The Air Jordan VIII… this should be interesting…
Traction – The surface is nearly identical to the previous Air Jordan VII. One main difference is the rubber used throughout is more like the blue sections on the VII so I’m assuming the overall traction will be pretty darn good.
*Apologies for the discoloration on the VIII’s… I haven’t taken these out of the box in a LONG time and there is noticeable yellowing on the outsole and some areas where there is excess glue.
Cushion – This is going to be rough. The AJVII was very comfortable but these feature forefoot and heel Air units which are embedded within the dense Polyurethane midsole. These will feel similar – if not the same – to the Air Jordan VI.
Material – Depending on the colorway you will receive a different material base and a different experience. The leather which makes up the entire upper on this pair is similar to what MJ wore back in the day while rocking the White/ Red- Grey pair so I decided to use this version instead of my beloved Aquas which are closer to the Playoff colorway as far as materials are concerned. One thing to note is that the leather here is VERY plush… possibly the last time Jordan Brand used really nice leather along the uppers on Retro products until some of the more recent releases like the X & XII’s. Break-in time will be minimal and support from the materials will take a hit due to its softness… this is where you start to wonder if the Polyurethane coated leather they use now is actually a performance enhancement or if that’s just an excuse to use cheaper materials.
Fit – They fit true to size and they also have a lot going on with the fit. Utilizing an inner boot, cross straps and an extremely high cut… these should offer you the most secure fit of the entire lineup of early model Air Jordan’s.
Ventilation – Lack of ventilation is no surprise with the AJVIII. MJ ended up with bouts of athlete’s foot throughout the season while wearing the AJVIII and I’m hoping that doesn’t happen to me. There are perforations but they are minimal at best. The inner boot will restrict the air flow those tiny little perforations could potentially provide thus making them nearly obsolete. I’m surprised the tongue isn’t perforated… they perforated the top of the tongue in the VII and with the VIII they didn’t even attempt to.
Support – The support should be good overall. With the molded arch, a plastic (thin rubber is more like it) shank and the plastic colored panels & dual cross straps, these should provide the most support out of the early models. Believe it or not, the Air Jordan 8.0 actually enhanced the original support features so it won’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the 8.0 is going to be greater than the original version from a performance standpoint.
Overall, the Air Jordan VIII looks to take a few steps back in most areas while utilizing a supportive lockdown fit at the forefront of their design. This is the most recent Retro version of the VIII besides the Countdown Pack version (which I don’t own) so maybe we will see some changes made when they decide to re-Retro the VIII in the future. Until then, these will have to do.
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My favorite of the early Air Jordans to play in. These are also one of my favorite Air Jordan models and I’m excited to see what your take on them is performance wise.
i’m curious on how this would turn out. i really like how they look, but they felt restrictive compared to the other shoes that were released back then.