The PEAK TP7 is 2019’s most comfortable basketball shoe. That’s right – give me a pair of TP7s and I’ll play in those over a $150+ Nikey model ANY DAY of the week. Comfort-wise that is. But what about actual performance? Are they worth getting in 2022 and beyond?
Let’s break it all down in a variety of practical ways for the hooper on the hunt for a new basketball shoe. I’ll give you sizing recommendations, analyze performance, evaluate the build quality, durability, and value for the money.
SHOW TABLE OF CONTENTS
BEHIND THE REVIEW
Today I want to shed some light on those that aren’t aware/interested in PEAK, mostly thanks to Nikey’s, adidas’s, and Jordan’s marketing campaigns and clout to wear what’s “popping” right now.
Hoopers that are looking for an affordable sneaker that brings sheer comfort on the court – let me present to you Tony Parker’s 7th signature shoe. I’ll analyze the shoe’s fit & comfort aspects, on-court performance, build quality & value for the price and explain to you why I think it’s still among the top dogs comfort-wise.
SPEC SHEET
I. FIT & COMFORT
SIZING GUIDE
Let’s begin with the need-to-know. The TP7 will be the most beloved among my fellow wide-foot people out there. You can already see the wider-than-usual platform externally but stepping inside, things are similar.
I need to mention that I’m very wide-footed but going true to size with the TP7 meant a perfect fit width-wise along with a tad bit of space for my toes length-wise. EXACTLY the way I like it. No heel slippage, no containment issues, phew. You’d think there would be a catch since it’s not a well-known brand, right?
Well, I hate to break it to you but the Swoosh is not the only brand making good basketball shoes. However, if you’re not a wide footer, the situation can be a bit different.
I’m sure a lot of people will still find the fit to be fine with their regular size but if you’re particularly picky about the way a shoe fits and you’re opting for a snug, one-to-one experience, stepping down half a size is also an option.
For a regular/narrow foot, I’ve seen a few people & reviews claiming that going true to size resulted in a decent fit but left some room at the toebox area length-wise and height-wise. This will depend on what you prefer – if you don’t care much about achieving that skin-like fit, you’re good with TTS.
COMFORT
This is where things go from good to great. Comfort is what it’s all about with the TP7. Don’t even get me started with the cushion and the upper (we’ll talk about both in the later sections). But leaving those things aside, the shoe just feels premium for my foot every time I step into them.
They’re definitely on the heavier side but I never felt heavy-footed or slower than I normally am. Weight is just a number that doesn’t matter as much as some people think. Next, we got some really smooth lining around the ankle & heel that’s silky soft when you slide your foot in but feels much more textured once you step out of the shoe.
I can’t tell you exactly how much this contributed to preventing heel slippage but I like the cool sensation my ankle gets when the shoe cups it in a 360-degree fashion. Small little touches like this can come a long way in creating the so-called “premium” experience.
Lastly, the step transitions. Initially, things started off a little weird (mainly due to the tooling setup) but a couple of hours were all I needed to start noticing how buttery smooth each step has become.
It’s not the fastest feeling transition I’ve ever experienced due to lots of volume in the midsole but this setup is a lot of fun. The sensation is there every time I step and I really, really like it.
II. TRACTION
I don’t have a detailed report on how these gripped the floor indoors (but this review MIGHT just be the last one before my local gyms open back up) but outdoors – the TP7 blasted through any challenge I put them through.
Some interesting-looking patterns throughout the outsole and an argument could be made that some portions remind of herringbone. Whatever the case may be, the shoe offers deadly traction no matter the angle.
The only times I noticed a tad bit of delay in my stops is a couple of hours of playing time on an old, dirty concrete court. Nothing bad enough to throw me off though.
If you’re used to wiping down your shoes occasionally while playing – there’s about the TP7 that’ll surprise you. If you never wipe down your outsoles mid-game though AND you’re playing on a weary court, you might get an occasional slip here and there since the pattern does pick up a bit of dust.
And if you’re wondering about indoor performance, the guys that tested these in a gym all reported on fantastic traction. At least those I’ve seen. So, gym or no gym – these should have you covered.
OUTDOOR DURABILITY
Even though I haven’t been constantly playing in the TP7 for the full 12+ months I have ’em but I don’t have to. The rubber used on these is definitely stronger than your typical Nikey product and despite the forefoot portion burning off quicker than the heel area, I’m still a-okay with these.
Outdoor hoopers – this will do the trick. Indoor hoopers – I’m sure the same thing stands for guys as well.
III. CUSHION
This is where things go from great to AWESOME. PEAK Taichi is the brand’s latest cushioning system. Debuted in PEAK’S Taichi running shoe, it uses P4U as the main material in their foam compound. In addition to the midsole, we also get a Taichi insole that adds to the already awesome step comfort.
P4U actually reacts to environmental forces applied to the midsole. On idle, the material is extremely soft while harder impact results in the midsole stiffening up to soak up the shock, thus returning back into the normal state.
The heel & lateral portions of the foam are pretty bluntly caged in TPU to keep the naturally unstable foam from overcompressing, while the whole medial portion is fully exposed, showing its full glory.
The end result is one that not many shoes today can replicate and we’re not even going to talk about the fact that these aren’t $160 or something like that. This right here is EVERYTHING we’d usually get on a pricy flagship model from the Swoosh, and then some.
Excellent impact protection that should have even the heaviest of players covered, moderate spring back upon each movement, ridiculous stepping comfort, good court feel and a package wrapped up nicely to keep all this goodness stable.
While it might look like the heel portion weighs a ton, it doesn’t really feel that way when it’s game time. Each heel strike feels really nice and plushy but doesn’t cause any sinking in.
The forefoot portion is a little bit firmer & lower to the ground but still more of the same Taichi awesomeness that makes me feel like I’m jumping on a bunch of pillows. This is really an amazing setup that brings the whole shoe together: it’s what undoubtedly makes the shoe among the comfiest in 2019 and any other year I can think of.
Are there “faster” setups out there? Sure. The Kyrie 7. Are there setups that yield more spring back upon impact? Totally. The Zoom Rize 2. But I never looked for either and what I ended up with caught me off guard.
I’m not going to play in the TP7 every single time I step on the court because I like things to be just a little bit faster in the forefoot portion. But just a little bit. With that said, for someone who’s a high leaper or just looking for an excellent ride from heel to toe – you’ve gotta try this one.
IV. SUPPORT
No major issues in the support department as everything as expected is present in the build: a wide, stable platform to kick things off, an internal TPU heel counter for heel & ankle lockdown, a large midfoot shank for torsional support, and a pair of aggressive outriggers to catch awkward lateral motions.
The lacing system is somewhat traditional and the laces are attached to internal cables which pull the upper down upon pressure, causing the upper to wrap around the foot in a stronger fashion. But the real winner is the synthetic leather piece that splits the forefoot portion in half and handles the load for containment.
No matter the movement, this piece felt like a bulletproof vest for my feet. Even the most explosive players should find this setup suitable and secure, all while keeping things really damn comfy.
Let’s talk about torsional coverage though. I’m sure some of you seen the fact that you can bend the shoe in half. So does this mean the shoe lacks good torsional support? For some, yes. For the general population that has healthy feet, you’re good. Don’t worry.
There’s a midfoot shank in place but it’s not as rigid as you’d normally see. The only people I don’t recommend this shoe for would be those with flat feet, overly high arches, or generally unhealthy/weak feet.
I’ve just come off the Jordan React Elevation which also didn’t have torsional rigidity and went straight into testing these. My feet are perfectly fine despite clocking good hours in the park. You’ll be fine is what I’m trying to say.
V. MATERIALS & BUILD
The upper is what adds to the comfort even further: we’ve got a nice thick knit making up the majority of the build, while the synthetic leather piece adds some structure. There’s also a weird thin heel piece acting as a pull tab but I never found myself using it.
The shoe is easy enough to put on without it, mainly thanks to the super-stretchy ankle collar.
The tongue is a very thin fabric and I did feel its presence a bit initially. These types of thin tongues can dig into your shins but compare to the LeBron 18’s comical tongue design, this is barely something I thought about while playing.
The lace loops are made from nylon and the shoe utilizes a one-bootie construction. I’m usually not a fan of those but ONLY because a lot of one-bootie/half-bootie shoes can be a nightmare to put on, especially for my wide & thick feet. Not the case with the TP7 though.
Now, there’s an argument to be made about the excessive use of materials here. The synthetic piece is definitely fairly thick just as the knit is. There’s that unnecessary heel tab too. It doesn’t look like weight reduction was high on the designers’ priority list.
With that being said, I’d only complain about it if this would be an issue performance-wise and the truth is, it wasn’t. These could’ve been lighter, sure, but not many people will feel a certain way about the fact that these don’t weigh 12 ounces.
It’s all about the weight and minimalism nowadays, and the TP7 feels like a blast from the past showing us what a luxury experience for our feet is. Once this upper stretched out and molded to my foot, it almost feels like a sock. A thick, heavy sock.
How about durability? While I haven’t played in them for a whole year straight, I’ve played in them enough to believe this should last a while. No major defects to the upper, the outsoles are still working. They look a little banged up and one of the nylon lace loops might rip off soon but that’s an easy fix.
So, if you’re looking for that true 2021 shoe with maximum weight reduction and minimalism as the priorities: look away. If you’re in for a comfy, premium experience at the cost of a bit of extra weight & volume – I think these should catch you off guard for sure.
VI. OVERALL
The PEAK Tony Parker TP7 is not only a ridiculously comfy basketball sneaker, but it’s also a great all-around performer for most players or playstyles. It’s also a great deal! Please, do me a favor and stop exclusively worshipping the Swoosh while paying top dollar while you’re doing it.
I’m not serious though – rock what you want! Just remember that there are a bunch of awesome options waiting for you if you’d just look in the shadows.
The TP7 fits wide footers best while leaving a tad bit of room for regular/narrow footers. It’s got phenomenal traction that will last & perform well both indoors and outdoors.
It’s also got one of the most insane cushion setups to date and all-around security isn’t lacking either. The upper is one of the coziest in recent years as well, albeit a little heavy.
Colorways start at $109 in the US but there are also variants for $150 and $190. You can grab ’em at the PEAK Online Shop, Famuji Sneaker, or Hi Basketball Shoes.
The scores of the shoe are below!
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
That wraps up the PEAK TP7 review and hopefully proves why it’s the most comfortable basketball shoe you can get right now! Everyone will have their preferences performance-wise, sure, but MOST people will undoubtedly find these a lot of fun on the court.
As always, I’m curious to hear your thoughts! Have you tried the shoe and feel different about it? What’s your take on PEAK and other lesser-known shoe brands? Perhaps you’ve got a question I haven’t answered in the review?
Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you ASAP!
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THE VERDICT
PEAK Tony Parker TP7
$109
Main Takeaways
- True to size is optimal for wide footers
- Regular/narrow footers: true to size for a roomier fit & down 1/2 a size for a snug fit
- The most picky could find the shoe a little heavy/bulky
- A great all-around package at a competitive price
Recommended For
- All positions
- High-flyers
- All-around players
- Those with healthy feet