Jordan Jumpman Hustle Performance Review

 Let’s warm-up with the freshest Jordan brand’s take on team performance, before having a go at the big daddy – Air Jordan 33. Get ready for the Jordan Jumpman Hustle performance review…

WEIGHT: 335.5 g. / 11.83 oz

TECH: ZOOM AIR

TYPE: LOW-TOP

COLORWAYS: 2+

FIT: TRUE TO SIZE

RETAIL PRICE: $110

BD RATING: 8.2/10

BEST PLACE TO BUY: FINISH LINE 

 

PERFORMANCE

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MATERIALS

So the Jordan brand bringing back that shroud trend alive with the Why Not Zero.1 has built up a ramp for even more back-to-90s vibe by recapturing that zippered shroud upper with the two-type leather combination on the Jumpman Hustle.

Talking about that two-way leather combo, the toe cap section is rocking that extra shiny patent leather taken straight out of the AJ 11. Meanwhile, the shroud itself is made out of paper-thin synthetic leather which adds an enormous amount of containment & volume for the upper without really making the shoe play heavy/bulky due to its thin nature. And it’s definitely something that lets our eyes take a break from consistently looking at those knitted uppers. Love it.

Now the back area, including the ankle section, and everything else that is hiding underneath the shroud creates a one-piece mesh booty. Worth mentioning – I didn’t receive any fit related issues unlike experiencing some light bubble effect type of scenario in the toe area of the HP X & air max 2021. I’m willing to think that it’s mainly because of the shroud sort of containing everything together in one place. Or it’s just every single piece of the upper contributing & performing as a whole package. Either way – I’m really impressed.

 

CUSHION

If comparing the Jumpman Hustle with one of its rivals – the Hyperdunk X – that $30 dollar decrease in price leaves us with only one Zoom Air unit located in the forefoot – the rest of the midsole being pure Phylon.

Obviously, with the heel Zoom Air pillow gone, the back loses some of the fun if high-grade of bounciness is what you’re going for. Personally, phylon alone was not enough for me to really enjoy the heel unit as much as I would want to. It definitely wasn’t “dead” by any means. You’re still getting a decent amount of impact protection. But the problem for me was that it did feel some type of way constrained, I’m assuming, that has to do with the phylon compound being too firm – even for my size & weight. Man… That heel Zoom Air pillow would have changed everything.

 

TRACTION

I feel like for brands it’s so much easier to manufacture a team model, instead of a signature one just because you’re not forced to push the envelope as hard as possible by inventing top-of-the-line technologies and so on. You just pick what’s available & what is proved to work and whoa la – all of the sudden you got yourself a beastly performing sneaker. And the Jordan Jumpman Hustle is the newest proof of that.

So the bottoms are housing, no doubt about it, the best traction pattern since first it came out – herringbone. I think there’s no need to add more. Well, maybe that this stuff is a true dust assassin & the king when it comes to producing beastly bite with whatever surface you’re playing on. The spacing is rather narrow, not going to lie, but that doesn’t make any difference as far as performance goes whatsoever. Those outsoles don’t give a damn. You know your bottoms are so damn good – that the only reason you’re wiping them is to protect that icy look from turning piss yellow.

Also, street ballers should be celebrating since the rubber compound seems to be outdoor friendly – not the most durable – but you should be okay.

 

FIT

That zippered shroud and one-piece booty combo don’t sound like an easy access for any type of foot. WRONG. The tongue section actually has those rubber panels on the lateral sides for an easy access. No sweating your ass off while trying to stick your foot. They got you, bro.

So what’s going on under that shroud? Well – nothing unusual. Just your standard loop style lacing system. Which has been working flawlessly since I remember it – tight lockdown, your heel is pushed in its ideal spot, no some type of sliding – you get the point.

Now when it comes to actual sizing. These do fit a tad bit narrow but not as narrow enough for regular footers to go up in sizing – true to size is what I recommend. For wide footers, on the other hand, might want to go half a size up. Either way – you ain’t zipping that zipper on. Talking about the zipper, I loved how it tightens up the whole front construction of the shoe, creating that awesome custom fit.

 

SUPPORT

Can’t say a single bad word against the upper – that area did it thing flawlessly. Strong foot containment in all areas possible, especially on the lateral side. And all of that does come without costing any issues with the comfort whatsoever. I still was having that almost flyknit-like second-skin fit, as flexibility wasn’t intact as well.

Can’t say the same about the midsole. First of all, I’m definitely not a super explosive/shifty player. That being the case, I didn’t experience my foot busting off the footbed when performing mad stuff. Yet, that pretty marrow platform that you have under your foot & not having an outrigger to compensate all of that or at least some of it – explosive players should definitely put that into consideration. Everything else was on point tho.

 

OVERALL

I would gladly pay those extra $20-30 in exchange for that juicy fat Zoom Air unit in the heel. It makes me so freaking mad when something is so close to taking that big W but comes short in such a frustrating fashion. Just noticed – I accidentally described last night’s the Lakers vs the Spurs game. LOL

Anyway, the Jordan Jumpman Hustle should have been in this year’s TOP 5 list of best performers, yet, was hit by LeBron’s brick free throws, basically. Keeping it serious – they’re still awesome/fun/solid performers. It was some much fun to play in them – definitely going back to them once I have some free time from testing shoes. And if you’re one of those ballers who doesn’t use their heels so often & doesn’t mind having firmer cushioning – this might be your best investment this season.