The Association: Starbury One Epilogue

January 10, 2007

Starbury One Epilogue

By Craig Kwasniewski

I know, I know... I've already done not one, not two, but three previous posts on the Starbury One shoe last summer. Consider this one of those paperback epilogues that authors put together to justify dropping an extra $14.95 on a second copy of their book.

Anyway, I was at the basketball shoe mecca, otherwise known at the Fox Hills Mall in Culver City, and I couldn't resist buying a few pairs of the Starbury One's. First off, I'm not exaggerating when I say that the Fox Hills Mall is kicks heaven. There are at least 10 different stores where you can get basketball shoes of all kinds. I try to limit my trips there simply because I'll go overboard and have to take out a second mortage to pay the bills.

So while I'm looking through the stacks of Starburys at the Steve and Barry's store, I overheard at least three different people giving props to Marbury for backing the concept. Five months after the shoes were introduced and there's still people talking up the idea... a genius marketing tool. Most of the size 12's were gone (I've heard the shoes are selling well) and it took me awhile to grab up two pairs for myself. (At $14.99 a pop why just stop at one pair.)

So I gave the Starburys a little test run on Sunday at the local playground. Needless to say this is why I'm writing this piece. I've spent the past two days in pain with back spasms after playing on Sunday. (worthy of bold print, my back is freakin' killing me!) Overall, the shoes held up pretty well on the asphalt, it's just that they lack suitable cushioning along bottom. After playing for one hour, I felt my back tighten up and I had to go back to the Crazy-8's for the rest of the day.

BTW - I don't have a chronically bad back. I'll experience some random spasms about once a year, but only if I take some time off from playing hoops. I've been playing 1-2 times a week for the past 4 months with no real aches or pains... until Monday morning. So it's not like I'm some weak-ass looking for a reason to crack on the Starburys. I actually like the idea of a high-profile athlete supporting affordable gear.

The above is what the shoes look like after Sunday's game. The only noticeable wear is in the peeling blue paint along the bottom. I'm sure insoles will help in the future, I'm just a little gun-shy about testing out the kicks on the court again. My friend Matt best summed up the Starburys, "they need a little more shoe."

Posted at 12:33 AM in Gear, Kicks | Permalink