Jordan Melo M4

Big Cat

Carmelo Anthony.In his freshman year at Syracuse,led the team to it's first ever NCAA championship,3rd pick in the 2003 NBA draft class which ushered in the NBA's current generation of superstars,hand picked by Jordan to lead the brand into the future,NBA all star,leading scorer on team USA.Just a few of Carmelo's achievements.Having signed an endorsement deal with Jordan brand upon entering the NBA.While for the most part when talking to people about Melo's signature shoes,feedback was generally good.Up until now Ive never owned any of his signature shoes and decided to give it a try.Actually the black and purple Baltimore Ravens inspired colorway pushed me over the edge since I'm a black and purple fan.Anyways all personal preferences aside,the shoe has all the bells and whistles one can want from a signature shoe.But as with shoes reviewed in the past,it's the application of all the features that really make the shoe,not the inclusion.With a Foamposite collar for extra ankle support,3/4 length air unit,jaguar paw inspired outsole as well as details from the brand new Jaguar XK.The shoe also includes a pair of ankle braces for additional ankle support.Carmelo is often looked at with some skepticism because he hasn't been able to take the next step in his career even with all of his achievements.In many ways his shoes have evolved from year to year lets see if this year's shoe will be a reflection of the player and another step in the right direction.

figure1
note the Foamposite collar

At 6'8 and 230 pounds Carmelo Anthony has a rare combination of strength,speed,agility topped off with a high basketball iq.Like many signature shoes,the shoe reflects the player's strengths and needs for protection.The Melo M4 features a seamless and plush interior.The collar is padded and very comfortable.When Laced up the shoe hugs the foot well but I did have some issues with the lacing around the ankle area.The top lace loops when taken out of the box only go through one loop.During play,it felt a bit too loose around the ankle area and the collar didn't hug my ankles the way I expected it to with the shoe being at the height it was at and integrating the Foamposite collar,I was expecting a bit more support.The collar is asymmetrical to provide maximum coverage on the medial side while allowing for maximum range of motion.After my first run with the shoe I took a look at the top lace loops and found an extra loop.While the lace doesn't go in without having to force the lace through the top loop,it significantly improves the fit around the collar area.The ankle sleeves included are top quality.However they do require some breaking in.One of the pairs was actually stitched differently on my pair making it quite a bit more narrow than the other and caused me some discomfort on my foot.So those with wider feet beware of some potential discomfort when wearing the ankle sleeve.The shoe doesn't suffer if you choose not to use the sleeves but it was nice of Melo and Jordan brand to include the sleeves.Midfoot support is also good with TPU supports the run along the midfoot on the lateral and medial sides of the shoe.A raised phylon support 3/4 of the way on the lateral side keeps the foot on the footbed and adding extra support during quick lateral movements.Another problem encountered was The upper is mainly nubuck and even though there are perforations,the shoe doesn't breathe very well.Moisture was noticeable after extended use and for some reason it felt like my foot was sweating a bit more when the ankle sleeve was in use.

figure2
note the raised phylon support along the forefoot

Similar to the Jordan 13,the Melo M4 takes inspiration from another jungle cat.This time the Melo m4 takes inspiration from the jaguar.The outsole is segmented to provide for maximum agility when making cuts and change of direction.While I didn't encounter any problems with slippage,another person I know who wears the shoe had one incident with slippage mainly because he trying to stop on his heels and the shoe lacks surface area there.The modified herringbone/Melo pattern performed well on the dirty concrete tile and hardcourt however it would have been nice for the shoe to feature a softer rubber for additional traction but that being said the traction was still solid.

figure3
note the visible air unit

Cushioning is provided by a 3/4 length air unit which is visible under the shoe.So walking through a room full of thumbtacks really isn't advisable.While not as responsive as zoom air I actually enjoyed the cushioning provided by the air unit.When landing or running The shoe had no problems absorbing the impact.There was a trade off in using a standard air unit versus a zoom air unit with the air unit not giving people used to wearing zoom air based shoes the level of responsiveness they would probably be used to.But I enjoyed the cushioning and it was a nice change of pace for me.

figure4
note the top laceholes

Overall I really enjoyed the shoe.Visually the lines are nice and smooth and the application of the features on the shoe were well thought out and integrated into an excellent shoe.My main gripes were the top lace hole that effects the overall fit and ankle support on the shoe and moisture management.Maybe softer rubber compound used in the outsole would push the shoe that has good traction over the top.

Comfort and fit-4/5
Cushioning-4/5
Ankle Support-4/5
Traction-4/5
Overall-4/5

Moisture management and top laceholes were my biggest gripes with the shoe.Overall the shoe is solid all the way down the line.Perfect shoe for swingmen and active forwards with it's light weight and ankle support. As my first pair of Melo signature shoes I will definitely be looking forward to future releases and if Jordan Brand and Melo can improve an already excellent shoe,they'll be top of the class in no time