Nike Mamba Focus
Released 4/2019, Low Top, Kobe Bryant,
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7.4
EXPERT RATING
2 reviews
7.9
USER RATING
7 ratings
Very lightweight budget model from Kobe's signature line
Best Suitable For:
An affordable shoe for playing outdoors
Price Comparison:
Available at 3 shops | Official Retail Price: $99.99
Category Performance Ratings:
Weight & Sizing:
Weight:
light
heavy
Sizing:
small
large
Width:
narrow
wide
Comparison to Similar Shoes:
Nike Mamba Focus | Jordan Luka 2 | Adidas D.O.N. Issue 5 | Puma Court Rider | Nike Precision 6 | New Balance Hesi Low | Add shoe | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expert Rating | 7.4 | 8.3(0.9) | 8.1(0.7) | 8.2(0.8) | 7.9(0.5) | 7.7(0.3) | |
User Rating | 7.9 | 8.7(0.8) | 8.1(0.2) | 8.1(0.2) | 8.5(0.6) | 9.3(1.4) | |
Best Price | $99.99 | $72.97 $130 | $59.47 $120 | $74.97 $100 | $69.97 $75 | $45.87 $110 | |
Type of Cut | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | |
Weight | 330g - 350g | 390g - 410g | NA | 410g - 420g | NA | NA |
Nike Mamba Focus Review
Pros:
Very lightweight
Affordable price
Cons:
Flimsy materials
Slippery traction and hard cushioning
Performance of the Nike Mamba Focus:
The Mamba Focus is Kobe Bryant's latest budget model. Unfortunately, the performance is disappointing overall.
The traction starts off really bad and gets slightly better over time, but you never get the hard stops you want.
The cushioning in the heel is very hard, and the bottom-loaded Zoom unit in the forefoot gives you only a very minimal bounce.
The materials feel cheap in-hand but get the job done. A large outrigger and sturdy heel counter provide good support and lockdown.
Even at the affordable retail price of $100, this shoe is still underwhelming overall and not recommended by sneaker critics.
See all 2 reviews
Expert Reviews of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Rating: 7.4 (ranks #316 of 322)
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: 7.9 (ranks #275 of 322)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
1
8 - Good
3
7 - Average
3
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 #307 of 322)
User Traction Rating: 8.0 (ranks #251 of 322)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
2
8 - Good
3
7 - Average
4
6 - Subpar
0
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 #312 of 322)
User Cushion Rating: 7.3 (ranks #271 of 322)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
0
8 - Good
3
7 - Average
5
6 - Subpar
1
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 #228 of 322)
User Materials Rating: 8.1 (ranks #201 of 322)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
3
8 - Good
4
7 - Average
2
6 - Subpar
0
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 #255 of 322)
User Support Rating: 7.9 (ranks #262 of 322)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
0
8 - Good
7
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 #298 of 322)
User Fit Rating: 8.1 (ranks #235 of 322)
10 - Amazing
1
9 - Great
1
8 - Good
5
7 - Average
1
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: 7.8 (ranks #257 of 322)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
2
8 - Good
1
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
Outdoor of the Nike Mamba Focus:
Expert Outdoor Rating: 100.0 (ranks #31 of 322)
User Outdoor Rating: 75.0 (ranks #93 of 322)
Good (100%)
2
Fair (50%)
1
Bad (0%)
0
good
April 12, 2019
Outdoors should be pretty good because of the hard rubber.
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Width of the Nike Mamba Focus:
very narrow
2
slightly narrow
3
regular
3
slightly wide
1
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
7
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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