Introducing Chris Paul's CP3.IX Model: Tested and Approved
Chris Paul's relationship with Jordan Brand has been going strong for 11 years now. In true CP3 fashion, as his game has changed, so has the signature sneakers he bares on the court.
The latest installment of the CP3-Jordan collaboration is the CP3.IX, a model that represents the ninth personalized sneaker for the Los Angeles Clippers point guard.
We got a chance to test the CP3.IX out before its initial release to better understand what changes had been made in order to facilitate growth and build on performance. The open run took place at the awe-inspiring Jordan 23 Terminal in New York City.
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Set up as an unmarked building tucked away on a busy Manhattan street, the Terminal is a catacomb of basketball greatness. It features an operational barber shop, an NBA-length court, a lounge area and, of course, a Jordan Brand-inspired locker room.
What better place is there to test out one of the Brand's latest projects?
From the jump, you can feel many of the technological advances the CP3.IX has strived for. The sock-lined booty secures your foot in place, which sweeps the mental aspect of uncertainty under an imaginary rug. Whenever you stunt in a low-top silhouette, that level of ankle-shattering anxiety tends to strike up more fear than a Goosebumps paperback, circa 1996.
The CP3.IX removes all of that pressure.
A big part of the conversation with any CP3 shoe has been its lightweight upper. You normally think the lighter the shoe is, the better it plays. That's not always gospel. The IX isn't heavy by any means, but it doesn't feel like you're walking on air, either.
Shuffling your feet with the hopes of staying in front of a defender or attacking the rim isn't a laboring task wearing these kicks. The weight distribution is even. You never get the feeling the shoe is too flimsy or light.
One's ability to embrace the web-lacing system on the front of the shoe is a real driving point of this sneaker. You can't say enough about the functionality you get once these kicks have been locked into place.
Before we go any further, let's pump the brakes with the technical jargon. For a consumer who isn't blown away by what types of materials are used or how technical a shoe is, why is this CP3 model different than others?
To answer that question, we turned to the man himself, Chris Paul.
"Most people have no idea about the nine-chamber Zoom bag," Paul mentioned. "For me, I would more so tell people about playing the game of basketball."
Paul discussed how he follows the whole process of his shoe, so he understands if the kicks are easy to roll an ankle in or how much they tend to snag on the floor. Even though he doesn't sport them during the initial wear tests, CP3 stays very closely aligned with the process in order to produce the best shoe possible for himself and consumers.
Basketball shoes are available in mass quantities these days. Shelves are lined with high-tops, low-tops and everything in between. In performance terms, the CP3.IX is one of the leading kicks out there.
The team at Jordan Brand, along with Paul, came together and created an exceptional hoops-related sneaker. And in true Paul fashion, the CP3.IX is loaded with hidden messages and Easter eggs.
"If you look on the inside of the right or left heel, it should be this thing that it almost looks like a ring. Then it also looks like stadium seating, and it's supposed to be for me and my wife," Paul said. "When I proposed to my wife, it was at the coliseum where me and her met for the first time, and that's where I played my college basketball."
Don't miss out on the CP3.IX. In the calendar year of 2015, it's become a great option for on-court performance.
All quotes obtained firsthand.
