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Finally decided to take these out. I’ve had these since December but never bothered to play with them. But a close encounter with landing on someone’s foot while wearing the Kobe V’s made me decide to go with something with more ankle support. I’ve also had a lot of request to make a review on these so here it is. So how did a 25 year old design with new tech hold up? Read more after the jump.

When I first saw these a year ago at the Jordan look book and read the specs I was actually kind a psyched. I’ve actually pulled out the insole from my Flightposites and slipped them into a pair of Retro Jordan 1’s and balled in them. These are probably the only pair of non legacy Air Jordan’s I’ve been excited to have since the the original team Jordan shoes back in 97.
 
Out of the box the shoes are light. Not Zoom Kobe V light but still very light. Visually these stay very close to the look of Jordan Retro 1’s. At first glance these can be easily be mistaken as regular Jordan 1’s. Even the guys at the gym thought I was crazy to be wearing them out on the court. If looked at closer you will notice a phylon midsole, mostly seamless top, and a Jumpman logo on the back to distinguish it from the Retro 1.

                                                             click on images to enlarge 

Putting on the shoe and looking inside it the modern changes made from the original is evident. The shoes back section is very well padded and put together. It is reminiscent of the quilted lining of the Air Jordan 23 giving it a very plush wrap around feeling. There is also a achilles heel pad to prevent heel slippage. Nike calls this whole padded section “enhanced zoned comfort lining.” They come up with the most complicated names for the simplest things. This lining however only extends half way through the midfoot. Just like the Retro 1’s the front of the shoe felt a bit narrow at first. Overall a comfortable shoe once it is slipped on.

Now to actual game play. The toe of the shoe felt stiff and tight on initial wear. Started warming up with the shoe by running a warm up lap around the gym. Jogged a good mile. The bottom loaded zoom air did a great job cushioning the run giving a passive response. The zoom air absorbed the impact but I didn’t feel any feed back. This is probably a result of the bottom loaded zoom.

To test out the traction I did suicide drills. The shoes were able to stop on command in the beginning but it soon picked up dust and started to loose some traction. As long as they get cleaned off the dust in between plays the shoe should keep a good grip. To get the best fit I laced up the shoe up to the second to last hole. During these hard stop and go drills the the stitching on the lateral side of the toe cap where all the pieces meet could be felt. So I would suggest wearing a well cushioned sock with these to avoid that discomfort while playing.

During game play the shoe held up well. I did have to change into a thicker sock so I didn’t have to feel the stiffness of the toe area.  This could have been avoided if the toe area was also padded. While making sharp cuts and hard drives I did feel my foot move around a bit and the shoe morphing from under me. The phylon midsole didn’t feel rigid and can actually be easily bent and twisted. This is probably due to the lack of a shank plate. This can be avoided by lacing up the shoes nice and tight.

Visible here is the achilles heel pad. These actually do a great job keeping the heel of the shoe from slipping.

The sole was updated with some herringbone threads on the forefoot. As long as it is kept clean they will provide good traction.  
 
Here is a closer look of the bottom loaded zoom air.

The seemless upper can be clearly seen here. Giving it a modern classic look.

The sides and top of the shoe are perforated making it very breathable. As long as the one of the two lace holes are used the shoe gives good ankle support.

Overall the shoe is not bad, its not great, its just good all around. Good ankle support. Good traction. Good comfort. At the core of it this is till an Air Jordan 1 with slight modifications to make it relevant in today’s high tech world of basketball shoes. Since it is a good basketball shoe I will continue to play with it. If you’re looking for a shoe to hoop in and could care less that it has the look of an Air Jordan 1 then there a lot of shoes with the same price tag that will easily outperform the shoe such as the Jordan 16.5 or the Hyperize. This shoe will however make a great casual shoe that has the look of an Air Jordan 1 and the comfort to go with it.