Air Jordan 9 G Performance Review
Michael Jordan once said “It’s not about the shoes, it’s what you do in them.” What will you…
Air Jordan Flight Plate – Deconstructed
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First and this is really cool
I showed this to my mom and she called me a sneakerholic
Let her know that if you really have a love and passion for shoes that its possible you could make a career out of if. Dont let anyone distract you and start as young as possible to be further ahead in the future.
Thanks night wing I allped to 3 local sneaker shops and you helped me study for one of them thanks! Im not good enough to be a pro ball player but I always wanted to make a signature shoe of my own
In three years I’m applying for footlocker
She said its a good thing
This is really cool, I love my XX8s, nothing quite like them… Are the XX8 SE s going to be easier to get? Or are they going to be limited production run? The only thing I am worried about is that I love how the XX8 feels once it is zipped up, it feels snug and secure…
This is very cool. As an engineer I love getting lots of technical information on shoes. Wish we had more access to this type of information…
Jordan brand is treading in the overkill realm with every shoe that gets the flight plate. It’s the same thing with Adidas putting every shoe with the PUREmotion.
I just saw pictures of the Melo M10 and it’s like 85% the same shoe as the xx8 and the xx8 S.E. At least the Super Fly 2 has a separate traction scheme and different implementation of the Zoom placement.
Whoaa hold up… so Jordan Brand using a similar midsole and outsole on one shoe and its overkill?? Using the same outsole is sometimes a good idea since you wont have any doubts on how the traction will be.
Yeah but the same exact thing for a signature model is different. They are supposed to be unique in someway this is to similar.
You definitely have a point. But Jordan Brand or any company can do whatever they want with their models. I can recall they used an slightly altered elephant print pattern from the Jordan 2010s for the original Fly Wades. Jordan Brand places great priority on performance and I’d rather they overuse traction patterns that are tried and true than use newer storytelling patterns with may not by as effective as say traditional herringbone. I think the metallic personalized heel counter on the Melo M10s really sets them apart from the XX8s.
I feel you, trust me I do. If you want the same midsole and outsole on not just a team model shoe, but a sig shoe, then you might as well stick with one model and cop different colorways.
Of course they can do whatever they want because it’s their company. Just like we can express whatever we want on forums like this one and not buy them. There was no point in that one bro.
Take a look at the xx8, xx8 S.E., and the Melo M10 and tell me if you still feel the same about buying all three. Hell 2 out of 3 may still be too much if you got the xx8 early on like myself.
Oh and I am all for performance tread over story telling any day of the week.
I wouldn’t count the XX8 S.E. as a different model though its still the XX8, and if they want they can make the Melo M10 S.E. with a shroud lol. And also I would say they made the shoe different enough with the leather materials on the upper and the heel counter. I’d say they did the same thing Adidas did going from the CrazyQuick to the Rose 773 II both cheaper too lol. And I’m not saying you can’t disagree and express your opinion by all means bro, I was just stating that Jordan Brand has a reason for doing what they doing, and while maybe the original XX8s weren’t that successful or were made in limited quantities they are giving the fanbase a chance to get the more affordable XX8 S.E. and Melo M10s which I can appreciate.
(12th) Hopefully they paid for your flight out and gave you the red carpet treatment an maybe a early release or two 🙂 IF so they probably had you sign a NDC.
Essentially it provides rigidity in certain parts of the shoe. Not the first time that’s been done but just like Nike being the marketing juggernaut to implement it that just feels right.
I just wonder how you would establish a rotation between them- if you had the m10, the xx8 SE and the super.fly 2, how would you choose one over the other on any given day? I too want shoes to give me something different, to be molded to do different things…I’m just gonna wait and see what color ways are coming out for the xx8 SE and the m10 before I decide between them, but to be honest, having already bought a pair of the sf 2s, I’m much more interested in the new cp3s…
The Superfly 2 is absolutely nothing like the XX8 to wear or play in. Totally different feel.
The upper on the XX8 SE is like an Engineered Mesh (reminds me a lot of the Kobe 8) and is very flexible, plus the application of the flight plate (with the heel and toe traction decoupled) allows a lot of torsional flexibility which makes it feel like nothing else.
Plus it feels quite evenly cushioned front and rear. Sits very low to the ground.
it’s an unusual feeling shoe that takes time to get used to, and the the traction seems to take a long time to wear in also.
The SF2 feels much more like a ‘regular’ shoe. The upper is much stiffer and lacks the level of flexibility you get in the XX8 SE. There is more dead space in the toe, and due to the stiffer upper material I get some pain in my toe area when I bend at the toe (as the material creases).
SF2 also feels much higher off the ground, similar to the Hyperdunk – you feel almost like you are standing on a platform, rather than right on the floor.
The SF2 also feels higher cut and probably a bit more supportive around the ankle.
All of this makes the SF2 feel more like a Forward/Center shoe rather than a guard shoe, because you just don’t have that agile, flexible feel you get with something like a Kobe 8, CP3 or XX8.
The weird part with the SF2 though is the transition. The heel feels very hollow and relatively low (due to no air cushion) but the midfoot feels very hard and flat (due to the style of flight plate used) and the toe feels soft and bouncy (due to the unlocked zoom). Is a very uneven transition IMHO which feels very odd, and to me a little unnatural.
Even though the SF2 is very like (around 12.9 ounces) it doesn’t feel it…it’s clunky sole and stiff upper makes it feel heavier and less mobile than its weight suggests. Even though it’s actually a heavier shoe, the XX8 feels lighter on foot because it takes less energy to move in it.
Even my older (and relatively heavy) Air Jordan XX3’s feel lower, lighter and more agile on the court than the SF2, despite then being over 2 ounces heavier.
Definitely difficult to put the SF2 and XX8 in the same category. I don’t knew of I’ve ever felt two skits that feel more different.
If you imagine the sunken-heel sole of the CP3.VI AE combined with the stiff upper of a LeBron X, that’s kinda how the SF2 feels in a nut shell.