Hops Supaclean Review
Posted on November 20th, 2007 by
In this post I will be reviewing the Hops Supaclean pair of basketball shoes.
First off, a small disclaimer, I got a pair of these shoes to review for free from Hops who have also bought an advertising package on Bball City for the next 6 months. As for the review I have permission to be as honest as I want: if I think the shoe is a piece of crap, then that’s exactly what I’m going to write (not that it is). As for my qualifications as a shoe reviewer: I have spent most of my life playing basketball and I also worked at a shoe store for a few months when I was younger, so I have a general idea of what makes a good basketball shoe.
About Hops
From their website:
2 years in the making “HOPS” is an exciting new brand of high performance basketball footwear. “HOPS” is based in Melbourne, Australia but its shoe designer comes from Italy. Both the Designer and Company Founder are basketball people with over 50 years combined basketball experience. Both have a passion for the game of basketball which is the reason why “HOPS” was formed.
“HOPS” is determined to bring top quality footwear to the world at reasonable prices. Over 20 testers from 4 different countries have been wearing the “HOPS” shoes for the last 12 months. Through the feedback that has been received “HOPS” has been able to fine tune their brand to deliver the best possible shoe ready to be sold globally.
The Review
Build Quality
The shoe features a combination of synthetic leather (for most of the upper body), suede around the front, rubber for the outsole, and mesh underneath the laces for breathability. The build quality is solid, and after a few weeks of casual wear (indoors and outdoors), as well as some decent time on the hard wood, the shoe has not taken any damage except some minimal wearing at the bottom of the soles.
Performance
To be honest I really wasn’t expecting the shoe to hold up that well on the court, the fit was definitely different than what I’m used to wearing on the court (usually a pair of Jordans). But the shoes held up very well in all major areas; comfort, support, durability, and performance.
The Supacleans feature a high collar that goes up to the ankle on the inside part of the shoe, and drops down in a v shape on the outside. The tongue of the shoe is held down to the midsole using a piece of elastic on each side. This combination gives a snug, comfortable fit without compromising ankle support.
The grip on the shoe is excellent as well; it features a zig zag wavy tread all the way up the bottom sole, kind of like with the older Adidas Superstar models. The Supacleans also feature a medial wing, which is basically a slightly wide outsole on the inside of the shoe. It is supposed to improve balance and explosiveness in lateral movement. When testing it out, I did notice a slight improvement in balance, but overall it felt pretty normal.
Affordability and Availability
The deal breaker with the Hops brand of shoes falls with the affordability and availability of the shoes. Although it’s competitively priced at $100AUD it does get considerably more expensive when you factor in the shipping / customs charges for worldwide orders. For example in Canadian dollars a pair of Supacleans would come out to around $130 ($150AUD) after shipping and customs. This isn’t a problem for Australian residents who not only don’t have to worry about any customs charges, but they also get free shipping for the rest of the month and a 3-5 day delivery expectation.
Verdict
Hops have built a solid shoe in the Supaclean model; it’s well built, has a retro innovative design, and provides great support and comfort on and off the court. Although I can’t see it becoming a big hit in the North American or European markets until it becomes more widely available (ie. locally), Hops is definitely on the right track to building a solid brand of basketball shoes.
More Pictures
