According to some modified members, Ivan makes some of the best footbags in the east coast.
Apon receiving this footbag, there were two things that struck me. First was the highly efficient packaging. This I^2 footbag came in a small cardboard mailer.
My HaniaBag came in a standard paper envelope, and my FreedomFootbags.com orders came in a bubble envelope. The cardboard mailer does a better job of protecting the supple footbag material from the abuse that USPS and other shipping services put their packages though. I was instantly impressed and I have to give kudos to Ivan for his attention to packaging.
The second thing that struck me was the level of quality of the footbag.
This pro footbag comes in at 1.75 inches, and is filled with stainless steel. Here you can see the I^2's size relative to a BearBag (left), and a HaniaBag (right):
I believe this bag is made from Ultrasuede, and it is about as buttery as a HaniaBag right out of the box. Of course a footbag like this requires little to no break-in before you can enjoy shredding with it. Here's a splatter (pancake) test:
Stalling this I^2 footbag is as easy as sticking your foot out. It delays like a champ, and actually I got a sense of security when shredding with it. By that I mean that I felt more confident in my toe and clipper delays.
Usually following a statement like that, you will read that the easily stallable footbag doesn't stay so round, but that is not the case here. I believe that because of the low bite, low gather construction, and the quality of the stitching, this footbag stays relatively round when setting. Of course when I say low gather, I am comparing Ivans footbag to Richard Abshire's footbags which sport a high-gather construction. Here are the two side by side:
As you can see, the construction of the I^2 footbag is great. The panels are relatively symmetrical, and the stitching is tight, so no thread is visible. Some panels are wrinkled, and some panels are not symmetrical. The bag is mostly round, although not a perfect sphere like a Haniabag, or Abshire.
One thing that I believe could be improved is the choice of colours. This is of course a highly subjective opinion, but certain colours work better with specific other colours, and in this case, these colours don't mesh all that great. They don't work so well mostly because they are all the same tone. Something that may have played a role in Ivans colour choices, is the fact that certain colours may feel different than other colours (may be more or less supple). However, colours aside, the atomic pattern is a favourite of mine.
When shredding with this footbag, I felt......liberated. It's the kind of footbag that doesn't bring any baggage with it. In other words, you don't have to wait until it's broken in before you can enjoy it, and it's well rounded so it sets and stalls consistently. It is a great bag to shred with right out of the box.
Overall, I believe that this footbag is a fantastic option for everyone from a beginner to a pro. Although if you are planning on going fearless, you may opt for a smaller (mini) version from Ivan. This is a great addition to any freestyle footbaggers arsenal of footbags, and you will be pleasantly pleased with it's construction, feel, and playability out of the box.
SUMMARY:
-professional quality, and lends itself to everyone at every skill level
-soft supple feel, and should prove to have a long life
-stalls with the best of them
-sets consistently
-competitively priced at the same value as other comparable footbags