Hit the jump for full written review.
Traction – Just like the previous Air Jordan models that feature a flat traction surface, there were no issues. The flex grooves and natural shape helped movement and flex which also allowed the foot’s strike zones to be on the ground at all times. Now that I think about it, the outsole is probably the shoes most notable feature… both design and performance wise.
Cushion – Two Air units are found – one at the heel and one at the forefoot – which are housed inside of a Polyurethane midsole. At first, cushion starts out a bit rough but once you get going things become easier. You can begin to feel a slight bounce within the heel – a nice feeling to have – upon strikes while the forefoot remains minimal to allow for greater court feel. Probably not the ‘best’ cushion you could have on-court but it’s definitely not the worst. I will say that the PU midsole is much more forgiving than what’s used on the AJ3… either that or the Air units are larger… it could be both – I’m not taking these J’s apart to find out.
Material – The material and fit were the AJ9’s worst attribute. When you have cheap split grain leather with overlays of additional split grains along with the PU coating, you get a pretty solid fitting shoe with enough support throughout. Unfortunately these only have one piece of the thinner split grain which is then attached to another thin layer of nubuck – or whatever the heck that sparkly black material is.
Every piece of a performance shoe is supposed to work in tandem with each other and in this case it doesn’t. This is the first time where I felt as if the materials weren’t going to be able to hold up… and I’m not even a big guy so I would hate to see what happens if a larger player were to rock these on-court.
Fit – They fit true to size but they pinch a bit at the sides. I’d suggest going up ½ sz… if you don’t you could end up like THIS…
The fit wasn’t too great either. Usually inner sleeves work well inside a sneaker but the inner sleeve felt as if it was staying with my foot while the rest of the leather upper wanted to go in a completely different direction. Playing in a shoe like this you begin to understand the advantages of ‘newer’ tech… mainly synthetics like TPU/ plastic – like what is used for Fuse material.
Ventilation – This was average. The sleeve allows for heat & moisture to escape but the leather isn’t breathable so a lot of moisture stays locked inside the shoe. Any ventilation issues could have easily been the culprit behind the sloppy fit.
Support – The support is pretty basic because of the material and fit inability to properly function. There is a molded arch so they get some points but for the most part… you can get more support by going barefoot.
Overall – They were fun to play in but you could easily roll an ankle in the Air Jordan IX. It’s a shame too because they offer great traction and adequate cushioning & they don’t look half bad either. If I were going to pick an early model Air Jordan to play in it would be between the AJ7 or 8… if I wanted to go way back into the vault I’d go with the AJ3 & 4… maybe even the 1 too.
I am happy that I’ve gotten this far without injury. In my eyes the hard part is over and now it’s on to the more ‘updated’ models. Not only am I going to find out which Air Jordan from 10-23 plays best but I’ll also figure out which Retro models were cheaply made… to a point in which in effects their performance.
What would you recommend for a player who focuses on his vertical? Do high tops restrict from your jumping motion?
athletic propulsion labs
nice review. but it seems like the only decent retro jordans are the ones from 10 onwards.
you didn’t like the air jordan 2? i thought that one was one of the better ones with the 4,7,8?
The outsole is ahead of it’s time as far as flex grooves and even design go. This is probably one of the most literal story telling traction patterns
the jordan 10-13 are my favorite. cant wait to see how they perform.
This review was good. I still prefer you sitting behind the shoe and giving the review. Maybe using a microphone might help??
I want to really love this shoe, cause it was in the film “He got game” and I got them as a gift, but as you said, you need to go up a 1/2 a size or a full size.
Hey nightwing at the end of the air Jordan project you should make a video of which Jordan was the best performer and why. Or make a video of your 5 favorite air Jordans like you do with the performance models.
on with the X-up! nice!
from personal experience, i play in earth 2000’s XI and XII retro.
they are great, but they will have very low score on ventilation…XI have have good fit on me, but just not durable.
XII full length zoom is awesome, but lacking some heel lock down.(on me again,different ppl might have different experience)
Would it be better if the Air Soles were directly under the foot instead of being embedded in the polyurethane?
hey NW – the new camera technique makes for clearer viewing of details on the shoe which makes it more functional. always enjoy your reviews 🙂
Nice new camera tricks at the end! Nice review too. Actually I was waiting for this review to come out before the retro IX’s come out. Now that I have seen it, probably pass on those. Your review also contributed why bought the Olympic VII’s. Can’t wait on the XII’s. I love it for the cushion and look. Keep it up!
You think Jordan purposely retired in time to miss out on these shoes?
I played in these and my pinky toe nail just lodged itself to the toe beside it.
Red socks!
just finished watching the video. i see the same happened to you too bro
I played in these in this exact colorway for about 3 weeks straight. I actually enjoyed hooping in these… that was until both air bags in the heels popped. I’ve never had this happen in any Nike sneaker, and it was disappointing. They are extremely uncomfortable now, even for casual wear
Yeah i got a blister on my pinky toe from just shooting around for an hour and half but the messed up part is i went up half a size too smh, i wish i could return these shitty shoes they look nice.