Jordan One Take 5: No, It’s Not A Skate Shoe

The Jordan One Take 5 is Russell Westbrook’s 5th takedown signature shoe, and this just might be the last Westbrook signature to ever be released. It feels like Jordan Brand is slowly phasing out Brodie’s signature line out, as they did with Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony in the past. If this is true, it will be interesting to see if Jordan Brand will add young talent to the roster, and who that will be.

The Why Not and the One Take lines have brought us some bangers over the years, and now we have this skate shoe-esque model that has some very interesting performance features, but at the same time raises a lot of questions regarding how they will all work together on court. Let’s dive into the review and see exactly what these shoes are packing.

Jordan One Take 5 Review

Jordan One Take 5 Specs

Jordan One Take 5 Traction

Traction on the One Take 5 will almost certainly be a highlight. We have full-length herringbone, the most reliable traction pattern that can be featured on a basketball shoe. Traction lines are going in every direction and the rubber is grippy, so you know that these will perform well indoors. The one concern indoors is regarding how tightly packed the traction pattern is.

When there is so little space separating the traction pattern, it tends to accumulate dust more quickly. In terms of durability, the shoe features a combination of solid and translucent rubber, neither of which feels particularly tough. This means that the One Take 5 is best reserved for playing on indoor surfaces.

Jordan One Take 5 Cushion

The cushion setup on the One Take 5 is relatively basic but it does feel nice underfoot. The midsole is constructed in a basic phylon midsole which houses a top-loaded Zoom Air unit in the forefoot. The Phylon is on the dense side and doesn’t offer much in terms of impact protection or compression, but the Zoom Air does feel nice and bouncy when you activate that area of the shoe.

The Jordan One Take 5 is decidedly a more reactive basketball shoe, and that dense, almost stiff sensation of the midsole is augmented by the support features, which we will talk about a bit later. If you enjoy a responsive, zippy ride on court, with good court feel, you will enjoy the One Take 5.

This setup is another reason why these are better suited for indoor play. If you take these out to play on harder surfaces you’re going to feel it in your legs the next day.

Jordan One Take 5 Materials

The materials used on the Jordan One Take are the most interesting feature of the shoe by far. There is nothing that deserves to be called premium on the shoe, however, this is the type of build we like here at WearTesters. Jordan Brand has kept the synthetics and plastics to a minimum in the One Take 5. The shoe is built with several different panels with a nice mix of materials.

The heel features a short-cut suede, the midfoot is a synthetic leather that feels very nice in hand, and the forefoot is a textile material that is wrapped by two straps on either side. On the medial side, we again have the same short-cut suede featured in the heel, and on the lateral side we have a very thick piece of rubber (a very skate-ish feature).

In terms of performance, they might require a bit more break-in time than other textile-basked hoop shoes, but as far as containment and lockdown go, you should have zero issues. Considering that the One Take 5 retails for only $100, it begs the question, why don’t they use this type of construction more often?

Jordan One Take 5 Support

Support on the Jordan One take 5 is substantial, almost to the point of being restrictive. The midsole on its own is already on the firm side, but the shoe also houses a very large TPU shank plate that extends to the forefoot of the shoe. This is great if you need a lot of torsional support, but if you don’t, you may feel like it is limiting mobility as you move on court.

You will need ample break-in time to allow everything to soften a bit. Aside from that, the shoe has a very wide base with an outrigger, the midsole is very stable thanks to that dense phylon, there’s a nice heel counter, and then we have the nice lockdown provided by the upper.

All in all, the Jordan One Take 5 will be a very secure and stable feeling hoop shoe on court, and may even be too restrictive for most.

Jordan One Take 5 Fit

Fit on the Jordan One Take 5 is tricky, to say the least. The shoe technically fits true to size, but the inside of the shoe is extremely padded, making it fit very snugly. This is definitely one of those shoes you will want to try on in-store to make sure you can handle this type of fit on court. The One Take 5 is especially tight in the forefoot, so be warned.

Jordan One Take 5 Overall

The Jordan One Take 5 doesn’t look like a basketball shoe. This is a skate shoe in hoop clothing. The stiffness of the midsole and shank plate combined with the substantial padding within the shoe will make the One Take way too restrictive for most players to enjoy on court. Now, if you enjoy a very responsive ride on court with a high level of court feel and appreciate a lot of torsional support, you will like these as long as the fit works for you.

The Jordan One Take 5 is too much of a niche performance model for us to recommend it for most hoopers. Our best advice is to go into a store and try these on in person. It’s a shame because the materials and overall build of the shoe are very nice.

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