I first began playing in two different pairs of original Air Jordan XX’s… that wasn’t the best idea as that shoe apparently doesn’t age well. The translucent rubber used on the herringbone pods get slick with age while the IPS cushion system become hard over time, which caused quite a bit of pain during and after playing in the shoe. Not sure why, but that’s what ended up happening. The new pair from this year (2015), however, was good to go, and that is what I will base my review on. So, I would not recommend playing in a pair of OG’s. You can if you’d like too… but you won’t see me do it again.
Traction – When you first look at the traction provided, you can’t help but think that you’re going to receive some awesome traction with harringbone in place. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case. The herringbone is inconsistent, and gets clogged with debris easily. A quick wipe will help with all of that, but it still remains inconsistent overall. Surprisingly enough, the exterior sections of the outsole that feature no herringbone performed best. It’s not often that I wish a shoe didn’t have herringbone, but this is one of those times. Just so you’re not confusing things… inconsistent doesn’t translate into ‘bad’ traction… its just not consistently good/ great. So they get the job done, for the most part, but they do leave you wanting a bit more. Of course a pristine court would change all of this, but I don’t have the luxury of playing on that type of floor often… and I assume you don’t either.
Cushion – IPS – Independent Podular Suspension – is an interesting cushion, and I enjoy the hell out of it when it’s new. If you aren’t familiar with IPS, its basically a dual density foam system. You have the Phylon midsole with strategically placed pods of foam that are a little softer than the Phylon. Each pod has a few millimeters of space between it and the Phylon, and they protrude out of the shoe a few milliliters as well. So when you strike the floor, impact is absorbed and you’ll receive a slight bounce or response when pressure is relieved. The Air Jordan XX was the first time the system was utilized, so while its nice on these, it gets better the further you get down the line of Air Jordan’s until you reach the XX3 – the last time IPS was used in an Air Jordan signature model.
When the cushion is new, its amazing. It works as advertised, and if I had to compare it to something… it sort of feels like walking on marshmallow pillars. Actually, thats sort of what the system is. Think of each pod as a marshmallow. You step on it, and it will compress then bounce back into shape. Pretty cool; right?
Now, like I mentioned above, the cushion doesn’t age well… sort of like a marshmallow. They’ll eventually get firm and lose their bounce. So, if you don’t want to shell out the money for a new pair of XX’s, you can try to find the 2008 CountDown Pack version (they’re always priced well below retail on eBay) or possibly try locating a pair of Jordan Icons. Google those if you don’t know what I’m talking about.
Materials – The materials will vary depending on the colorway, and there are usually three options available; patent leather, leather, and nubuck. Each one will offer a slightly different experience, but nothing to really have a huge impact on overall performance. Pairs with patent leather will require slightly more break-in and more support, while the pairs with nubuck will offer slightly less support with no break-in needed at all. I actually enjoyed the all-leather upper on the ‘Laser’ edition as if required very little break-in due to the softer leather, but they still proved ample support. Out of the three options, the leather is the most neutral, but since there are three options available… everyone can get what they want based on their own preferences.
Fit – I feel the Curry Flow 8 fit a little big. I have them in two different sizes – 9 & 8.5 – and I feel the most comfortable with the 8.5. They just feel more secure when on-foot. If you have wide feet you might want to just go true to size as they should be able to accommodate you. The only problem I encountered was on the newer ‘Laser’ edition… they’re really hard to put on. Their inner booty system is leather, but on the OG models it was a stretchy leather which made it easier to get the shoes on and off. This new version doesn’t stretch at all so getting your foot in is a bit of a pain. Once you are in though, everything is great. Snug, secure, locked-in… it’s like they’re giving you a nice warm hug for the entire time you wear them. Amazeballs.
Support – Despite the Stadium Fits being a low top, the support is amazing. You have an ultra wide base with huge outriggers. I’ve been having many people get under me while I’m shooting which has me landing on a lot of feet, rolling my ankle numerous times because of it. Every shoe I’ve worn in the past month hasn’t aided me while rolling, except these. That wide base helps awkward landings by creating a large platform to stabilize myself with. For that alone, I appreciate these more than you know.
The rest of the support comes from their fit and lockdown. There are two straps on the shoe, but only one of them does anything… I’ll let you guess which one. If you guess the midfoot strap then you’d be correct. That thing works wonders. It’s large, just like the base and outrigger, so you’re getting a lot of coverage. I don’t like how straps look… but if they serve a purpose then I’m all for them being on the shoe.
Overall – I’m really happy that I went and grabbed the 2015 edition. Not happy about how much they cost me, but had I reviewed these based solely on playing in the originals then the outcome would’ve been pretty different. Instead, these are one of my more favorite J’s to play in. If you want to know my list of top 3 Air Jordan models to play in as of right this moment, the Air Jordan 12, Air Jordan 20, and Air Jordan 19… in that order. Yeah… marshmallow cushion for the win. If I were to change anything about the Air Jordan 2021… first I’d get rid of the stupid ankle strap, then I’d get a more consistent traction pattern, and that’s literally it. Everything else I thought was first class. If you hoop, want some really comfy cushion, and really great support then grab a pair of Air Jordan XX’s. You won’t be disappointed.
