I would not recommend going down a half size, I went down and my toes were busted after just 1 session.
There is not much give in the upper, the materials are soft out the box so it "feels" like you can drop a size but after a few sessions you’ll be regretting it. For casual use maybe but for ball stick TTS.
When I did eventually get my correct size I found the fit much better than the XX9, there was more structure to the upper and I felt I didn’t need to tie the laces so tight to get a good lockdown fit. I also felt the heel collar was better designed on the JC as the XX9 heel is quite high and I found this to be a problem.
Another thing to look out for on all these "knit" uppers is the type of socks you use, I found the high poly count socks caused my foot to slip within the upper (xx( was the worse for this) so I switched to a more cotton % sock and got better results without needing to tie laces mad tight and stop blood going to my foot!
In terms of weight they came in exactly the same as the kobe 9 Elite low and the XX9
One notable difference between these and the XX9 is the weight is more evenly balanced in the JC2, the midsole on the XX9 is far more solid and heavy than the JC2, for this reason I think could be a factor in the foot slipping within the XX9 as its quite bottom loaded in terms of weight. This heavy midsole secures the base of the foot but the upper is under a lot of pressure to secure the foot on lateral movements due to the high traction and weight of the midsole.
The JC2 on the other hand has a much softer midsole and the heel counter is quite pronounced (heavier) than the XX9 which I felt gave the shoe more secure fit and balance. With that said it wasn’t without its problems< the dye on he upper is quite bad at weeping color onto your socks and I also found the softer weave upper doesn’t offer the same protection than the nike equivalents (you’ll notice if someone steps/lands on your feet in these more than your typical bb sneaker)
As for durability I reckon the soft midsole on the JC will break down quicker than the other shoes it may be more comfortable out the box but these shoes will not take as much punishment as the Jordans and Kobes.
For me the ascetics of the JC is the winning factor, Im not 16yrs old any more and when I go out grocery shopping with my wife I dont want to be looking like Im having a mid like crisis but yet I want something comfortable that goes with shorts but doesn’t shout out "look at me". Also supporting a guy like JC is also appealing to me as its not the obvious "superstar" NBA guy and if anything it gives out the message I know this **** Im not just about that hype.
I would buy a 2nd pair of JC2s if they go on sale, perhaps the black pair but getting my size is difficult to say the least, that’s not to say Im going out selling all my Jordan’s but Im more keen on the low key CWs than the shiny bright look at me shoes and I just find this is the appeal of these for me to each their own.
