Jordan XXI

Blackjack

Whenever I visit my guys at the local shoe store we always get into conversations of what's hot right now,what shoes feel good and how things are selling.Alot of times,when it comes to Jordan Brand shoes that aren't retros,the reactions are lukewarm at best.When you put a pair of Jordan retro IV's next to a pair of Jordan XXI's, you can see why the reactions are less than stellar.Not that the Jordan XXI is ugly.Far from it you just cant look at it the same way one looks at the Jordans from yesteryear.I'm usually quick to defend an unpopular looking shoe with "have you tried them on or played in them?"Most of the time the answer is no or I don't play basketball.Lord forbid we use a pair of Jordans to play basketball in.The design of the XXI is inspired by the Bentley Continental GT.The shoe takes a few visual ques from the car as well as some of the materials that make up the shoe are GT inspired.But looks can be deceiving,while it may have the looks of a Bentley,does it have the guts of a Tercel.

figure1a

figure1b
you can see the similar lines between the shoe and it's inspiration

Jordan Brand has gone all out performance in the XXI.Carbon fiber,IPS cushioning,customizable max air or zoom air cushioning and full grain leather with variable lacing.At first look,the shoe looks bulky and cut higher than most shoes on the market right now.While it is certainly higher cut on the medial and lateral sides,the heel/Achilles area is nearly 2 inches lower than the sides giving flexibility without impeding support.Couple that with the variable lacing system and a wide base,and you have a shoe that offers top of the line ankle support.The interior of the shoe is just as luxurious as it's Bentley counterpart.As a nod to the the seats of the car,the padding on the ankle area is quilted in the same pattern as the seats.The padding is very comfortable and isn't too restrictive even with the laces fully tightened.

figure2
a better look at the difference in height between the sides and heel area

The cushioning is provided by forefoot IPS pods and heel max air or zoom air units.IPS stands for Independent Podular Suspension.IPS pods are placed under the high impact zones under the forefoot.It is made up of phylon pods that are different densities.It is supposed to provide different levels of cushioning on high impact areas of the foot during high activity.The heel cushioning gives you two options of either max air or zoom air.Replacing the air units is simple,you simply lift up the insole in the heel and insert your desired cushioning pod and you re good to go.It's cool but a little unnecessary.The zoom air unit actually sticks out a bit and makes a small bump under your heel.It became a little annoying for me after a while and stuck with the max air unit that didn't bulge under my heel.Overall,the cushioning was good.Nothing really spectacular.IPS was ok but didn't provide the responsive cushioning I am used to with zoom air based shoes.I will say one thing for the cushioning though,while testing on the tiled floor I had very little leg fatigue after playing for extended periods on a concrete surface.

figure3
above are the different heel air units available for the XXI

figure4
above is a look at the IPS system as well as the excellent DNA inspired traction.

figure5
The large carbon fiber midfoot shank provides excellent support

Midfoot support is excellent with a large carbon fiber shank as seen in figure4 and figure5.While allowing for lightweight support, however on the two pairs that I own the carbon fiber developed cracks towards the heel area.While the cracks are fairly small,continued use will certainly widen the cracks.Traction was excellent on all surfaces.The pattern is actually inspired by DNA strands.Definitely one of the major strengths of the shoe.

figure6
the vents that run throughout the medial and lateral side of the shoe mirror the grill of the Bentley.

Overall the shoe performed well.It didn't knock me out but it didn't hurt after I was done wearing it so that is definitely a plus.The issue with the carbon fiber cracking was a major gripe because it is such an integral part of the shoe.I felt the interchangeable heel cushioning cool but a little bit useless.

Comfort and Fit-4/5
Cushioning-3.5/5
Ankle Support-4.5/5
Traction-5/5
Overall-3.5/5

If the shoe was to be simply judged by it's performance aspects then as evidenced by the score above it is solid.Unfortunately with the expectations people have for the Jordan signature shoe,I believe it isn't unfair to expect more.The cracking carbon fiber is inexcusable for it's role in the shoe as well as the fact that retail price for the shoe is $174.99.The whole issue with the zoom air heel unit contributed to the subtraction in score for cushioning.