The deformable spokes certainly can be calibrated to be just as comfortable as air, if they choose to do so. It will be a trade-off between comfort and handling.
Think about any tennis shoes that don't feature compressed gas pockets, like Nike Airs. All of these other types use foam that deforms under pressure. Nike could create a non-Air version of ANY of its Air shoes that would feel just as good to the wearer, at least initially. The reason they went with air is that it minimized the amount of material to break-down in the shoe sole over time. Foam, rubber... it all gets compacted and crushed and looses its bounce over time. A pocket of air that doesn't leak, only looses a little absorption due to the outer wall of the air pocket becoming more plyable.
There's no reason these tweels can't be 100% as comfortable as a traditional wheel and tire, but I do question how long they will last, even with advanced polymers. My guess is about the same as a set of tires, but that is just a guess.
Brian
99 SVT
