I’m going to be very blunt about this. I’m not “upset” with the Air Jordan XXX. I’m just a little surprised by it.
Jordan Brand is considered the pinnacle of basketball performance footwear. They tend to release the highest performing models with the highest level of inspiration. But the Air Jordan XXX is the Air Jordan XX9.
Yes, the tooling from the XX8 was carried over to the XX9, but it was also altered and re-designed for better performance. They fixed the issue of Zoom Air units popping while playing and added a more durable rubber compound to prevent the outsole from splitting open. Bridging the gap between the decoupled heel and forefoot with the ‘tendril’ to provide a more fluid transition from heel to toe was another improvement. The overall concept of the Air Jordan XX8 was re-imagined and evolved into the Air Jordan XX9, the brand’s best performance model of all-time.
We can’t realistically be upset at the re-use of the overall tech used. The Air Jordan line has re-used tech since the very beginning. The Air Jordan 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 all featured heel and forefoot Air. The Air Jordan 7, 10, and 11 all featured Full length Air. The Air Jordan 13, 14, and 15 all used heel and forefoot Zoom Air. You see? The tech is all technically the same. However, they were all very different looking, despite the re-use of tech. Each told a different story. Each resembled a part of MJ’s persona. They were all very different, despite sharing the same overall roots.
Why is it that the Melo line can re-use the Unlocked Zoom Air setup and all look completely different? Why does the Air Jordan XXX have to feel like an Air Jordan XX9.5? The price was lowered from $225 to $200, but the Air Jordan XX9 Low (a phenomenal on-court performer) is $185. Everything about them is just a little strange to me, and somewhat disappointing.
The traction looks to be an upgrade and their fit should also be improved with the asymmetrical collar, reminiscent of the Air Jordan 13. Ventilation was also added to the toe. There are technical differences, although they’re minor, so not all is lost.
The shoes look great. They just don’t look any “different.” Hopefully that all makes sense. I think they’ll be phenomenal on-court. They have to be; not much has changed between the XX9 and XXX, after all.
Now, with all that out of the way. Below is the official press release, which includes release information, for the Air Jordan XXX. Check everything out and share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
JORDAN BRAND INTRODUCES THE AIR JORDAN XXX: THE NEXT FRONTIER OF FLIGHT
Exactly when the Air Jordan XXX design journey began is up for debate. Arguments could be made for February 17, 1963, Michael Jordan’s birthday — or October 24, 1984, the day his Airness signed with Nike. There’s also April 1, 1985, when his first signature shoe hit market and February 6, 1988, the date he soared solo in Chicago as he debuted the Air Jordan III. There’s a litany of moments — game-winning shots, personal triumphs and titles — that form the Jordan legacy. But to dissect the journey is to miss the forest for the trees. The Air Jordan XXX is a unique synthesis of Jordan’s evolution as a player and a design collaborator.
Each of the shoe’s elements results from a key performance insight or design inspiration fundamental to the player and Jordan Brand’s evolutions. The start of the design process, however, tied to a significant, if lesser-known, date: a bitterly cold weekend in February 2015, when – during a pre-birthday party dinner — Jordan asked long-time design collaborator Tinker Hatfield to spearhead the design of the anniversary-marking shoe. “The next morning I drew a shoe,” Hatfield recalls, “because I knew I was in deep trouble. We had no time. Then I realized it wasn’t good enough to sketch a shoe. I asked for that particular photo of Michael in the slam dunk contest and then I drew.”
The photo in question, which featured MJ in the open lane, rising to the hoop, ball cocked behind his right ear and legs tucked under his body, activated Hatfield’s memories of 1988. It spurred the designer to add his own illustrations to the familiar image. The resulting artwork, which recapped Jordan’s history in unconventional ways, in turn inspired the shoe.
An “XXX”, signifying 30, transformed into a basketball net. Stars symbolized the athlete’s otherworldly talents and planets orbiting the Jordan universe took on surfaces — elephant print or carbon fiber — related to innovations initiated by past Jordan models. Elaborating his drawing, with help of fellow designer Mark Smith, Hatfield broadened the Jordan narrative and formed the story of the Air Jordan XXX, one that references a storied yet timeless lineage with an eye towards the future.
The approach, Hatfield notes, created a “nice sort of circle. Its all very internal, rather than the external story of being influenced by a car or architecture or music. Those have been good tools, but this one was different. It was just in my head, so to speak.”
The results of this novel approach are represented by five of the Air Jordan XXX’s key components:
1. HEIGHT
“I remember thinking about how silhouettes are important in the world of basketball, not just for performance – whether it’s a mid cut or high or low or something in-between – but as a hallmark of that year,” explains Hatfield, recalling how changing the top line of a shoe from one Jordan model to another became a standard brand practice. “We kept marveling at how we were able to keep the dimensions down and make it look slick,” says Hatfield. He also recalls that Jordan’s singular demand was to “make it look fast,” a request augmented by the “XXX” graphic that wraps the heel and extends through the forefoot.
2. TOE
Another trademark of later Jordan silhouettes is a smooth toe piece. “Michael has always been very infatuated with the toe-down look of a shoe,” notes Hatfield. A prime example can be seen on the XI, where the patent extends up the vamp so gracefully that its protective properties appear almost as an afterthought. 
3. TRACTION
Less apparent than the collar and toe, but nonetheless important, is the traction treatment. The FlightSpeed architecture of the Air Jordan XX9, Hatfield explains, is “probably the best performing Jordan chassis we’d ever done.” Still, Hatfield and Smith didn’t just serve up a new herringbone pattern on the Air Jordan XXX. Instead, they drew a new traction system inspired by the Jordan quote: “Excellence is never second place,” which has been rendered in 3D to serve the needs of pinnacle athletes, like Russell Westbrook. 
4. MATERIAL
Since the brand’s inception, material interplay has also been critical to the success of Jordan silhouettes. Likewise, a proprietary mix defines the upper composition of the Air Jordan XXX, which debuts an exclusive mix of woven, knit and printed materials.
For Hatfield, it’s about putting the right characteristic in the right place. The woven upper provides “strength,” he explains, “and makes good sense for the body of the shoe, because you can bring in strength and graphic elements that are actually woven right in.” At the ankle and through the interior, knit offers “softness and breathability.”
5. FIT
Knit also allowed the designers to consider the shoe’s fit, from the inside out. “We go to great lengths to make sure that when you put on a shoe, your calcaneus, which is the bottom part of the heel or the bony part of the heel, is locked,” says Hatfield. On the Air Jordan XXX, a knit cradle keeps the heel in place and at the same time reduces the amount of glue needed to make the shoe. “We should be gaining wisdom and learning from our mistakes and successes,” confirms Hatfield.
The Air Jordan XXX will be globally available at select retail stores and Jordan.com on February 12, 2016.
Via Nike Inc.
I agree, It won’t be a bad shoe at all lol, but it does seem odd that they didn’t do much different from the xx9. Then again it is pretty hard to top a shoe like the xx9.
Yeah, I feel like topping the XX9 tech wise might be 2 year plan that they have going on still in the background. But these looks more supportive as a shoe, but I prefer the overall elegance of the XX9 looks-wise
it is the aj 29S， same shit as iphone 6S
Not exactly you see the iphone 6s has the same tooling but better hardware to be precise its 1.5 times faster than the 6 saying the 30th(XXX) is like a 6s would mean same tooling but instead of phylon for the midsole cushion theres lunarlon wich in this case there is none
Or even cushlon. I loved the cushlon setup in the Lebron 9 Elite.
Is there any particular reason Tinker didn’t have “as much time” in designing this sneaker? Unless the XX9 took so long he was not able to start on the XXX as early as he liked? Just curious. The “global” tongue is very reminiscent of the the global Air Jordan logo that was on the back of the Jordan 9’s.
An update version of last year’s model.
The shoe looks stylish so in terms of looks, at least for my taste, it is pretty good. But because they’ve used the same base, meaning that the shoe’s sole profile is the same, it is more like a XX9 SE than a proper XXX. They could change minor structural details in the sole, specially at the sides, without having to use new technologies and it would look drastically different.
Besides that it is the 3rd decade anniversary so I would expect something more memorable. But alas, it is just another shoe.
All the tech talk and.”inspiration” doesn’t change the fact that jb is getting lazy as hell. After two years there selling an se version of the 29.
I may be one of the few people who really enjoy this update. The 29 is the best shoe I and most people have played in. JB listened to the users and made the few needed updates. Leave the critics who needs gimmicks (pods, fancy flywire, story telling designs) to buy the lebrons and Kds. This shoe is excellence.
i also think the XX9 didnt meet sales expectations for Jordan Brand so they are being conservative this year. And although Melo gets a new design every year Im not convinced that each version is an upgrade. The M10 is still the best Melo in my opinion because JB allowed it to share so much DNA with the 28.
It’ll be a performance good shoe, but I was hoping for something new w/ it being the 30th shoe and all. I also wished they at least brought back zoom in the heel. Zoom durability issues aside, I absolutely LOVED how the 28 felt all around in comparison to the 29.
good performance shoe* smh 🙁
Copying my comment from the other post:
This was one of the least enthusiastic presentations i have seen in a long time. Tinker seemed to be bored and not believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. Also i was expecting to see mj to make it more official
I have been with jb for 20+ years now, had xx8 and have xx9s but i am buying lillards 2 as soon as they are coming out
Enough is enough
This short quote (said by no less than Tinker) probably explains everything:
“The next morning I drew a shoe,” Hatfield recalls, “because I knew I was in deep trouble. We had no time.
WE HAD NO TIME. Wow. Which is just another way of saying that they slacked off on the design process.
I think it means they worked on a design that will eventually be the 31, but the design wasn’t complete enoguh so they had to go to a backup plan aka an extremely ugly shoe that will probably be a performance monster
Jordan Brand’s take on Nike’s Elite Basketball Collection
Reminds me of a woven Jordan 17
Evolution is often better than revolution. And as everybody liked the AJ XX9 so why changing it?
There is just a small mistake in the article. The OG Jordan VII had heel and forefoot Air. The set up was changed for the Retros. They have an injected EVA bottom with the same Air Bag that was used in the Jordan XI. At the OG VII a harder EVA frame (visible midsole) was used then the forefoot and the heel Air bags were placed and the PU was poured over the bags. The EVA frame was holding everything together. The OG has also not the shank that was used on the Retro´s. THe original Set Up is ver complicated for production so it was changed.
Good to know, thanks!
As for the XX9. They can change the look, but didn’t. That was what I was getting at. These are the same shoe as last year. No matter how you look at it.
JB has one way to improve and thats colorways Im hoping they have some tricks up thier sleeves in that area.
You mean by slapping a huge Jumpman on the side? Unless they find a way to blend in those three x’s on the back, aesthetically this shoe is doomed for the sales racks by March.
I wish i could put a gif in the comment. It would be that scene of j jonah jameson from spiderman. Crap…crap…mega crap…
Oh wow. I didn’t know they put full length air in the 7s now. i thought it was similar to the 8s or the OGs. interesting.
I think Tinker new they dropped the ball on making a true Jordan XXX. He kept mentioning that they didn’t have enough time. The fact that the price has actually gone down is good though. Hopefully it doesn’t effect the quality of the shoe at all.
If you blind fold a person and let him try air jordan 29 on his left foot and air jordan 30 on his right foot. He won’t be able to tell the difference .
The previous 10 year anniversary Air Jordans were great for introducing new tech and the history of MJ. Phylon with the Air Jordan 10 and I.P.S with the Air Jordan 20. For the 30th edition, expectations were high from me for this brand. Like I stated in a previous post, this should have been called the XX9 SE. I would have been sold if this was called that. But this is the Air Jordan XXX!?! Imagine the Jordan XX8 SE being called the XX9? Everyone would be pissed. But now we get the reinforced XX9 called the XXX. I expected better for your 30th anniversary Jordan Brand. This is what happens when an organizations main bread winner is retros. Smh…
I loved the presentation! It seemed conspicuous without Jordan’s presence, and it also seems as if Nike has suddenly discovered the “calcaneus”. Perhaps they should have had this discovery on Kobe’s side of the campus. Funny how Under Armour knew about it helping Curry, and Adidas had it using it to perfection in their lines using Pure Motion.
Not a fan of the jumpman on the toe box. The recent Jordan # models have always grown on me and I’m sure the xxx will too. But I think I’ll purchase other budget friendly models until these go on sale. You can find the xx9 for $160 now and that’s what I think it should have retailed.
I’m in agreement with the approach of making careful tweaks. I’m open to the possibility of yielding perceivable improvement. Upper is presumably softer with a different cut and the traction pattern was altered.
Being the 30th Jordan, I expected them to be bolder in some unexpected way, though. The rehashed tooling is what irks me the most, but this is otherwise a nice facelift.
They know zoom it the heel ain’t hurting no pockets cmon jb
Real talk. LOL!
They could change the whole thing and it might’ve been rubbish and we’d all be yelling why they didn’t stick closer to the XX9. To each their own, if they continue to have a similar show in the coming years then I think it’s fair to criticise more. For now, I don’t really mind.
This is the third year in a row with the same tooling though. It’s fair to criticize now. They’re making it look like they’re only in the Retro business from here on out. Retro old models, retro new models. Open your eyes and see the truth. If adidas, UA, Nike etc. did this – which they do – then people would criticize the move – which they do.
I ain’t even mad though. At least I can look forward to discounted prices for the XX9’s now.
In that case I guess critisism is indeed fair. I’m relatively new to the NBA (about 3/4 years) and I have about zero connection with MJ and JB. I honestly prefer the current look much more over about any of their previous models.
But if their tooling is indeed still about the same as the last few years and it’s not really an improvement then that is indeed not the best way to do business. I wonder if it’s due to a basic lack in advancement in technology or if they’re milking the whole thing. And at least they dropped the price, even if the XX9 lows are still cheaper (and maybe better).
I don’t think it’s a lack of advancement, it’s a lack of creativity. They can make the midsole look different and perform the same. They can make the upper look difference and perform the same too. They just chose not to. No idea why. They just didn’t.
it’s only the 2nd year, since the xx8 do have heel zoom…
all i want in any nike/jordan performance bball shoes are fore foot and heel zoom, that’s all i ask…
is that really that impossible to achieve
I will have to disagree with nightwings comments, no disrespect although. To my eyes the shoe is a very different shoe than the 29, at least in the aesthetics or look of it. It is true that they used the same tech and we cannot argue at it, but why would you change a shoe drastically if it was encountered to be almost perfect for many people. This is a personal opinion after all and everyone could give their thoughts here and there, but what I could say is that I personally did not like that much the look (only) of the XX9 and god with the XXX, it is just love at first sight.
well you really need to have your eyes checked. even Tinker admitted that he had no time to design the shoe, and that tells a lot.
of course you are entitled to an opinion, but you don’t have to be blind or pretend what is an actuality.
why would anyone want to play in a shoe that looks like this? its hideous. I’m sure the performance is nice but so was the 29. maybe if they make a blacked out version ppl will overlook the looks but even then it will be butt ugly. its honestly a distraction when you dont need one. if Tinker is responsible for this monstrosity its past time for him to hang it up. Worst looking Air Jordan ever w/o a doubt. if they werent official pics you would think it was some kind of joke
Looks like an Adidas sneaker from 2007.
I’ve been collecting sneakers (and also playing in them) since 1994. I have not been more disappointed than today. Ever. I felt like an idiot watching that presentstion. It was a PR nightmare: they told us they didn’t hade time do design it, they told us they didn’t feel confident in changing the tooling, they tried to convince us they created a special limited version under the table…ugh! Unreal. It will probably be a beast performance wise but the design has no depth whatsoever. Let’s take a picture of MJ and throw a galaxy into it. Unreal. Whoever is ok with what transpired today after a 2-year wait is clearly in denial.
30 is an Anniversary, they tanked the anniversary this is a XX9.5(at best), it’s also dangerously close to how the Jumpman TEAM used to follow a numbered Jordan release(with the giant nose-Jumpman, and combo of old design-keys).
Even the sole, you could’ve kept the fundamentals, but restyle them a little, even the Super.Fly does that, so it’s all very sloppy.
About ‘performance’ at $200 retail, you need to bring more than just performance, that’s not the price of performance, that’s a life-style price.
I think JB sees a saturated market right now, whether it be for retros or performance basketball shoes. Even if they came out with an entirely different looking shoe, people will still wait for it to go sale if they are priced $200 plus. Look at the Lebrons and Kobes the past 2 years, they’ve been sitting on shelves because of the price hikes. Tinker looked less than enthused today… Wouldn’t you be if you were asked to design a sneaker at a price of $200 plus and KNOW they will go on discount within months, weeks, and sometimes days after release date?
Tinker should not care about JB’s revenue. He’s job is to create a great shoe in a certain price range in terms of total cost of production per unit. How the product will perform in the market at the end of the day as a function of the market’s saturation is a worry for JB’s CFO not Tinker’s.
Sure I like the whole “If it ain’t broke” approach but at the same time, this should have been a watershed release for Jordan brand. The signature Air Jordan release feels like Christmas time for me. I guess I’m getting the same Christmas gift a third year in a row.
Redesigning the look of the midsole and outsold wouldve helped but for the 30th anniversary Jordan and with over a year since the release of the xx9 it is underwhelming.
They could have at least made a few more tweaks like put heel cushion
Though I agree that for the 30th model, you would expect some additional change/wow factor. Though it is a little disappointing, I like the finished product.
I am most excited for that traction — it looks like it will be phenomenal
for those who missed out on the Jordan XX9s this is your last chance.
I’m as disapointed about the XXX as the next guy. But I’m rethinking my standpoint, because think about it: How often did you have a shoe and you considered it almost perfect. With a tweak here and a tweak there it could have been. Image how good the hyperdunks could be, if they would have just skipped all that lunarlon crap, just stayed with zoom all the time. Made them actually better each year (not like the outsole change from 2013 to 2014, which just changed from really good to crap).
That said an anniversary like the 30th Jordan model shouldn’t have been an evolved XX9. It should have been something special.
Apart from all that I consider the Jordan XX9 the very best Basketball shoe of all time.
If any other brand did this then they would have been roasted. I can’t believe the sheep mentality of so many people. Literally cannot believe it. This is the reason why JB gets away with everything. Sheep.
Sheeps get slaughtered – Gordon Gecko
You’ve got to remember something, many of those comments are coming from very questionable sources, those who are encouraged by a *certain company*, to get out and support their product. If plenty people go out and say positive stuff about dog crap, dog crap will be bought and sold at every corner store, and Nike knows this.
The fact that Nike has lowered the pricing on this shoe, relatively speaking of course, is proof that they do not believe in it themselves.
But if you take a close look at the dog crap Nike has been releasing over the past few years, actually it is been even longer than that, because we now have the “remastered” program for the retro product, you can tell who was working for who, if you go back and watch certain reviewers when those product were initially released.
I have yet to read of anyone wanting a LeBron XI retro, especially after it was voted the “Shoe Of The Year” by those selected sneaker celebrities on complex, those of whom couldn’t even run up and down a basketball court, and that includes that idiot Nick DePaula.
TI don’t know if its.sheep mentality or simply expecting jb to be the leader in the industry. Think about it..for a minute. For at least 23 of the 30 years jb has been the standard by which other kicks are measured. Now you have a commitee of let’s call them older gentlemen who think they know what’s “cool”. Now for me the 19 is the absolute best of the best. They tried something completely original and not only did it perform but it lookked amazing. And they built it off the back of the 18. Jb just doesn’t have the drive to be original anymore. I can’t say its sheep mentality or not. Just uninspiring.
If I hadn’t grown up with and love j’s, and like one in my rotation I wouldn’t consider these but nightwing is right about sheep mentality for the general consumer. I am lucky to have the money to still get the brandblack, ua, adidas, Nike and Jordan models of my choice but if I only could get 1 or 2 pairs these wouldn’t be one of them!
I would agree, but my favorite shoe of all time before the Jordan 29 was the Lebron 10. I havent worn a Lebron since the the launch colorway of the 11. If they had just tweaked and made the upper lighter of the Lebron 10 I may still be buying them
if there are isheeps for smartphones, there should be jsheeps for shoes.
And buy the way, anyone remembers that first leaked picture of that sand colored monstrosity. I have my own theory about that, maybe that was the first draw and Jordan probably hated it and so that needed a redesign. So they might really not have had that much time to design the XXX. So they just decided to reuse the tooling and rushed the rest. Maybe?!? or maybe not. We’ll never know
I am optimistic as they come but its not just using the same tech people are disappointed about its also the reuse of the same aesthetics for the mid and out sole. They could have at least changed that and used the same sspeedplate technology.
Great comment from NW! I agree with most of it. My thought for some time has been JB doesn’t need to release a flagship shoe every year since the shoe is usually loaded with tech that normally becomes void with the next shoe. The XX9s are the perfect example. Maybe instead of releasing the XXX they could have retooled the I with the flight plate and woven upper, or something. They should have waited to release until they created something that could top the XX9s
on to the next please. The excitement of xxx is finally over.
This feels like a soap opera love story…looking to find a new lover you realize she is a secret twin of your crazy ex girlfriend +/- a few birthmarks and freckles and hair color.
Lol that’s a clever analogy because its so true!
Thanks it took me a year of waiting to release this wisdom into the wear-testing community. Lol.
Design wise, if you take away the Jordan logos, it reminds me of something you could see coming out of APL (Athletic Propulsion Labs). Not to take anything away from them, but Jordan brand has all the resources, tech, history, and proven designers to create a better looking shoe than this. Performance wise I’m sure they’ll be amazing, but when you consider how many athletes have made it to 30 signature shoes, I know I was left disappointed after seeing these.
Everyone hates on the AJ2010 (which I happen to love), BUT AT LEAST THEY WERE DARING!! What happened to the “concept car” b.s. that Tinker was so proudly espousing at the release of the AJXX8? These are more like a slight refresh on the same old platform. Come on.
I did read that westbrook and other Jordan athletes didn’t want the outsole changed but that could just be an excuse or copout.
They must’ve ran out of good ideas I got some for ya Jordan a foam to compete with boost or a full length unlocked zoom or a zoom and foam combo
damn, same show all over again.
i read every single comment.
AJ taking what worked from previous models and using it again isn’t new.
compare the upper and outsole of the 6s and 7s. the 3s and 4s were the same shoe of different upper. laziness showed up on AJs about 20 years ago, it was bound to happen again.
also, Jordan did try to make different shoes every year (AJ2009-2012) and it didn’t turn up well for them.
so i would say sticking what worked did wonders for them and trying to be different every year didn’t. keeping it conservative this year is the safer business move.
BLAME THE HYPE.
that giant XXX on the heel and outsole is hideous though.
Yeah but the design changed, the look of everything was different even if it had the same tech.
I like them, I’m going to get them.
End of story
People don’t get it. You can use the same tech without using the same design. Lazy and rushed. Even Tinker admitted it, whether he meant to or not.
I’ll just stick to my 29’s will even cop some more now they’re on disco
Truth be told I was pretty much done with Air Jordan’s with the 28SE. I loved the shoe! The heel zoom felt great! When JB put out the 29 with no heel zoom I was done. I stopped there. Unlike most people I don’t feel their shoes are worth it. NW’s JC2 vs 29 video shed a lot of light. Best video of 2015 by NW.
With the XX9 didn’t they announce that they wanted to introduce new flagship models in the Fall? If so it’s interesting that they waited ’til January to launch the 30. It definitely makes sense with all the signature basketball Nikes and Jordans staggered releases starting with KD in the summer. Please correct me if I’m wrong here.
Good thing the upper looks like quilted northern, because these are crap
Im actually a really big fan of the aesthetics and i think these will also perform great but that xxx on the heel is ugly af.
Tinker may be a huge proponent of the “if it aint broke…” mantra.
And just like that, the love for the XX9’s has returned!!
Looks like JB went with “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” so buyers should too: if your kicks ain’t broke, and you’re broke too hahaha, then don’t buy
Maybe it was the hype, maybe it was the brand, or the number (yes, the X X X) got to their heads that they didn’t want to F it up so they played safe. A bit disappointed it had to be this way but I own the Team Orange so I’m good, JB.
Good luck on the XXXI. there’s a “XI” in there so you better not F it up too LOL
do I see it right, that there is no plastic cage around the midsole of the XXXs? I hated that plastic cage on XX9s, because it felt really clunky and hard for me…I think without that cage the transition could be a lot better.
This presentation would be like if a car company debuted a “Brand New” model at the auto show and their opening words were, “So…heres the thing…we had no time”. WTF?? I watched the whole reveal but they lost me at that line. What they should’ve said was, “The 29 was and still is on 90% of players’/reviewers top 5 hooping shoes, after a year+ its in 99% of their rotations, and every person that wears one says the woven materials are fantastic…..so we set out to make the best, better…better lock down, enhanced materials, and yes we kept the things that worked cuz why change when you’ve got the best already?” It IS an iPhone 6S, it is a mid-cycle refresh, it is a 29SE. But I don’t really blame them. My only complaint is that the best/favorite Jordan models have a lot of off-court fashion appeal and this just doesn’t have that. When Adidas is putting full length Boost in their top models Jordan really needs to step it up with their cushion. When ALL shoe companies are going with a knit/woven/tshirt like fabric, Jordan brand needs to step it up. This can very well be another #1 performer but there were no surprises, no big reveals, no excitement…it was a collective “Oh…Ok…well it’ll perform well at least” and not the summation of 30 years that it should be.
It also looks like the “inspiration” came from the name rather than from the way that name played. If they took a Jordan 10 approach to highlight Jordan’s accomplishments they could’ve used every top tier feature they have to represent Jordans athleticism, play style, off court style, etc…instead of a sole with a list of moments, the inspiration for each aspect of the shoe comes from those moments…way better for 30 years. Idk.
Funny reading all the comments but there’s really no need to put an effort if the best is not the one wearing it anymore. Recycle the midsole on the XX9 and slap an uninspiring XXX with a grid on the outsole. Plain Lazy or tinker is just bored doing the jordan line.
Personally, I’m one who still believes the XX9 was a backwards step from the XX8, and a bit of a cop out.
I’ve tried the XX9 and the so called ‘tendril’ feels incredibly awkward on foot to me. I can actually perceive that there is a strip of material through the middle and nothing on either side of it, and it leaves me with an unstable / uneasy feeling.
I also don’t like the upper, which everybody raves about so much. It might be nicer to look at than the one on the XX8, but it’s too thick/heavy feeling and too tight around the foot for my liking. It left my foot feeling smothered, and didn’t feel close to as flexible as the mesh-like upper on the XX8 (which you completely forget is there after a while).
Finally, the lack of heel air was a cop out to me. I’m a bigger guy and I have issues with heel pain thanks to plantar fasciitis (as do a LOT of basketball players), so that heel cushioning is critical to me when landing after a jump. Heel cushion is very important, moreso (imho) than forefoot cushion. If it had Lunarlon at the very least in the heel I could probably live with that (as the Kobe 8’s are only barely cushioned enough for me to get by) but the heel cushioning in the XX9 is woefully inadequate, and it’s an absolute joke on a US $200+ flagship shoe. How many shoes in the history of the “Air Jordan” line have ever not had heel air, or at least an option for it? Has there ever been one?
The XX8 and Melo M10 were great shoes, and the XX9 and M11 were (IMHO) a big step back.
Now seeing what they have released as the XXX is, to me, an absolute joke.
If I decide to buy something that uses this ‘tooling’ then I will save myself a significant amount of money and buy the Melo M12 instead of this overpriced marketing ploy. Basically the same shoe, but with an (IMHO better) mesh upper.
Nike and Jordan reached their pinnacle two generations ago. The Kobe 8, the original HyperRev, the Superfly 2, the CP3.VII, the XX8, Melo M10, Lebron 11, etc. Almost every shoe released in that generation was a shoe that set new standards in for it’s line, and brought something impressive to the table.
Everything released since then has been a total cop out – cheap clunky uppers, no shanks, silly gimmicky traction patterns, ugly designs, etc. Yet the prices aren’t getting any cheaper, despite very obvious signs of cost cutting in the materials and technologies used.
The Kobe 9 was probably the last ‘half respectable’ shoe to come out of Nike/Jordan, and even that was (IMHO) an backwards step from the Kobe 8 and Kobe 8 Elite.
Nike / Jordan need to pull their fingers out of their butts and stop treating the consumers like idiots – I’m not going to buy your garbage just because you put some superstar’s name on it.
Until they start taking their designs seriously, I’m just going to keep on buying up 2 generation old shoes off ebay, because no way in hell I’m giving any money to the manufacturer in support of the rubbish they are churning out these days.
There were so many things they could have done with this shoe not just build a aj 29.1 maybe carbon fibre heel clip aka xx8 or a new ventilated upper with sections of mesh in strategic areas or flywire instead of straps…3m detailing…i could go on forever too many things they could have done to create some wow in an xxx model to differentiate it from the xx9. I was waiting and anticipating to cop the xxx but ill just buy an xx9 low which looks better to me on sale and forget the xxx. No point. I liked the aj2012, loved the xx8, liked the xx9, but dont really like the xxx. But all of them had something innovative. except xxx which is a rehash and uninteresting for me 3 decade release.
The xxx I bought my daughter arrived yesterday. She tried them on. After wearing 3 xx9s and expecting xxx to be similar. She told me the shoes are too tight, the toe part digs into her toes, the laces are too short, the padded part round her ankles don’t give her much support. I offered to replace it with a bigger size, she refused on the account of it not being a comfortable shoes. Personally I think the shoes are heavier than xx9s and there’s too much hype and not much comfort. Please bring back xx9s. The shoes were like supportive gloves for athletes feet.