Jordan XIV

Fast and the Furious

In Jordan's last game as a Chicago Bull,with less than 6 seconds left,Jordan makes Bryon Russell into Craig Ehlo of the 90's.The shoe was inspired by Jordan's Ferrari 550 Maranello and was designed to perform just as well.With it's low profile and lightweight it was built for speed and performance.With many visual cues coming from the Ferrari 550 does it have the power under the hood or the guts of a pinto.

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you can see the beautiful design of the shoe as well as the asymmetrical heel

When you first pick up the shoe you ll immediately notice how light the shoe is.The Phylon midsole provides lightweight support and cushioning.When you put the shoe on you ll notice the shoe doesn't have an internal bootie but still provides an excellent fit.It isn't a seamless fit but I didn't feel any irritation when playing in the shoe.The heel is asymmetrical where it is higher on the medial side rather than the lateral side.This provides more ankle coverage on the inside part of the ankle to provide support so the ankle doesn't roll over.The heel is also padded with dense foam which conforms to the contours of the ankle area.This provides excellent comfort and support.The heel counter is rigid and the overall feel of the shoe is stable.

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note the tire tread like traction on the outsole

The traction on the Jordan XIV is top notch.With the herringbone pattern as well as wide forefoot and heel surface area,quick change of direction and cuts are nothing for the shoe.The outsole didn't even miss a beat on the dusty tile floor.Support for your foot while making those cuts is a midfoot shank.Also adding to the support are phylon "fingers" which keep your foot from moving off of the footbed.cushioning is provided by heel and forefoot zoom air units.It provides excellent low to the ground responsive cushioning.The phylon midsole is also very soft as well adding to the zoom air providing an excellent ride.

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note the phylon "fingers" that add to support in the forefoot area

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note the small vent which provides breathability for the shoe and is a visual take on the Ferrari 550

Overall the shoe is excellent.One of my favorites of all time and honestly my first jordan I ever owned back in 1998.Even with it's historic moment in history being the last shoe jordan won a championship in,its not a big hit with the collectors due to heavy creasing on the midsole when worn.That being said when looking at the top performance shoes of the Jordan line I think the XIV rates right up there with the best.Even by today's standards the shoe would hold it's own and could be considered top 10 in terms of performance.

Comfort and Fit-5/5
Cushioning-4.5/5
Ankle support-4/5
Traction-5/5
Overall-5/5

The shoe scored well in all categories and is truly a testament to performance aspect of the Brand Jordan line.