BTTF: Air Mag V2 vs HC BTTF shoe comparison *photos

pandatrooper

Well-Known Member
*Mods, please feel free to move or combine this thread if appropriate.

I'm sure someone has probably already done these but I couldn't find good photos so I took some comparison photos for those looking at both options.

These are photos of a "V2" (second generation) Air Mag from China labelled size 8.5 (but we all know they are oversize so to me they feel more like 9.5) versus a pair of the Back to the Future licensed Halloween Costumes "HC" shoes size 9. To me, the 9 feels more like a 9.5. Both are brand new and not worn other than testing for size. The only thing I did was stuff some fabric / paper inside the shoes to hold the tongue up.

The biggest differences between the two are that the HCs are slightly shorter, rounder in the toe from the top view and side profile view, the raised laces are much more pronounced, and the shape of the hole on the ankle is round instead of triangular. The fabric is slightly darker on the HC and the white collar is padded more resulting in the puffy look. The HC seems overall bigger / thicker looking in size than the V2. Of course on the HC, there is no licensed branding.

The HC comes with a Back to the Future blue branded box and white cables for charging, the V2 comes with an imitation yellow "Neekay" branded box with black charge cables. The V2 boxes all seem to say size 10 to my knowledge.

Both of their insoles were almost the same length.
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I charged both shoes but the HC shoes have slightly frosted lenses on the heel and a different LED from the V2 so they appear brighter.
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From the front the toe is much rounder and the ankle area is bulkier
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Top view
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Compare outside
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Compare inside
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Closer view of the upper
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Comparing the collars, the HC has the dreaded "puffy" white collar
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The roundness of the toe, the white top stitches on the HC around the laces opening and the puffiness of the laces in the upper
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Sole comparison
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Rear view
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The white ankle covers are both soft skinned type of foam. So don't judge the overall width, as the HC seems wider due to the width of the ankle of the shoe, the V2 is softer and floppier so its narrower. The HC seems be a bit shiner white finish, the V2 has a little more satin finish.
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Obviously the V2 is currently the most accurate out of the box replica, but the HC is a cost effective option if one is on a budget and is not looking for uber accuracy or is willing to do more modifications to make it even more accurate.

Hope this is helpful for those deciding!
 
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Your HC mag there.

What color is the spattered sole to the eye? Is it a grey base with spatter, or seafoam base with spatter?

I've gotten two pairs, both colored seafoam with spatter. HC site shows grey, like your soles.

Also, that is the weirdest spatter I've seen on a mag. Both my HC pairs had dots with thin strings about 1 inch trailing them.
 
Your HC mag there.

What color is the spattered sole to the eye? Is it a grey base with spatter, or seafoam base with spatter?

I've gotten two pairs, both colored seafoam with spatter. HC site shows grey, like your soles.

Also, that is the weirdest spatter I've seen on a mag. Both my HC pairs had dots with thin strings about 1 inch trailing them.

Yeah I noticed the color difference of the midsole/outsole (my pair has a geenish tint) and the "splatter" which is more like speckling on pandatrooper's HC Mags.

Seems like HC might have made a running change to the sole color and splatter.

IMG_2747.JPG
 
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They didn't make any changes the green tint some of us have on our hc soles is due to the paint and rubber discoloring form the lack of UV stabilization and the speckle is just becuase every shoe can't be done the same they're a bound to be differences I've seen shoes like this on instants from before I got my shoes it's the same reason his soles look a lighter shade then the soles I got when I received my pair it's just a random selection you might get a lighter pair or a more yellowing pair. You should all be painting your mid sole regardless the grey and splatter looks garbage on all the shoes
 
They didn't make any changes the green tint some of us have on our hc soles is due to the paint and rubber discoloring form the lack of UV stabilization and the speckle is just becuase every shoe can't be done the same they're a bound to be differences I've seen shoes like this on instants from before I got my shoes it's the same reason his soles look a lighter shade then the soles I got when I received my pair it's just a random selection you might get a lighter pair or a more yellowing pair. You should all be painting your mid sole regardless the grey and splatter looks garbage on all the shoes
I don't know glasses, the speckling on pandatrooper's HC Mags looks like totally different than the splatter on my HC Mags.

I've also seen a few others on Instagram with this new style of speckling too. That's why I'm thinking that they changed the technique they were using.
 
Your HC mag there.

What color is the spattered sole to the eye? Is it a grey base with spatter, or seafoam base with spatter?

I've gotten two pairs, both colored seafoam with spatter. HC site shows grey, like your soles.

Also, that is the weirdest spatter I've seen on a mag. Both my HC pairs had dots with thin strings about 1 inch trailing them.
Mr. Southpaw, the outsole on mine which was purchased last week (Jan 19, and arrived Jan 27) is more seafoam. A greenish Gray. If I was mixing it as paint, it would be approximately 65% white, 20% black and 15% green. Its definitely not straight up Gray (monochromatic).

The spatter kind of sucks, its all dots and not tails and there's a few smears.

I'm either going to exchange or sell the HCs as I have a size 8 pair coming that I ordered yesterday. I think that will fit better. I will update with follow up pics to see if the gray sole and spatter are consistent or not.
 
You can see a small patch of spatter on my first pair of HC mags here in this post. Don't mind that strap, it's just a slapped together tester.

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=224737&page=8&p=3515023&viewfull=1#post3515023

I'm getting a third pair to replace the second pair, since the yellow light went out in the heel. So I can compare spatter across 3 pairs.

Also, even though that dot pattern is out of the ordinary I don't necessarily think it looks bad.
 
FreddyTV that dosent make any sense I got my shoes in the second run in November the first 500 I'm assuming is what was sold out in September?
 
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@FreddyTV that dosent make any sense I got my shoes in the second run in November the first 500 I'm assuming is what was sold out in September?

I think they just gave the wrong number. My understanding is that they order thousands of pairs at a time, that's from their quality control guy.

I ordered my first pair in earl-mid DEC and got them late DEC. Seafoam sole, splatter with tails. That would be well beyond the first 500 pairs.
 
I think they just gave the wrong number. My understanding is that they order thousands of pairs at a time, that's from their quality control guy.

I ordered my first pair in earl-mid DEC and got them late DEC. Seafoam sole, splatter with tails. That would be well beyond the first 500 pairs.
Yeah I'm sure the girl got the number wrong but they definitely did change the color of the midsole and the spatter style somewhere along the line.
 
Thnx for the comparison pics Pandatrooper!
Really helps me decide which ones to buy.
I'm definitely going for the V2's and mod them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yep. For the extra $100-$150 that the V2s cost, there is no comparison. They are much more accurate than the HC's.
 
Just got rid of my HC mags due to one of SHOES electrics failing which was bound to happen sooner or later, funny thing is I got more than what a paid for them on eBay with a faulty shoe:D
 
So I got my size 8 pair of HC mags today. Ugh...

First off, they fit me much better. I still feel the size chart on HC website is way off, the measurements aren't correct at all. I am normally an 8.5, these size 8's fit me like a 8.5, so that's OK. I am tempted to not do much toe slimming on these as that might make them tighter still.

Regardless, here's some comparison pics.

First thing I noticed. Anyone see anything wrong?... Let's hear it for craptastic quality control!
IMG_20150206_101911.jpg

There's 2 of the same sided straps! Not a big deal as I made my own with Markpoons EL logo / inverters, but come on quality control...

What is that, white glue blocking the LED opening on the right shoe?
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More quality control (but hey, made in China $99 - what do we expect?)
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For those that were interested, the splatter paint consistency and color of the sole is the same as my 9's.
IMG_20150206_101937.jpg

CBBEbRXNHk8mGk-Hy3IRGmBUyARZfvaT_1rMo2wDlG4E=w1005-h754-no


Size 8 to size 9 comparison
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0z1tK6FgNFERYjo9byrQFadIGC30_bqt7ykjuiGgzunm=w1005-h754-no


Not sure if this has been pointed out before, but the ankle buckles are 2 different molds. On the size 8, there is an "8" molded into it, and it's smaller than the 9 which has an "11" molded into it.

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The size 8 buckle width is just over 12cm
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The size 9 is about 13cm
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See the difference
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The height however seems to be the same.
thSy1YsFzNwEcI3NQijPAllvU6St9_qFJnsh2cIje0fu=w1005-h754-no
 

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