The Air Jordan XXXI has finally gotten a solid rubber outsole placed on a performance version of the shoe!
We first saw solid rubber make its way onto the AJ XXXI with the lifestyle edition of the shoe, but this pair is built for balling. It’s also predominantly black which seems to be a favorite among hoopers that play on the regular. The Air Jordan XXXI was a fun shoe to play in, but the traction was very inconsistent — no matter the court condition. Solid rubber should change all of that, and would make this build a worthy investment if you were interested in the model.
There is no confirmed release date at the moment, but once we see them available we’ll be sure to update you. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the change. Does this turn the XXXI from being decent to great? Sound off in the comment section with your thoughts.
Do you think these would make them any more durable for outdoor use?
Hopefully, we get a performance update with this colorway.
If this actually gives them good traction, then I would be very interested in this shoe. All that other stuff is cool, but traction is the most important thing to me.
Would love to see a review update with the solid rubber version. I loved the fit, ride, and comfort of the 31, but the traction was frustrating.
Finally, solid rubber outsole! I bet these will offer better traction.
Here’s hoping!
I don’t care, the unlocked Zoom Air will make it still unstable. I can’t play in an unstable shoe, this is why i hated the XX8 and i loved the XX9.
Personally I think the 28 was more stable than the 29. The heel was much wider on the 28 and didn’t roll nearly as much even with the protruding zoom unit. 29 was a recipe for rolled ankles.
true. this was what I noticed. I didn’t feel any instability with the 28 and found that the 29s were having a lot of concern with rolling due to what you noticed as well. reason why I skipped the 29s eventhough I like their upper. personally, the unlocked zoom air instability is more of a myth rather than fact. no offense to Riccardo. it would only be unstable if the bottom sole housing the zoom air unit is way significantly high off the ground.
My Melo 10 was damn unstable too, the Zoom Air in the forefoot protruded too much to me. I hated the first unlocked zoom on AJXX8 and Melo 10, I loved the XX9.
I never rolled my ankle in the XX9.
If the traction is still bad with the solid outsole, then someone at Jordan really messed up. Shoes must have good traction; if the storytelling traction doesn’t work(really, no one cares about the story), drop it immediately and go for something proven.
This is so disappointing. I really like the look of the shoe but I wouldn’t pay anywhere near retail for it to be just a casual shoe. It has too much potential to be a performed and I agree with KWAME that traction should be the easiest thing to implement because it doesn’t have to really ever change. It’s on the BOTTOM of the shoe. Who the hell even cares what it looks like? It could be a proven herringbone EVERY SINGLE TIME for all I care. The upper is the tricky part because everyone has a different foot shape but to struggle with TRACTION?…C’mon. That goes for any brand.
Tinker ran out of ideas. also, I believe that the creative team that made Jordan shoes iconic left for Adidas. probably the reason why majority of Nike/JB shoes suck and Adidas shoes really got better.
Tinker didn’t design this shoe. Tate Kubris was the one who designed it. I don’t agree with you on any of your opinions about the recent Air Jordans mainly because I could see the positives of each shoe and take any negative aspect as a sign of progress. Sure Adidas is doing well, but every brand has its ups and downs as far as performance, technology, and innovation. Sooner or later I’m not going to be surprised when Nike/Jordan is out on top once again and Adidas produces duds of their own.
I didn’t say he designed the shoes, I said he ran out of ideas, as pun intended with the misses that the top Jordan line is concerned. you don’t have to agree with me and what I’m saying are not just mere opinions but some are facts as well. on the otherhand, good luck with your venture with Nike/JB new lines. if you feel that way, so be it. I feel differently.
plot twist – they removed the full length zoom.
A cheap and easy way to help traction = put some soft drink (I tried 7up and Sprite, I don’t recommend Fanta or Orangina if you have white outsole, unless you don’t care outsole becoming yellowish) inside a spraying bottle, then spray it on the outsole. You may add a tiny bit of sugar powder or flour or the kind of powder for gymnastics on the outsole. Let it dry a bit before stepping on the playground. Jordan and Pippen used to put powder to reduce slipping. Dwight Howard tried spraying on a ball, lol 😀 !
These and the “All Star” colorway are pretty dope.
I have these and the traction is great so far I’ve played on various courts there just fine to me.