The Nike SB Zoom Janoski RM shoes are classics. Now the iconic silhouette has received a long-awaited update. Let’s find out what’s the difference between the regular and remastered version.
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First Impression
At first sight, the silhouette is quite similar to the original version. But the sole and stitchings look more durable on the Zoom Janoski RM version from Nike SB. I took out the footbed to have a closer look at the Zoom Air unit. This is a very important feature for me due to previous ankle injuries.
Unfortunately, the shoe only has heel impact support and no impact support on the front or the arch. At first, the toe box of the Nike SB Zoom Janoski RM feels a bit tight.
But the Janoski RM version features auxetic shapes between the midsole and the outsole which means that they should expand and contract in all directions.
After I tried them on, I couldn’t feel a real difference in comparison to the original version.
First session
Because of the usual break-in period, the first session with new shoes is always a bit hard. But with the Nike SB Zoom Janoski RM, I had no problem – not even with flip tricks. At first, my feet fitted a bit too tight in the shoes. But during the first session the suede already started to work its magic, so now the fit is perfect. The expanding toe box is a big plus for me. In comparison, the upper is rather loose which gave me the feeling that you could roll your ankle pretty easily.
Fit & Comfort
The toe box really helps for people with wider feet. It feels a bit tight at the beginning, but when the suede starts to do its job the fit is amazing. With the Zoom Air unit in the back, walking and skating feel pretty comfy. It’s been a long time since I skated the original Janoski version, but I think the fit & comfort level are still good.
POINTS: 7/10
Performance
Using these shoes on the skateboard feels a bit weird to me. I normally skate with more padded shoes for more stability and strength for my weak ankles. In this case the Janoski gave me a lot of support and I didn’t roll my ankle throughout the entire test.
POINTS: 8/10
Boardfeel & Grip
The Janoski’s are well known for their boardfeel, the sole is not too thick but still good enough for higher gaps and support. It stayed like this during the entire test. The pattern lasted for a while and gave me a good and long-lasting grip.
POINTS: 8/10
Cushioning
The Zoom Air unit in the back really helps to cushion the impact and I think it’s better than the original version. But I still miss some cushion in the front of the shoes.
POINTS: 7/10
Durability
5 Hours
The first 5 hours of skating went by pretty fast and after this short period the shoes didn’t show any signs of wear. Normally you would already see some wear on the laces, but that wasn’t the case.
10 Hours
After ten hours of skating, I was already use to the shoes and flip tricks felt really good. Because the upper is quite thin I have the feeling there will be a hole in the upper sooner rather than later. For now after about ten hours of skating I could only see some wear in the Ollie area, but still nothing to be concerned about.
15 Hours
The test is almost over and the shoes still look good. The white sole shows some wear and the sews are a little bit damaged. The laces are still intact which is pretty rare. Yet and still there are no big holes or damages visible. It looks like this RM version really is more durable then the original Janoski’s.
20 Hours
The last five hours of the test are usually where things either sink or swim, and these shoes definitely stayed afloat. During the whole test the fit & grip were very good, there was a lot of boardfeel and a great flick. The durability of the Nike SB Zoom Janoski RM is amazing and even at the end of the test there is still no hole in the upper. Only the white sole is showing some wear and the sews in the upper are a little bit worn.
POINTS 8/10
Conclusion
The Nike SB Janoski RM looks pretty similar to the original model, but there is a definite improvement. Thanks to the Zoom Air unit in the heel I didn’t have any impact or ankle problems which was cool. Regarding the auxetic shapes between the midsole and the outsole, I couldn’t really feel a difference between the original and the RM version.
The shoes feel really good while skating – good boardfeel, good fit & grip, nice flick and they lasted long. After 20 hours of skating the shoes still didn’t have a lot of wear and I could skate with them for hours and hours.
PROS
- Boardfeel
- Durability
- Grip & Fit
CONS
- No impact support in the front
