I thought the Jordan Melo M10 was going to be at the Holiday Preview and I realized it wasn’t there once I got back to California.
Yes, you’ve seen them before – by now – but this is my take on them… performance wise of course. Midsole, outsole and cushion setup will be exactly the same as the Air Jordan XX8 and XX8 SE. The upper is quite a bit different. Adaptive Fit is in place but they’ve taken away the synthetics and replaced them with raw materials – much like the CP3.VII – they will have a slightly different feel when you wear them… especially after they’ve been broken in. The Carbon Fiber at the heel has been replaced by TPU and that shouldn’t do much of anything to their performance at all… same concept, just different materials.
So… why bother with the Melo M10 if there is a XX8/ XX8 SE? Simple… these are for me… and others like me. If you prefer synthetic uppers then grab the XX8 SE but if you prefer leathers, nubucks etc. then this is where its at. Like I said above, similar to the CP3.VII… 90’s style and materials but with modern tech. Can’t really go wrong there if you ask me.
In case you are wondering, I’d pick the Melo M10 over the XX8 SE because they use raw materials.
Via Freshness
I said it before and I’ll say it again: I’ll acknowledge that the upper uses raw materials for a better feel/fit, but when I heard Tinker was designing these, I set my expectations high. I was expecting something new, different, innovate, but instead all I see is maybe if it were an app, a XX8 SE PRO Edition
and forgot to add adaptive fit
I agree. I would have liked to have seen something new myself. Three models with the same midsole/ outsole is a bit excessive. BUT, the original XX8 wasnt cheap nor was it available for everyone so these two ‘lesser’ models could make up for that. I still would have preferred a new design though… at least turn the Zoom unit the same direction the SF2 faces so we can experience even greater mobility. Just my thoughts lol.
agreed and i like the looks of all three of those shoes(xx8, xx8 se, melo m10) but I’m sure some wont be able to tell the difference between se and melo m10 if theyre the same colors
yo, i see you have Gucci ads running across the Vids now PLAYA….
Its the end of melo line in my opinion. I was expecting some crazy shit with the 10’s but its looks like xx8 and will play like it to. no diffrence
I think the only thing designed by tinker was the melo logo at the back…
the adaptive fit seems to be a good argument. possibly these would appeal those who would want extra comfort. don’t the XX8 SE have an adaptive fit?
The XX8 and SE have Dynamic Fit… pretty much the same thing lol.
I love adaptive fit it allows for the use of leather without sacrificing support it worked great on the CP3 VI. I have a question about the Jordan XX8 and Melo M10, Does the carbon fiber on the side limit flexibility in my opinion the placement of it is very near the flex point of your feet. I think the Jordan Superfly II have a more natural setup since the flight plate placement on the shoe doesn’t really limits the flexibility near the flexpoint unlike the Jordan XX8. Does the lateral carbon fiber piece on the XX8s bend or have any give? Are you able to bend the lateral carbon fiber at all?? I’m talking about the front lateral carbon fiber not the midfoot shank.
I cant wait!
Nice! I think I’m gonna wait out on these and the CP3’s. I prefer Leather, and Nubuck on my hoop shoes. But I’ll still check out the SE’ when they release here. Thanks for the heads up on these!
Will these have a decoupled heel?
Do you guys know the price range?
but I don’t like the design on the toe, and the tpu at the heel.
The chrome heel plate is excessive in terms of styling for me. I prefer the looks of the XX8 SE much more. Over the last couple of years, I’ve really grown to like the flexibility that a well designed synthetic material offers. I will most definitely be adding a couple pairs of XX8 SEs to the closet once the solid colours release.
Come on Jordan Brand, stop stealing pages from the Adidas handbook…..only Adidas is suppose to put out the same damn model in different colourways/with minimal upper changes.
Is JB emulating Adidas’s cost-leadership strategy by the use of their best tech (crazyquick) in most of their shoe models? Hehe i kid!
I don’t like raw materials since the lack the ventilation I wanted but I respect your opinion Nightwing
hahaha looks like JB fanboys ate their own words when they talk trash to adidas on their lack of innovation..here’s my take; 1. maybe team JB seems a little lazy with designing and no inspiration at all..hahaha or 2. they are following suit the path of adidas (a little or no changes in the midsole, outsole, traction and cushion set up with just lil changes on the upper)…why fix if ain’t broke and serves its purpose performance wise??? i’ll hate if this is the direction these 2 big shoe companies are going..sticking up to only one platform and just change the uppers???well, i guess we’re merely paying most of our money on the logo and not the product anymore…i feel robbed if this is what the companies are thinking…
you did forget to consider that these would be available on all retail outlets and are much cheapercompared to the shrouded xx8. apart from those, I didn’t like the shrouded xx8’s so these pretty much is an answer to most people’s prayers of having a cheaper and wildly available xx8. think about it.
It’s all perspective, you likes to look at it that way, and you like to look at it this way. The truth is, both companies just want that money. If the people wish for change, the only way to get it is by not purchasing. The dollar speaks high volumes then any message board.
That being said, outside of the Anatomix, the best shoe to ever grace my feet have been the 28’s so I’ll rack up on these as much as I can, with so many versions, I’ll be a kid in the candy or outlet store 😀
i do hope so that UA would put up a store here in our country to try their shoes coz i’ve been hearing a lot of good stuff with their shoes..i really want to personally try their micro-g cushion on my feet..:)
UA has been very good imo. the Torch for example was great eventhough it felt cheap and cost more than what it is still selling even today. guess the demand for it is quite high. they do have their share of lemons. one in particular is the spaceman boot called Charge BB. what the hell were they thinking?
Can’t wait to catch’em at the outlets YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Is JB slowly transitioning their melo signatures to their team signatures???is it the start of the end for the melo line???
maybe Melo is going Anta as well.
lol…..
Hey do yourself a favor and quit trolling everybody on which shoe company is better. It’s like comparing apples to oranges
Your opinion is well respected, NightWing.
At least people have a choice of what upper they prefer now with XX8 SE or Melo X, with midsole/sole set-up being the same.
Appreciate it. I hope ppl understand that i was simply sharing my personal preference and not forcing it upon them. Some of my fav shoes to hoop in (Question & The Glove) are some peoples least fav so i dont wish to confuse anyone.
To left, you confused me so bad, that I’m playing in two left shoes like Clyde the Glide(that might be to old of a reference for the youngens).
when are they coming out??
It looks like the Air Challenge LWP, the Air Flare, and the Jordan XX8 had a menage a trois and this is the offspring. I like it.
Are there any major performance differences between synthetics and raw materials?
think i’ll pass on the SE and pick these up, too…’90s cats unite!
seems very cool, the only thing I don’t like it’s the MELO plate on the heel.
I think I may pass on these. Though they look cool, I’m feeling the Under Armour Spawn, Predator and Torch right now. All three of those shoes look different which is what I want when I buy shoes. And the price, I’m loving the price point of UA right now. I need a break from the Signature line of shoe companies with the $30+ price increase because an atheletes name is attached to it. I’ll pass until outlet time.
To the point of everyone comparing Jordan to Adidas with the same outsole and midsole, it truly is a completely different scenario. Jordan is taking what is a game changing shoe that has a cushion nothing else outside of its brand is using, in unlocked zoom, along with a decoupled heel and forefoot and bringing it to the masses. The differences on the upper really are different enough from the SE to the Melo where no one will really confuse the two. Also, the SE is priced at $150, Melo’s have normally been at the $130-$140 mark so coming from a $250 shoe with real leather or nubuck is amazing.
Back to Adidas, they do everything half@$$ with the Crazy Quick, 773 II, and D Howard 4 while only really giving DRose 4 proper attention attention. If Adidas added Boost to their PureMotion traction, with a durable TechFit upper it would be one hell of a shoe. At that point, if Adidas decided to just slap Wall, Rose, Howard, or anybody elses name on multiple versions of a dream model like that, it really wouldn’t matter. Such is the case with the Jordan brand taking a revolutionary shoe and sharing the love.
I bought my M9 right after seeing the review by nightwing. I love those zoom bags. it keeps my baad knees from hurting. It may feel not as reaponsive but it keeps the job done. But seeing and knowing that M10 has raw materials on it. I may pick these up instead of the XX8 SE. You always share good infos nightwing. Keep it up. Though it may take long to have it here in the Philippines
Thanks for the tip on the zoom bags being good for the knees. I always thought foam is best for knocked up knees (kobe 8 helped me). Im currently choosing between a hyperdunk low and the Melo m9, both around 4.5k in Nike Park, and your comment made me want to try on the Melo again.
4.5k? not bad. Here in olongapo the price is still at 5.5k. Yep’ Melo did not let me down. The flywire also helps my ankles as it keeps it on place. The traction is also awsome. I also tried playing it on outdoors and i have no complaints on the traction.
Thanks a bunch Bishmark! I actually need a pair for outdoor and was worried about the Melo’s outsole. None of my friends use m9’s so i wasnt sure how they’ll hold up.
The m9 is just Php4197, for the older cw’s here (CDO btw). Btw our outdoor court is really “off road” and full of potholes my Lebron 8’s outsole peeled off after 4 games. Haha
Thanks again!
wow that is crazy. Was the Lebron 8 already worn down when you took them outdoors?
The M9s seem to be a pretty darn good shoe, but Melo himself kind of put me off of them a little bit by not wearing them. He seemed to wear the M8 Advanced quite a bit towards the end of last season, so that made me wonder why that would be. Did he not like something about the M9s? Was there something wrong with them?
hey ice!
yeah (4) 1.5hour pickup games and maybe (10) 1 hour shooting sessions and now the Lebron 8 v1’s outsole is 3/4 separated from the max airbag. in fairness the storytelling traction (and the lion who is very much okay btw lol) is still there. i stuck them back together again with contact cement and i hope they’d still work (made a huge mess though) haha.
still no luck on the TP9 so im choosing between a HD Low and the M9 for outdoor pickup games which are now around $95 here.
i still haven’t read about the main reason why Melo stuck with the M8 advanced. however the sales folks in the Nike Store kept saying customers are very happy with the m9’s fit and some bought two or more pairs.. maybe Melo was just being superstitious? 🙂
melos outsole is really pliable but is somewhat durable so it wont peel off easily
Bishmark, how well is the traction holding up outdoors? I mean, for me the Kobe 8 ground down by around 20% in about 3 hours of game play on concrete and teraflex, you think the melo will last a little longer? Thanks buddy
Hey NoQ, how do you guys wear shoes like the Kobe 8 outdoors? I mean, doesn’t it hurt you to see the traction ground down so fast on a shoe you just bought? Have you worn the Kobe 8 outdoors again after seeing it ground down that much?
Unless you can get those performance type shoes at a discount when they are a bit older, I couldn’t imagine wearing them outdoors if I were to pay full retail price for them.
You guys truly are hardcore ballers to wear those kicks outdoors.
well it held up well. Ive played it for like 4 times on outdoor for a minimum of 5 hourseach of that day and it is still good. And my feet is kindda special. hahaha. i had an operation on my left toe so i developed this weird way of walking which resulted into grinding the bottom sole of my foot each and everytime i step. ive been using it as my casual shoes too. and its been 4 months since then
HeY again Ice!
In my case i only got back to balling 2 years back. I bought Hyperfuse on discount and they lasted awhile, so when the time came to replace them i went for the Kobe 8 without knowing that they have different rubber compounds, patterns and all. wish i found out about kicksoncourt and about XDR soles before. That is why just a few months in im now on the hunt for a pair or two that will last better outdoors; it did pain me much to see my Kobe’s traction slowly disappear after every league game haha even the CF shank is scuffed and has splintered youch! As for my Lebron8 a cousin gave his mint pair to me as a gift when he saw my Kobe’s get beat. Behold, the outsole peeled off. Wish i didnt give my hyperfuse away and just use them for pickup and shooting sessions haha.
Nike sort of got us cornered here in the Philippines. They offer XDR models (black mamba 24, venomenon, Lebron ST II) and the signatures but almost none of the Signatures with XDR soles. So we often spend our hard earned cash on sigs instead and do our best to make them last. We all know the stripped down models just dont cut it. A friend of ine just trashed his Lebron ST II, and another sold his Venomenom and bought a Kobe 8 at a discount a few days ago.
Sorry for the long post guys!
Hey bishmark!
Thanks again buddy! We have a similar situation as my orthotics are causing the wear of my shoes to be uneven. I went to the store today and tried the m9 with my over the counter orthos, and the fit was a little off. Ill go back with my custom orthotics (thinner) and hope they match better.
The support feeling on my ankle was really something, and bouncing around you are right on about the zoom. I think bottom loaded zoom’s benefit is more on impact protection rather than responsiveness. Thanks for piquing my interest on the m9’s, at least now ive got a lot of good choices.
Hope your knees and toe feel much better! Play strong my friend!
That heel looks disgusting
Like someone got mad and tried to melt the heel
Any shots of the traction nightwing?
Also, just saw you on finish line’s website! we finish line now! congratulations man!
Can anybody tell me what’s the difference between adaptive and dynamic fit? Which one is better?
smh, this does not look like a signature shoe at all.
ice09, i’m assuming that they’re wearing xdr kobe 8s outdoors, the rubber on the normal version is so soft that you’d probably start seeing wear within a week or two of hard play…
as for the m9 traction, i wear them outdoors every now and then (they’re not my favorite pair of shoes in the world, yeah the zoom is great, and the comfort/fit is among the very best out there, but i feel slow and heavy in them, and the lateral stability is really not the best, one nasty roll of the ankle while coming down from a routine pull-up jumper is evidence of that, among other examples), and the herringbone grooves aren’t very thick…if you’re somebody who does a lot of crossovers, jab steps, quick cuts etc., you’re going to notice that the areas on the edges of your toes are going to wear down after a few sessions…nothing really significant, but the rubber is not the hardest and the grooves are pretty thin. they work well outdoors, and don’t grind down as fast as other signature performance models that i can name, but that’s just something you might want to keep in mind.
also, if you’re playing outdoors in hot weather, they are not a good option- ventilation is minimal. not to mention the nubuck is a magnet for dirt and the patent leather will creased, get scuffed and stepped on in the paint….
the HD low 2012 is pretty much my go-to shoe outdoors, if you can get it for cheap and you play the 1/2/3 positions, i think it’s an excellent purchase- they’re light, very stable (haven’t had any awkward landings or rolls at all), very durable, easy to clean upper, the traction pattern works very well on outdoor surfaces, even when the edges start wearing out (as mine have done after all the abuse i have put my three pairs through), and of course they’re low tops, which always helps when you’re maneuvering around the perimeter on defense or exploding to the rim…if you’re the kind of dude who needs a shoe that can keep up with you and allows you to play your game without thinking about what you have on your feet all the time, you should probably give them a try…
btw whenever we talk about outdoor courts, i don’t know if i’m playing on the same sort of surfaces as everybody else, i know that in north america when folks are talking about blacktops they mean something a lot harsher than what we’re used to playing on in hong kong, which is basically clean, flat concrete with little to no debris, pebbles or whatever on the floor…the last time i played on a blacktop was in high school in toronto, i couldn’t even imagine stepping foot on a court like that again, it would mutilate anything that i had on (i suppose the ever reliable air raid was built for that kind of thing….), and, what’s worse, i’d just end up with cuts all over my body at the end of the day
Tadatsune i appreciate your comments! They line up pretty well with Bishmark’s and i now have a much informed buying decision to make. I read your comments on the m9’s performance review page and wanted to contact you directly to ask how you feel about them now. Im really glad you chimed in. Thanks again!
Regarding outdoor surfaces, most here are your basic concrete but usually poorly maintained. Often there are pebbles, sharp rocks and even potholes and cracks. Most of our “indoors” are made of better maintained concrete or taraflex -which i think is that nasty blacktop in the US aka sandpaper that ground my poor Kobes. Hardwood is a luxury here in the Philippines, but most are well kept.
well here in philippines, outdoor courts here will grind any shoe faster than you ever expected. Floors are like highway road. The cement has its own way of giving you the traction. hahahahaha
Everyone, i know this is an M10 post and my apologies for babbling about the M9’s. i just need a new pair right now and my budget is quite limited so i wanted to hear everyone else’s thoughts on the latter. Thanks for your understanding!
Great shoe!!!
I doubt Nightwing would have a problem with us asking stuff that is off topic. We’ve got nowhere else to post if we want to ask an off topic question, so I guess some posts will have stuff that is off topic. If you try asking the question in the shoe’s correct post/topic you’re not likely to get a reply if the shoe is an older model.
True Ice, an: somehow, i dare not revive the M9 or any old comments thread. Haha
it kinda depends on how you play, man, and what your body needs, the m9 has two BIG, responsive zoom bags in the heel and forefoot, if you need that kind of cushion because of joint issues or whatever then they’re pretty much perfect in that regard, the traction is also very good for the most part, though i found that on dirtier outdoor courts (ie, with a lot of dust on the surface) the thin spacing between the herringbone grooves and the shallowness of the pattern can cause you slip…if you’ve played in the d-rose 3 i think the traction is pretty similar to that…
ps i’ve never used the m9 indoors, so i wouldn’t know if this happens inside also. but i’m sure you know that on dusty outdoor courts damn near every shoe fails to keep up with you, with some rare exceptions (the adidas top ten 2000, the adidas real deal, the adidas eqt elevation and the crazy 8s all have DEEP and thick herringbone, it’s like they were built for any surface and any condition)…
you should probably try them on and see if you like them…i bought my pair of m9s right after i put them on my feet for the first time, they fit so nice that it was instant love for me, the fit around the collar is incredibly plush, and the lacing system/flywire does an excellent job keeping your foot in place…
at the end of the day, though, i have no reservations in saying that it is an excellent shoe in every possible regard (with the only caveat being what i perceive to be less than optimal lateral stability…but most people don’t seem to have the same problems), but i just don’t feel inclined to reach for it most of the time, i think that i would place it above the lebron X, which i just find stiff and bulky, but- as long as we’re on the subject of the three big small forwards in the NBA and their footwear- i think the KD V is a far superior/more versatile shoe once you break it in, excellent court feel, lots of stability and support, A+ traction…
I loved the m9, thought it was heavily slept on. Go hit up your outlet, you can probably get 2-3 for 100 bucks. I use them for outdoor play due to how great the cushion is, I have 5 pair total. They use to be indoor for me, but thanks to this damn site in eight months I have 24 pair of shoes.
Damn you NightWing!…..damn you to Shoe Hell!
wow, that is a lot of shoes in 8 months. This site hasn’t been good for you. lol.
Are these outlet deals only available in the US? Do they have outlets in other countries?
We’re not likely to get prices like that here in Australia, the stores don’t really stock many shoes, so therefore they don’t have to mark them down when new models come out. Don’t even know if there is any outlets here.
Are they just called Nike outlets in the US? Wouldn’t mind some more info on these outlets. If I ever come to the US for a vacation, I think I will be trying to get as many shoes as I can ;).
Hey NW, SneakerNews actually posted a picture of the M10s on the preview. So you might just missed it there.
Someone melted these
A lot of people have been saying this is just a different version of the Air Jordan XX8’s and XX8 SE’s, which is kind of true. But those Air Jordan XX8’s are difficult to get. The Melo’s and the Superfly’s are pretty much the only shoes with unlocked zoom and a good flightplate that a non-sneakerhead would be able to cop. So these shoes are good for those people who aren’t die-hard shoe collectors but want to try out an innovative cushioning setup. Just saying.