He’s back…
I swear I cried tears of joy that day.
Traction – After dealing with flat surfaced Air Jordan’s multiple times now, I assume these will be just fine. I will say that I think traction will be greater from a front to back standpoint versus lateral movements but there are plenty of flex grooves to compensate for that so court coverage should be adequate no matter what.
Cushion – Not only is full length Air featured but it’s also the first time Phylon is used for the midsole. From a simple try on they feel a bit stiff but after some on-court break-in time they should be perfectly fine… like walking on Air.
Material – Despite all the complaints from kids that wouldn’t know what quality leather was even if a live cow came up from behind them and mistook their ass cheek for a chunk of grass… the Air Jordan X Retro features a very nice grain of leather along the upper. Both the tumbled and smooth grain leathers are VERY nice and much better than a lot of the Retro products I had been playing in. Break-in time will be required but it will be very minimal compared to the PU coated split grains.
Fit – They fit true to size and feel wonderful. The tumbled leather wraps itself around your foot as if they haven’t seen each other for a few years – which they actually haven’t so go figure. Lacing is a breeze and the bungee strips in place keep the midfoot snug and secure. While the leather won’t retain its shape the way a PU split grain or a synthetic would, I prefer this over any other type of material from a personal standpoint.
Ventilation – The ventilation is VERY minimal. This won’t help the leather uppers retain their shape but this is something I’m not only aware of but prefer… it just brings me back to the days when you would break-in a pair of kicks and they’d feel like they were made for your foot & your foot only after so many playing hours. Unfortunately, this type of thing that brings the overall score down when the full reviews are available… something many don’t seem to comprehend. It’s just like your GPA on a report card; you may have gotten all A’s but that one C really effected the overall GPA total. That is why some shoes – even though I personally love them – don’t make it onto the Top Ten list.
Support – The overall support is pretty minimal as well. After the leather breaks-in the supportive fit will decrease and the molded arch can only do so much.
The AJX should play well overall but there is much more to come in the following model… If material quality & craftsmanship is good enough that is. Honestly, after going through 9 different Air Jordan Retro models and finally getting to something more recently release – this pair of X’s released January 2012 – this is one of the best Retro models – if not the best – to have been released from a quality standpoint in a LONG time. Those Air Jordan III’s & IV’s weren’t bad either but these are much more luxurious – in my opinion.
cant wait for the 11’s and 13’s
for cushion do yo mean phylon? or PU?
Phylon, sorry about that. I’m tired as hell today.
one thing i experienced with the retro’s i get and see in footlockers including the stealth 10’s is that the middle of the rubber literally goes inside the shoe a little bit which convinced me that traction would be pretty bad and the outsides would be worn out and the middle would be just fine. I had the same problem on the air max2 uptempo’s when i played in them and i was wondering if that’s a problem with your retroes, this project is awsome i really want to thank you for doing dispite all the ‘people’ that say you can’t play in retroes cuz my friend tell me that too.
I hate this, too. It’s just sloppy mold work from the factory. Areas are concaved or bulgy, which results in uneven wear.
Nightwing:
In your writing you have a habit of redundantly referring to yourself. For example:
I prefer this over any other type of material from a personal standpoint.
You don’t need to say “from a personal standpoint.” The fact that you are writing it and stating a preference is enough. Words like personally and “in my opinion” are unneeded.
I say this in the most polite way possible. Keep up the great work NW.
I understand what you mean and i dont take offense to it.
What i am trying to do is make the distinction between my actual opinion vs a fact or statement. Its something that gets misconstrued often with my reviews.
For example: i state that i loved the UA Torch yet its not on the top ten list…
People then ask me why its on the list with a quote of me saying i loved it personally. I personally do love the sneaker but its scores and review were non-biased so i kept it fair as to not give anyone false info or to push my beliefs or feelings upon them since some people may not play the way i do or enjoy the attributes i enjoy most in a shoe.
Thats my reason for it. When i make a factual statement it isn’t up for debate but when i make a personal note i need to reiterate that it was my personal opinion and nothing more or nothing less.
The HD 2012 is another good example where there is a top rated shoe yet my personal opinions differ.
Yea I tried playing in these on a somewhat dusty court and I found the traction was pretty bad when making lateral cuts and curling around a picks.
I definitely love the shoes, I ball in the old royals and they are definitely playable! I love the leather and the fit because of the cords, the only problem or comment I have about them is that the outsole is too solid, the rubber is to thick or too hard that it gives you that boot feeling sometimes especially in the forefoot area but this makes it good outdoor shoe
BTW
recently got my UA torch and man are they comfortable! Thanks and more power!
Played in these, cushion is awesome, traction is ok. Arch support is horrible after break-in, over streched my midfoot arch area while flexing/playing. If a carbon fiber plate was implemented it would been real nice. Nonetheless it’s a neckbreaker on/off court fosuo.
I like that. Keep doing that, lots of dudes dont separate opinion from fact. More people need to do that.
I did feel the same way when he announced he is coming back to the NBA. I think this is one of the simplest design on the Jordan Legacy Line, but simple is usually better than over the top.