During the Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade‘s last year in the NBA, he was oftentimes seen on court wearing the All City 7. The future Hall of Famer frequently alternated with his signature Way of Wade 7s and his Team Wade All City 7s during his ‘Last Dance.’ Two totally distinct performance basketball kicks, with their own unique separate personalities and traits.
We take a deeper dive into the Wade AC7 and share our thoughts with you!
Perhaps the most distinguishable aspect of the AC7 is the lycra speed wrap on the uppers. Very reminiscent of the Lebron Soldier series. The nearly 360 wrap does exactly what it is designed to do. It keeps your foot contained and locked-on to the sneaker. It worked harmoniously with the embedded plastic heel cup counter and the lacing system to keep our foot in place. We experienced no slippages inside during our stop and go runs and side to lateral movements on the court.
Also, the uppers are made with a fuse mesh material making the sneaker breathable and ideal for longer court runs.
However, we felt that the loose neoprene sock was unnecessary and was there for aesthetics.
We recommend going true to size for narrow-footers and going .5 up for wide-footers.
FIT: 4.5/5
The midsole is packed with the current Li-Ning Cloud Cushioning technology. It is very light weight and responsive. It’s meant to absorb impact and release the energy back on to the athlete’s every step. The LN Cloud Cushioning and the plush reinforced insole blue foam gave us a very comfortable ride. It wasn’t squishy, but was dense where the base of our foot needed it the most.
The medial Way of Wade logo is not just for cosmetics alone. The logo served as a support during our side to side movements. We’re pretty sure it prevented a few ankle rolls.
One thing we missed though is the lack of a plastic shank plate underneath. Traditionally, shanks are meant to reinforce the connection between the insole and the outsole of the sneaker. It’s also meant to return energy with each of your stride preventing foot fatigue. While we experienced none during our work outs with the AC7, it will be interesting to note if this will be an issue in the long run.
CUSHION: 3.5/5
Turning the sneakers underneath, we find that is made up of the Tuff Rubber outsole. We found it to be really durable and dense. This makes the AC7 ideal for most types of court surfaces, specially outdoor ones. The outsole is cleverly designed with the number 7. 3 sevens makes up a singular twirling groove pattern. We noticed immediately that it was very grippy in all the surfaces and conditions we played on. Guards that love their crossovers, in and outs and hesitation dribbles will the enjoy the firm soles that extends in strategic spots in the midsole. This makes for a better connection with the surface during the push off motion with the inner side of their foot.
TRACTION: 5/5
While most basketball sneaker brands relegate their budget performance kicks to the second tier line or ‘team’ signatures and are quickly forgotten, this is not quite the case with the AC7s.
As we said previously, Wade alternated with AC7s and his signature WOW 7s because he enjoyed both their beastly performance on court and looks on feet.
We’ve always been impressed with how well Wades are made. You won’t find any excess glues, misplaced fabrics and dodgy paints in their kicks.
We found the modern and sleek design of the AC7 to be very visually pleasing and on par if not better than the designs of the more established brands.
While there are other dope colorways of the AC7, we found the ‘D&J’ and the ‘South Beach’ to be fire enough to be worn not just for balling but also for lifestyle.
LOOKS: 4/5
Whether you’re a huge Dywane Wade fan or a casual baller looking for something else other than the big 2 and want to stand out on court or on the streets, we recommend you check out the Wade All City 7. It ticks all the performance and drip boxes coming in at reasonable price range of $147 AUD – $221 AUD
Lastly, Sunlight Station provides one of the best customer services around. Not only do they provide and amazing customer experience but they provide amazing value for our dough. Extra care and attention is given to our sneakers when they are sent. They are bubble wrapped and double boxed. We also love the extra freebies and gifts they send with the kicks.
OVERALL: 4.25/5
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