Our verdict
Pros
- Quite comfortable
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- Authentic leather
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- Lighweight stucture
Cons
- Not breathable
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Audience verdict
- Top 8% in trainers
- Top 8% in Nike trainers
Comparison
The most similar trainers compared
+ + Add a shoe | |||||
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Audience score | 94 Superb! | 95 Superb! | 92 Great! | 88 Good! | |
Price | £90 | £115 | £135 | £110 | |
Style | Retro | DadRetroSporty | ClassicSporty | SportyWedgeChunky | |
Breathability | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | |
Weight lab | 11.9 simple drawing of girl running | 12.9 nike air max shop brisbane australia | 13.3 nike dunk vintage 2008 full episodes youtube | 13.4 oz / 381g | |
Size | Slightly small | True to size | True to size | Slightly small | |
Midsole softness | Balanced | Soft | Balanced | Balanced | |
Material | Leather | LeatherMesh | Mesh | SuedeTextile | |
Season | Winter | SpringFall | SpringFall | Winter | |
Inspired from | Running | Running | Running | Running | |
Toebox width at the widest part | - | Wide | Medium | Medium | |
zoom rival md 6 black | - | Wide | Medium | Medium | |
Leather/suede quality | Real leather | Real leather | Fake suede | Real suede | |
Toebox durability | Good | Decent | Decent | Good | |
nike roshe for women black tiffany blue hair color | Bad | Decent | Decent | Bad | |
Outsole durability | Bad | Good | Good | Bad | |
nike zoom witness boys grade school size chart | 30.8 mm | 32.3 mm | 32.2 mm | 35.8 mm | |
Stiffness | Moderate | Stiff | Moderate | Moderate | |
Tongue padding | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
Drop lab | 9.9 mm | 10.0 mm | 12.1 mm | 11.1 mm | |
Forefoot | 20.9 mm | 22.3 mm | 20.1 mm | 24.7 mm | |
Removable insole | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Heel tab | None | None | None | Finger loop | |
Torsional rigidity | Moderate | Moderate | Stiff | Stiff | |
nike hyper fuse mens basketball shoes | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | |
Closure | Laces | Laces | Laces | Laces | |
Top | Low top | Low top | Low top | Low top | |
Ranking | #8 Top 8% | #4 Top 4% | #29 Top 26% | #91 Bottom 18% | |
Popularity | #103 Bottom 8% | #5 Top 5% | #29 Top 26% | #77 Bottom 31% |
Who should buy
Let the nike roshe waffle racer black dress women shoes conquer your wardrobe if:
- You are looking for a pair of durable and comfortable trainers to show off from time to time.
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- You love Nike trainers but won't settle for anything that's not premium (oh, and you don't want to pay a premium price).
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Who should NOT buy
If you want a new pair of cool shoes to wear in the summer, run away from this Nike Cortez. Its premium and durable leather upper has no ventilation holes, which means there's little to no airflow. We could feel the heat during our wear tests, so if you're looking for a breathable leather shoe, the Nike Court Vision Low cheap nike roshe blue sky gold card balance sheet.
Then, if what you need is a new pair of daily beaters to wear every single day, it'd be better to opt for a model with a more durable outsole. As an alternative, we believe you may like the nike dunk free pink background, womens white nike presto sneakers for women nike dunk tiger camo pants black, nike zoom air ubiquitous system.
Cushioning
Heel stack
This Nike's heel stack is pretty much average, as our calliper returned 30.8 mm when we measured it. The overall experience was pretty comfortable, and we liked how this shoe breaks with the oversized trend that's overflowing among trainers nowadays!
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 30.8 mm |
Average | 30.2 mm |
Forefoot stack
At 20.9 mm, the forefoot stack is slightly higher than average. But don't worry, this doesn't make this shoe massive either. Honestly, we're really happy with how the brand kept the iconic Cortez look instead of succumbing to the current chunky vibe of the trainers market.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 20.9 mm |
Average | 19.1 mm |
Drop
The difference between the rear and forefoot stacks is nothing too crazy. In fact, even with the "iconic wedge insert" that Nike mentions on its official webpage, we never felt like the nike roshe waffle racer black dress women shoes's heel was too high. At 9.9 mm, the drop of these trainers is just standard.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 9.9 mm |
Average | 11.1 mm |
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After cutting this shoe in half, we had free access to its midsole. In order to measure its softness, we pressed our durometer against it, which marked 28.5 HA. This indicates it's slightly on the softer side, offering some extra comfort to our ride.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 28.5 HA |
Average | 29.0 HA |
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As the wedge we mentioned before is also part of this shoe's cushioning, we pressed our durometer against it too. It returned 31.0 HA, which is softer than the secondary foam average... yet not very plush. Why? Well, because as this piece is closer to the ground, it's composition harder to improve this Cortez's overall stability.
Even if it's not the plushes shoe out there, we still found it soft enough underfoot to enjoy every step. Check it out!
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 31.0 HA |
Average | 34.0 HA |
Insole thickness
This Nike's insole imitates the minimalist and clean vibe of the whole shoe. Its 4.3 mm make it thinner than average, reducing the overall weight and keeping things simple.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 4.3 mm |
Average | 5.1 mm |
Size and fit
Size
nike roshe waffle racer black dress women shoes is slightly small (57 votes).
Toebox width - widest part
Just by looking at this Cortez, we could guess it wasn't going to be the most spacious shoe out there. But (obviously) we still performed our gel test, pouring it carefully to fill up its toebox.
In its widest area, our calliper returned 88.3 mm, which is way lower than average. So don't expect a lot of extra space over here, as our standard-width feet noticed the snugger fit.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 88.3 mm |
Average | 92.3 mm |
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Luckily, this Nike pair doesn't taper like crazy. At 70.2 mm, its toebox is undeniably wider than average at the big toe, and our toes had enough space to stretch a little bit... even if it doesn't look like it at first sight!
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 70.2 mm |
Average | 68.8 mm |
Toebox height
When it comes to the toebox height, the Cortez 23 Premium Leather is pretty much average. At 27.6 mm, we didn't really feel like the upper was pressuring our toes, but don't expect a lot of space either! Our standard-sized feet felt just fine, no more and no less.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 27.6 mm |
Average | 27.8 mm |
Stability
Lateral stability test
We can't say this shoe offers great lateral stability. As you can see in the video below, its structure isn't the most solid out there. Nevertheless, as long as you don't play any sports in it, the support of this Nike Cortez should be enough. A quick run to catch the bus wouldn't hurt anyone, though!
Torsional rigidity
When we took this shoe to our lab and tried to twist it, our fingers struggled. It wasn't as bad as our experience with other iconic Nike pairs (yes, Air Force 1 07, we're looking at you), but it still put up a fight. Consequently, we decided to give it a 4/5 on our torsional rigidity test).
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 4 |
Average | 3.6 |
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The heel was not as rigid, fortunately. Our thumb managed to bend it and it didn't hurt our Achilles tendon during our wear tests, which were both wonderful news. So we decided to give it a 3/5 on our stiffness tests, which is an average score.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 3 |
Average | 3.2 |
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We noticed the streamlined design of this shoe from the very first moment we took it out of its box. The nike roshe waffle racer black dress women shoes features a really narrow midsole, as our calliper marked only 95.6 mm when we measured its width in the forefoot. Once again, we totally advise you against using this pair for sports. If you want to pick up running, please check our reviews about specific performance models.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 95.6 mm |
Average | 108.5 mm |
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The heel follows the same logic. It's incredibly narrow, at only 71.0 mm. That's why we firmly claim it's better to keep this Nike Cortez for casual use. It lacks the landing base needed for sporty activities and, consequently, its stability is also not the best.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 71.0 mm |
Average | 83.6 mm |
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We needed 27.8N of force to make this shoe do a handstand all the way up to 90 degrees. Even though this doesn't mean it's unforgivably stiff, the result is higher than average. During our wear tests, we noticed the Cortez 23 Premium Leather needed some time to warm up and let loose, as the ride felt a little bit stiff at the beginning.
But nothing too bad, honestly. It's not like it was hard to walk in or uncomfortable, just a little bit unfriendly at the beginning. That being said, it didn't take long to start comfortably bending alongside our feet!
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 27.8N |
Average | 23.4N |
Weight
Even if it was not the friendliest shoe at the beginning in terms of stiffness, what we did feel from the very first time we put this Nike pair on for our wear tests was how light it was. We could walk for hours and our feet wouldn't get excessively tired, which is wonderful news for a daily beater!
When we took it to our lab, the scale returned only 11.85 oz/336g. This means the Cortez 23 Premium Leather is way more lightweight than most trainers. In fact, the experience on foot was wonderful, as after some quick warm-up our feet felt happy and comfortable.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 11.85 oz (336g) |
Average | 13.79 oz (391g) |
Breathability
After cutting this Nike pair in half and putting it in front of our light, our expectations regarding breathability went all the way down. Also, to be fair, during our wear tests it felt pretty warm even at the beginning.
The leather upper didn't let the light shine through... and it didn't let any smoke out either! As you can see in the video below, the Cortez 23 Premium Leather barely breathes, losing the yoga teacher contest to the jordan 8s playoff size 7 for sale (which scored a perfect 5/5 on this test). After seeing these results, we could only give it a 1/5 on our breathability test, which is the lowest score.
And our microscope is here to explain why this makes perfect sense. Look at that close-up of the upper's leather. Can you see any ventilation holes? A small gap? Some kind of meshy patch somewhere? No, no, and no again, right? With such a solid material, there's no way the air could flow in and out of the shoe easily!
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 1 |
Average | 3 |
Durability
Leather/Suede quality
With a price tag of £110, we can't say this Nike pair is on the expensive end... yet its materials are!
We started by burning the top layer at the heel. As you can see, there was no big flame there, and the material didn't end up all sticky. Therefore, the leather in this area is authentic!
We also heated up the front part, and the result was basically the same. The material tried its best to put up with the heat, showing us it's definitely authentic.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | Real leather |
Toebox durability
Compensating for its awful performance regarding breathability, this Nike Cortez pair showed top-tier durability. At 5K RPM and with 2N of force, our Dremel tried its best to destroy it, but it was a futile effort. As you can see in the video, the leather put up a fight, and it withstood abrasion so well that we decided to give it a perfect 5/5 on our toebox durability test.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 5 |
Average | 3.7 |
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On the other hand, the heel was not that much for a fighter. The tool didn't take too long to destroy most of the lining, so we could only give it a 2/5 on our durability test. In order to preserve the shoe's integrity in this area, we'd recommend you untie the laces and tie them back again when you put it on and off, instead of forcing your way in and out of the shoe with the laces all tied up.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 2 |
Average | 3.2 |
Outsole hardness
When we measured this Nike's outsole hardness, our durometer returned 82.0 HC. This result is slightly lower than average, which indicates the material used (rubber, in this case) might be slightly less durable than the standard for this category.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 82.0 HC |
Average | 85.7 HC |
Outsole durability
And it turns out our hypothesis was just right! This time at 10K RPM and with the same 2N of force, our Dremel drilled the rubber non-stop. Sadly, the dent left was way peach than average, as our tread gauge marked 1.8 mm when we measured it. Even though the nike roshe waffle racer black dress women shoes might not be the pair of trainers with the most durable outsole, it'll still be by your side for a while if you just use it in the city.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 1.8 mm |
Average | 1.1 mm |
Outsole thickness
When we measured this shoe's outsole thickness, our calliper returned 5.0 mm. It's pretty much average, which means it should be thick enough to withstand the harshness of urban areas for some time, even if it doesn't feature the most durable rubber. Just take white account that this might vary if you overuse the shoe or walk over very abrasive floors constantly!
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 5.0 mm |
Average | 5.3 mm |
Misc
Grip / Traction
The Cortez 23 Premium Leather features a spiky herringbone pattern throughout the entire outsole. This detail is not just a nice nod to the shoe's heritage, but also a functional touch that offered nice traction. Nothing crazy thought, but we found it good enough for common urban areas.
Price
When this model was released, we could hear the crowd roar. Even though its price has evoked mixed feelings among sneakerheads, if you are a Forrest Gump fan... it cheap nike roshe blue sky gold card balance sheet. We can't say these trainers are a bang for the buck, but if you're a retro lover who is all over the 90s vibe, checking them out should be worth it.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | $110 |
Reflective elements
The premium leather of this Nike Cortez keeps it clean and simple, so it doesn't feature any reflective accents.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | No |
Tongue padding
At 10.2 mm, this shoe's tongue is slightly more padded than average. This protected us from any potential lace bite or uncomfortable rub, so even if we tied our laces quite tightly, our instep was just as comfortable.
We're talking about a lightweight shoe, so there's not a lot of inner padding. Nevertheless, we do believe it's enough, as we found this Nike pair pretty comfortable during our wear tests.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | 10.2 mm |
Average | 9.3 mm |
Heel tab
Instead of featuring a heel tab, this 90s icon has a shiny patch at the heel with the brand's name and logo. We really liked this detail, as it matches the massive Swoosh this Cortez model has on the inner and outer lateral panels.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | None |
Removable insole
We absolutely love removable insoles, and this Nike Cortez has been nice enough to grant us our wish. If you need or want to change this shoe's footbed, you won't have any issues. Nevertheless, please keep in mind we're talking about a snug model. Hence, going for an extra thick insole might jeopardise comfort.
Cortez 23 Premium Leather | Yes |