Air Jordan Rising High Performance Review

The Jordan Rising High is a budget performance model from Jordan Brand that has been available for some time now. Retailing at $120, the Air Jordan Rising High can be found at select Nike Outlet Stores for far under retail price. Now let’s talk performance.

If you’re interested in a pair, they are available HERE for under retail. However, as I state in the performance review, you can find them for even cheaper at your local outlets.

Traction

The traction on the Rising High was one of many parts on the shoe that required break in time. Thanks to rubber that was thick and not pliable, the outsole took about a week to break in. During the break in time, the traction simply did not grip the floor as I would have liked it to. After about a week of play, the rubber became more pliable, and with that, more grip was offered from the shoe. I suggest taking them outside for a few wears before playing on an indoor court, as that will soften the rubber on the outsole. When the beak in time is over with, the traction of the Rising High was perfect on well-kept courts, however, if there was any dust present then I had some issues. More than enough grip was provided when performing cuts that were quick and didn’t require much pressure, but when I had to apply a lot of force and make a huge change in direction (like running a suicide), then the shoe would offer no grip at all and I would slide across the floor, almost causing me to do the splits.

Cushion

The Jordan Rising High features the Brands’ go to technology when it comes to cushion; Unlocked Zoom. As expected, the unlocked zoom in the forefoot feels amazing. It is slightly more responsive than what was found in the Air Jordan XX9 and XXX in my personal opinion.  Phylon makes up the rest of the midsole, so it’s nothing special. I had initially thought that the heel would be clunky due to the thickness of the midsole and the rubberized heel cup that is connected to the outsole, but there is a small cut-out (or crease) in the foam that allows for extra compression, making the heel-to-toe transition fairly smooth. If you want to try Unlocked Zoom without breaking the bank, this is the shoe for you.

Materials

The materials on the shoe are full on synthetic leather with a few exceptions. White synthetic leather can be found in the forefoot and while I didn’t have any issues with it, there is definitely some break in time required. Though I don’t think it’s necessary, the fuze overlay does it’s job of protecting the material.  Things get a little bit tricky as we transition to the rest of the materials. There is mesh padding at the ankle area which is extremely comfortable. Continuing onto the tongue, the mesh provides ample padding, but there is a neoprene inner bootie connected to the tongue.  The neoprene continues under the red synthetic leather and makes it a much more comfortable experience. Between the synthetic and neoprene is flywire, but only in the midfoot area. In summary, the materials weren’t as bad as I was expecting thanks to the inner bootie, but they still weren’t great. If you’re looking for shoes with materials that aren’t going to tear up on you halfway through the season, then you might want to try these out. This is something you should expect on a budget model from Jordan Brand.

Fit

The fit was probably my favorite part of the shoe (along with the cushion.) Both the mesh collar and inner bootie were pleasant surprises, as they added some extra comfort. I was contained in the midfoot area at all times, thanks to the flywire. There is a rubber heel cup that extends from the outsole and kept me locked in at all times in that area. The only complaint that I have is with the fit in the toe box, and it is ever so minimal. A very small amount of dead space can be easily remedied by wearing two socks. If you’re interested in a pair, go true to size. Wide-Footers will want to try them on, as the fit is very snug.

Support

More often than not, the support reflects the performance of the fit. Support was another category of the shoe that is very strong. We have Jordan Brands’ flight plate system under foot for torsional support. We also have something that we don’t see much in basketball shoes anymore, an arch support piece. This was noticeable during play and I could definitely feel it doing its job. Stiffer materials do their job along the upper, as they are much more supportive than something like a woven upper. Lastly, there are two outriggers on the lateral side of the shoe; One in the heel and the other in the forefoot. The support is all over the place – This would be a shoe that I recommend to anybody with continuous ankle problems.

Jordan Rising High Overall

I really enjoyed playing in these a lot more than I had expected. I knew the cushion would be great, but I didn’t expect much more from them. The fit was a pleasant surprise, and i felt very contained at all times. The support was also phenomenal – This was probably the most supportive shoe that I’ve played in since the adidas Rose 5. The materials were a surprise to me as well. I wasn’t expecting the inner bootie to be a part of the shoe, but that definitely add some comfort. The only two things that I can complain about are the inconsistency of the traction and the synthetic in the toe box.

The Air Jordan Rising High can be found at outlets for very cheap, so if you’re ballin’ on a budget and need a shoe that’s going to last, then I would highly recommend them.