The original Black Mamba…
Traction – Herringbone is used full length and this is one of those rare occasions where it isn’t always the best option. On clean floors the traction was super sticky and nearly flawless… sprinkle a tiny bit of dust onto the floor and the super sticky and nearly flawless traction turns into a slightly slippery experience. Even wiping regularly couldn’t keep the dust away so I found myself wiping my shoes every chance I could just to try and give it the best it could be. Reminded me a lot of my Air Jordan 5 experience… everything looked good but only played the way it looked in certain conditions.
Cushion – Probably the best overall cushion setup of any Air Jordan. We have a Phylon midsole with heel and forefoot Zoom Air – double stacked in the heel. The only way I can explain how they feel is that you’re playing on a cloud but a supportive cloud. Not too soft and not too firm, definitely not what I’ve been experiencing with other double stacked setups. For the cushion alone, these are a must try. You may not enjoy their aesthetics but it happens to be the most comfortable Air Jordan I’ve ever put on.
Materials – I love the materials and even with this pair being an original – not a Retro – they held up beautifully… even the glue. Patent leather is placed on the toe for reinforce strength and durability while plush leather makes up the rest of the shoe. Just the right amount of support and strength… for something so visually unappealing… they were designed beautifully.
Fit – They fit true to size and they are awesome. Other than the cushion, the fit and lockdown are their best attribute. The weird mamba inspired shroud provides the best lockdown I’ve ever experienced… in any shoe. They’re a little tricky to get on so make sure you give yourself an extra minute or so but once you’re locked in you’re ready to take flight.
Ventilation – My socks were heavy after playing in these every time. Absolutely zero ventilation on these guys but thankfully the lockdown made it so that you didn’t receive any blisters or sloppiness upon lateral movements. The Air Jordan 19 and Nike Zoom Glove are two of the worst ventilated shoes I’ve ever worn. Keep that in mind for those that play outdoors.
Support – The support is abundant but not restrictive like the recently reviewed LeBron 11 Elite. You’re perfectly locked into place, dual outriggers for forefoot lateral & heel medial support while the Carbon Fiber shank provides slight spring back and torsional support. Abundant but not restrictive… again, beautifully designed when it comes to performance.
Overall – Aesthetics aside… these things might be my favorite on-court Air Jordan just after the XX8 (as of this review). If you can find a pair that are in wearable shape, or possibly the 2008 CDP version, then I would highly recommend them. The shroud is a little much so if you’d like to avoid that feature then try to hunt down a pair of the Air Jordan 19 SE’s. Their ventilation sucks pretty bad but everything else in this shoe is great… just make sure you dry mop the court before you play.
Only 4 more pairs to go… it’ll be weird when I’ve finally completed the project. It’s literally taken me years to finish.
I seriously disagree with you regarding the aesthetics thing lol. I think the streamlined design and the shroud gave it a real clean look, especially on court. Although I was never one to rock Js casually haha. Great review as always! Definitely my favorite Jordan on court (have not tried the XX8s ’cause I’m scared of the zoom popping)
Love this project~
JB started to go crazy after the air jordan xviii. The air jordan xx is one of the ugliest shoes of all time. The xviis are dope and the 18s aren’t that bad, but the 19s are sorta funky looking
Wow! nice review chris,I didn’t expect it’s only 4 mins.
great review! after this project, how about an Air Pippen Project?
If they ever retro the 3-5’s then I would.
I’ve worn the Pip 3,4 and 5 on court.
3s lacked arch support and a slightly sloppy forefoot fit. I experienced plantar facia issues every time I wore them. Traction and cushion were great. Ventilation was ok.
The 4s were the best of the bunch. Zoom forefoot with Air Max heel didn’t feel too mushy surprisingly. Large TPU heel cupped very nicely and felt stable. GREAT materials. Ventilation was ok.
5’s are exactly like the rest of the MORF system. Fit was great when zipped up all the way but a bit on the heavy side. Ventilation was turrrible. Traction varied depending on which MORF skin you used. The PipSkin traction was good. Zoom forefoot cushion with visible heel Air unit.
I bought this shoe 10 years ago… I loved the cushioning. The lacing system was weird as hell but it worked. Lockdown and heel to toe transition was perfect. Two things that did bother me was my big toes kept bumping against the front on the shoe which made it painful at times…which is rare cause all my Jordan’s were true to size except the 23’s. And two that shroud was very unnessary. Jordan had this love affair with shrouds from shoe 16-20. I prefer the jordan SE.that leather on those were so supple…I’d recommend the SE due to the reduced weight
One of the most underrated Jordans hands down. I went through two pairs of these and still have the ones you reviewed in my closet. Cushioning is dreamy and these bad boys perform on the court. I will say I disagree about the traction. The only problem I had with these was the outrigger. It starts out almost “tacky”, really sticks to the court, and then gets really slick after awhile since there’s no real tread on it. So on lateral cuts you could feel the shoe slide until the main traction dug in. Other than that; great bball shoe.
If they retroed the SE’s and kept the same quality and cushioning I’d buy 10 pairs.
LOVE the XIX performance.
HATED taking them on and off.
Replaced the laces with traditional laces. Those thin laces used to loosen as I played.
hey NW, you absolutely suck here. LOL !
Forgot to add…
I’ve also played in the XIX SE back in the day. Same performance characteristics though watch out how the patent leather toe piece creases. Mine creased in a spot that ended up digging into my toe on the right shoe and made me go back to the regular XIX.
You preferred this cushion over the 28s? Or just all of the air Jordan’s 1-18 that you previously reviewed
Isn’t it full length zoom, double stacked in the heel?
theres 2 units in the heal with a full length running heall to Toe, If you like this you will love the Airforce 25, it has an Air max unit in the heal with a full length zoom unit running heal to toe – serious Kush!
the LBJ 6 has a single unit in the heal with a full length unit heal to toe runiing over the top. another DOPE shoe.
Great review. I would agree with your assessment on the XIXs. Cushion is pretty amazing in these and traction can get slippery with dust build up on the sticky and slick sections of the sole. I found the ventilation to be better (probably a 4 out of 10) on the XIX SEs, so I moved over to those back in the day. I still have a pair of the Olympic XIX SEs that I play in on occasion. The XIX SEs are my third favorite Jordan to play in after the XX8 SEs (1st) and XX3s (2nd). Can’t wait until you get to the XX3s to see what you think of those.
Thanks for doing these reviews! You provide a great service to the community and it is appreciated.
we need to make a “Leg Saver’s” Listing and these kix will be #1 on the list.The cush on my 19 se’s are still going strong but YES they are a struggle for traction with constant wet rag wipes.
Great review! I still remember when you started the project back in 2012 when your site was still less than a year old. When your site began is when I started getting into the performance aspect of shoes, and I really started getting interested through your site. Anyways, it’s pretty cool to see how far the project has come in the past 2 years. Keep it up NW!
Thanks!
Awww the one based of the fencing mask. Mamba you say, learn something new.
Hey NW would you like to join my sprint framily plan? (Sorry I love that AD)
loved the outtakes. the fingertrap reference was spot on. made me laugh. always knew that looked familiar but couldnt place it
The XIX SE is the better shoe, for me at least, less bells and whistles. I love the XIX due to its ability to handle post work, as well as back court duty as well. I love the old school wide lacing system of the SE, as it makes for a nice off court look, unlike with the XIX, the shroud does not transition well at all.
Great review.
Great shoe very comfortable just like NW said the 28s are still the best with the flight and double front zoom. I like Kobes kicks don’t get me wrong but is it just mm e or does he copy every thing Jordan brand does. First the Black Mamba then Jordan came up with a high style shoe and then Kobe copied. Get your own style bro. Evem MJ actually made the statement about Kobe copying him albeit moves but also Applies to shoes and style as well.
Just a correction on the cushioning. Its not heel and forefoot, with double stack in the heel… its a full length zoom unit double stacked in the heel. Same as the AJ 18 and Foamposite.
Nightwing or any others I would love some help, I am thinking about buying a 2008 countdown pack pair of these. Is the cushioning the same and as good as the originals or the ones in this review? Cushioning is very important to me, so I wanna make sure I’m getting the awesome cushioning.
Ive heard good things about them, but I dont have a pair so I cant say for certain.
Thanks for the quick response nightwing! Another question if you have time, ever tried on/played in the jordan xx? Look bulky and heavy to me..
I have, I think mine are too old or something bc they hurt my feet.
So I got a hold of a countdown pair of these bad boys. You have any tips or tricks on where to put the extra laces that hang out of the end of that lace lock slider thing once you tighten them up? Did you just stuff the ends of the laces into the sides of your shoes lol?