Let me start off by applauding Stephon Marbury's initiative to undergo this ambitious project with his Starbury line of shoes. Here's a quick excerpt from the product description:
Hood-tested and approved, these shoes are designed to provide maximum
performance without sacrificing comfort.Starbury insists there is a
misconception in the market place regarding price and quality. Starbury
believes in serving the community by providing a high quality product
at an affordable price. Join Starbury in its efforts to take care of
the forgotten. Starbury plans to donate products and a portion of its
net proceeds to various community organizations so feel good knowing
that your purchase supports others.
Comfortability/Fit: During my first test run, the soles of the shoes somewhat felt like cardboard. But like most new shoes out there, I assumed there was a bit of a "breaking
in" period before the sneakers felt comfortable. Luckily, I was right. While its cushioning system leaves something to be desired (compared to my overpriced Saucony running shoes), it's quite amazing that shoe has a decent cushioning system for its price. In addition, I found the laces to be a bit on the long side. I had to perform my loop my patented bunny ears twice.
Score: 13/20
Safety/Support/Stability: Since this is labeled a running shoe, I'll have to review it as such. However, I did try to play basketball with these shoes. It's a good shoe for "casual" use so don't expect it to perform like a champ under stressful conditions. The picture on the right shows the design pattern of the outsoles.
Score: 13/20
Durability To be honest, I was pretty skeptical at first about how a $15 pair of shoes can hold up in real-world situations. After wearing these shoes for a couple weeks, I realized that it can definitely take a beating. Stephon Marbury said the following, ""If you take my shoe and you take a $150 shoe, cut it down in half, and it do the same exact thing". Well, I definitely won't be as bold as to say that this shoe is quite as durable as a pair of $200 Air Jordans, but it definitely is the better value (200 divided by 15 = 13 pairs of Starburies for 1 Air Jordan...I personally thank the American public school system for teaching me something practical).
Score: 12/20
Style In terms of casual wear, these shoes look pretty good with a pair of jeans. There's nothing particularly interesting that sets it apart from other running shoes besides the funky Starbury logo
Score: 13/20
Value: For $15, this shoe ain't that bad. It's not as low-quality as the shoes that you see
in your local Walmart or Payless Shoe Store sections. I'll take this pair of shoes any day over the off-brand shoes (Sorry, Shaq). Amazon has this pair of shoes for under $15 (with Free shipping if you have Amazon Prime or if you spend $25 or more).
Score: 20/20
Summary
As far as I can tell, only Amazon is currently selling these shoes online. Click on the link below to go to product page on Amazon.
Score: 13/20
Safety/Support/Stability: Since this is labeled a running shoe, I'll have to review it as such. However, I did try to play basketball with these shoes. It's a good shoe for "casual" use so don't expect it to perform like a champ under stressful conditions. The picture on the right shows the design pattern of the outsoles.
Score: 13/20
Durability To be honest, I was pretty skeptical at first about how a $15 pair of shoes can hold up in real-world situations. After wearing these shoes for a couple weeks, I realized that it can definitely take a beating. Stephon Marbury said the following, ""If you take my shoe and you take a $150 shoe, cut it down in half, and it do the same exact thing". Well, I definitely won't be as bold as to say that this shoe is quite as durable as a pair of $200 Air Jordans, but it definitely is the better value (200 divided by 15 = 13 pairs of Starburies for 1 Air Jordan...I personally thank the American public school system for teaching me something practical).
Score: 12/20
Style In terms of casual wear, these shoes look pretty good with a pair of jeans. There's nothing particularly interesting that sets it apart from other running shoes besides the funky Starbury logo
Score: 13/20
Value: For $15, this shoe ain't that bad. It's not as low-quality as the shoes that you see
Score: 20/20
Pros
- Cheap...really cheap compared to its expensive counterparts (Nike, Reebok, Adidas, New Balance, etc.)
- Lightweight, breathable upper
Cons
- Not designed for hardcore runners. I doubt I'll be running the New York marathon anytime with this particular Starbury.
- Laces are a little bit on the long side.
- More for casual play, not competitive play
Final Score: 71% C
Starbury Skurban Line Running Shoe
Extra Credit (+10% if you're on a budget)...
Starbury Skurban Line Running Shoe
Extra Credit (+10% if you're on a budget)...
As far as I can tell, only Amazon is currently selling these shoes online. Click on the link below to go to product page on Amazon.
