ATTENTION ALL NT Basketball PLAYERS!!!! PLS read!

gambit576 · Dec 12, 2011

If saw the other post I posted in the Nike forum this is just a continuance to that specific post. To those of you who are visiting this forum for the first time, I'm doing some research for Jordan Brand for performance feedback on basketball shoes and apparel. If you are reading this, I would like your feedback on the that aspect. Post your feedback some important needs you personally have in a basketball shoe, what are your motives to buying basketball shoes, where do your buy you shoes, how do you find out info about the shoes. I would like to know what shoes you play in and why you play in them.
Also I need feedback about Jordan Brand performance basketball shoes. This EXPLICITLY excludes feedback about ANY RETROS. If you absolutely want to give feedback on retros, please only mention performance aspects. Mentions of support, traction, weight, etc. No design feedback on retros. Which JB basketball shoes do you like? Why? Which ones have you played in? Would you buy JB basketball, if not why not? What do you NOT like about JB basketball. I would like to know what shoes you play in and why you play in them.

Again, your honest opinion is valued, but to truly give feedback of substance please include motives for your opinion. Please don't just say, "the quality sucks." Really try to provide tangible reasons for why you feel this way.

Please if at all possible, include pics of your shoes, and action pics of you playing. If you have ANY questions at all don't hesitate to message me. Again this feedback WILL BE SENT CORPORATE JORDAN BRAND, and reviewed by some top executives of the brand so you have the opportunity to provide some great insight and help to make the brand improve significantly.

Thanks in advance for all of your participation!

1man2lives · Dec 12, 2011

This will go in the sneaker review thread, but good luck! I ball in lebrons, and hyperdunks.

2face · Dec 12, 2011

I ball in Jordan V's and Six rings...

airbozretroiii · Dec 12, 2011

AJ XII's are my weapon of choice.
The zoom air sole is what does it for me.
Bring on the playoff XII's!!!!!!

mt3130 · Dec 14, 2011

heres some of my recent jordan experiences...

-the jordan 2011s were extremely comfortable, but the interchangable midsoles left me with a less than desirable heel-to-toe transition.
-the q flights fixed the transition problem and were extremely comfortable, but heel slip was definitely an issue for me.

it seems like every nike/jordan shoe recently has at least one major flaw preventing it from jumping to the top of my rotation. all nike/jordan basketball shoes have outsoles that wear out much too quickly in comparison to other brands. the softer rubber compound gets that squeak that everyone is looking for, but its not a good look when you bring the most expensive shoes to the basketball market by a lot and they are often significantly less durable than its much less expensive counterparts.

all i want is something that works. there are basics that most of the beloved basketball shoes have in common...herringbone outsole, carbon midfoot shank, external heel counter, full-length cushioning system, a good balance of ankle support and flexibility of the ankle, and foot lockdown to prevent any movement of the foot within the shoe.

-drop the thumbprint/ elephant print outsoles. i get it that the brand is trying to be different, but theres a reason 90% of court sport shoes use the same traction pattern.
-a good external midfoot shank is always appreciated. this is another area jordan tends to be different. whether they are internal, made of titanium, or nonexistent, once again just stick with what is known to work if performance is your goal.
-external heel counters are a must for performance basketball kicks...we all know that if an external one isnt used then cardboard is just stuffed in the heel. that doesn't work. cardboard softens and warps when it gets wet. stick to nonporous materials and keep them on the outside of the shoe.
-use full-length cushioning, whether its nike air, zoom air, or whatever. some of the other combinations (namely heel air, forefoot zoom) work well, but the transition of the shoe suffers and nike/jordan are notorious for skimping on the size of zoom units and messing with the tooling when the split cushion setup is used.

the other points are pretty obvious. the new shoes like the hyperdunks, etc. are unnecessarily high because the uppers are flimsy and create a false sense of security. too much shoe height, whether collar height or midsole height, cause issues. a collar too high restricts too much of the ankle's mobility and renders you unable to catch yourself and can increase frequency of minor ankle sprain. also, midsole height of some air based models do much more harm than good, especially when the edges aren't adequately stable. there comes a point when a shoe has too much cushion and hinders performance and it happens much more often than it should...and its becoming more often now that nike's signature air cushoining systems are being used less and less in favor of cheaper foam based cushioning systems.
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aka longstroke · Dec 15, 2011

I don't have a problem with Jordan Brand. I do have an issue with the increase in prices though.

What I look for in hoops shoes is very simple. I like a nice firm cushioning set up, not mushy, heel lock down, roomy toe box, mid cut height, superb traction, durable, using high quality materials. While playing in the KD III's, I've realized that Nike can still do this, and then still make the kicks inexpensive. The most recent Air Jordan shoe I've played in were the XXIII's. Due to the materials and workmanship put into the shoe, I did not mind paying the higher price, but the durability was an issue in some respects. That shoe, in my opinion, should be the template for all future Air Jordan models, with improvements in each area of the shoe. It was also the perfect transitionary shoe, from court to street, equal to that of the XI in style. Fantastic looks, great attention to detail.
You do not need all the bells and whistles, monkey paw, lateral outriggers, zoom max, blah blah blah, in order to do that either. The KD III and Jordan XXIII proved that there can be excellence in simplicity.

mastergrim8 · Dec 15, 2011

If you want simplicity look towards adidas and undearmour. No gimmick 'flywire' 'hyperfuse' 'zoomair' 'nikeair'.
Just straight leather upper and foam midsole. Does the job all the time.

mt3130 · Dec 15, 2011

^^^4 of my last 5 hoops shoes have been UA or adidas. the only one in between was my lebron 8s and i hate those. i pretty much just kick around in them.

heyiplaybball · Dec 15, 2011

Keep it simple. No need for all the team Jordan shoes like flight q and 8.0s. 2011 was a innovative idea and I liked the concept of changing air units. Melo's and Wades are great performance shoes but as far as the looks goes, I don't think it's very appealing. If Jordan Brand is looking for a type of shoes (like the Retros) that people will wear on and off the court, I would suggest to just keep it simple and no fusions. This is just my opinion.

foamhead93 · Dec 16, 2011

materials and quality on performance shoes has ben great (excluding retros)
Keep the "dog bone" padding on the shoes it's great i love it on the wade 2's
if you are going to make a traction with a design please test it thoroughly because people are weary of buying a shoe when they don't know how the traction will be, while modern herringbone we know will work fine.
i love the phylon midsoles they absorb lots of impact.
i don't mind if Jordan brand's shoes are a little bit heavier than Nike's because you can't feel the weigh on your feet only when you're holding them in your hands.
AND BRING BACK FULL LENGTH ZOOM AIR into performance shoes i'll buy anything with full length zoom air. I'm serious about that.