
Comparison to Similar Shoes:
 Nike Mamba Focus |  Adidas AE 2 |  Jordan Luka 3 |  Nike KD 18 |  Adidas Harden Volume 9 |  Nike Lebron 23 | Add shoe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert Rating | 7.4 | 8.5(1.1) | 8.2(0.8) | 8.2(0.8) | 8.5(1.1) | 8.3(0.9) | |
| User Rating | 7.7 | 8.8(1.1) | 9.2(1.5) | 8.6(0.9) | 9.4(1.7) | NA | |
| Best Price | $99.99 | $129.99 | $129.99 $140 | $70.97 $160 | $112 $160 | $189.99 $200 | |
| Type of Cut | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | |
| Weight | 330g - 350g | 420g - 430g | 380g - 390g | 420g - 430g | 410g - 420g | 440g - 440g |
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Expert Reviews of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Rating: 7.4 (ranks #375 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
0
8 - Good
1
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
7.6
April 12, 2019
The Mamba Focus is really cheap and the performance is okay, but there are much better shoes even at similarly low prices (Nike PG3, Kyrie Flytrap 2).
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7.3
April 12, 2019
I wouldn't recommend the Kobe Mamba Focus. The traction isn't good, impact protection is very minimal, and the fit was really uncomfortable for my wide feet.
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User Reviews of the Nike Mamba Focus:
User Rating: 7.7 (ranks #316 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
1
8 - Good
5
7 - Average
4
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
7.4
April 2, 2023
This is a budget model for a reason, but is by no means a bad shoe. While the cushioning does little to keep your feet fresh, the court-feel is good. The outsole is very stiff out of the box, and collects dust easily. Support in these shoes is good. I felt locked down, and there is a nice outrigger at the forefoot. While this shoe is only equipped with the “gum stick” forefoot zoom air unit, I found it surprisingly easy to get vertical in these shoes. Replacing the stock insole helps a lot.
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7.6
January 23, 2022
Overall the Mamba Focus is a decent performer. The traction gets the job done but it was a little inconsistent for me on dust. The cushion is a responsive set up with a low profile feel to it which is good for players who don’t need very much impact protection. But if anything else you can find much better performers at the same price if not even lower.
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8.8
November 21, 2021
Pretty good shoe. It's a Kobe shoe so it's really good for being shifty on the court. Also has nice spring to it even after use. Overall a comfortable shoe that's excellent for indoor basketball.
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7.4
May 16, 2023
This shoe is more like a boot than a basketball shoes.There are some cheaper basketball shoes that you can get that are bettrt
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8.4
November 22, 2021
Pretty good shoe, good luck finding some for a good price tho.
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Traction of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Traction Rating: 7.0 (ranks #366 of 381)
User Traction Rating: 7.6 (ranks #310 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
2
8 - Good
3
7 - Average
6
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
7.0
April 12, 2019
Traction did get a little better over time, but overall it was a little disappointing. Doesn't pick up a lot of dust.
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7.0
April 12, 2019
The traction was really, really bad at first, and even after breaking in it never got really good.
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Cushion of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Cushion Rating: 7.0 (ranks #370 of 381)
User Cushion Rating: 7.1 (ranks #312 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
0
8 - Good
3
7 - Average
7
6 - Subpar
2
5 - Poor
0
7.0
April 12, 2019
The heel is made of super-hard Phylon which provides good court feel but impact protection is not good. The Zoom bag in the forefoot gives you a little bit of bounce.
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7.0
April 12, 2019
The cushioning is very minimal which makes you feel very quick, but I just need more impact protection in a basketball shoe.
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Materials of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Materials Rating: 8.0 (ranks #264 of 381)
User Materials Rating: 7.7 (ranks #297 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
3
8 - Good
4
7 - Average
4
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
8.0
April 12, 2019
Materials are very lightweight, feel cheap and flimsy in-hand, but are really comfortable on-foot.
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8.0
April 12, 2019
Considering the price, I really like the aesthetics and performance of the materials.
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Support of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Support Rating: 8.0 (ranks #306 of 381)
User Support Rating: 7.9 (ranks #294 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
0
8 - Good
10
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.0
April 12, 2019
Heel counter, big outrigger, and lateral support from the Nike swoosh.
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Fit of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Fit Rating: 7.5 (ranks #352 of 381)
User Fit Rating: 8.2 (ranks #255 of 381)
10 - Amazing
1
9 - Great
3
8 - Good
5
7 - Average
2
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
8.0
April 12, 2019
It's not the most comfortable shoe but overall the fit is okay.
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7.0
April 12, 2019
Very uncomfortable as a wide-footer. Other than that, the materials are pretty comfortable.
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Durability of the Nike Mamba Focus:
User Durability Rating: 7.7 (ranks #290 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
2
8 - Good
2
7 - Average
2
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
Outdoor of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Outdoor Rating: 100.0 (ranks #37 of 381)
User Outdoor Rating: 83.3 (ranks #73 of 381)
Good (100%)
3
Fair (50%)
1
Bad (0%)
0
good
April 12, 2019
Outdoors should be pretty good because of the hard rubber.
More details
Width of the Nike Mamba Focus:
very narrow
2
slightly narrow
5
regular
3
slightly wide
2
very wide
0
slightly narrow
April 12, 2019
Pretty damn narrow.
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very narrow
April 12, 2019
Runs really narrow, if you are a wide-footer stay away from this shoe.
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Size of the Nike Mamba Focus:
very small
0
slightly small
0
true to size
2
slightly long
10
very long
0
½ size large
April 12, 2019
Runs a little bit long after breaking-in.
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½ size large
April 12, 2019
Runs a little long.
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