Jordan XX9 Performance Review

We’re back with another sneaker performance review this time for the Jordan XX9. Following on the success and innovation of the XX8, the Jordan XX9 continues to push the boundaries of performance basketball shoes with its latest technology: the first-ever performance woven upper and a reengineered flight plate. Personally, the Jordan XX8/SE is the best kicks I’ve played in and I was really excited to see how Jordan Brand could still improve on the performance of the XX9. Let’s get to it!

We have the Team Orange colorway for review which features a black and grey woven upper with a oversized jumpman logo stitched into the side around the heel area. Black with cement detailing covers the midsole and an icy outsole finishes the clean design. The other variant features cement/elephant print details on the upper with an all black outsole.

MATERIAL

Once again Jordan Brand has changed the game. Performance-woven uppers? Wow. They were able to find a way to create a full woven upper using just a single layer of material while keeping the support and stability that you need. Right out of the box the shoe feels one with your foot when you put them on. The material is soft and moves along with your foot but at the same time keeps you locked in. You won’t feel like your ankles are in trouble. On the court it feels amazing. I felt like I didn’t have anything on except the cushioning under my feet while I was playing and I was able to move freely. Incredible comfort and no break in time needed at all. Coming from the XX8, the woven material just took the XX9 to another level.

CUSHIONING

The Jordan XX8′s breakthrough technology was the flight plate where they were able to unlock the zoom unit to give you ultimate responsiveness and ‘bounce’. With the XX9, they remastered the flight plate and lessened the protruding zoom unit at the fore foot area without sacrificing responsiveness. With the XX8 it took a while to get used to the zoom unit sticking out but you could instantly feel the ‘bounce’ that it produced on your take off. In the XX9 you get a smoother feel on the fore foot right off the box and just feels more natural. Personally, I like both setups and I still get great cushioning on the XX9. I didn’t feel like they sacrificed on responsiveness and I could feel that ‘bounce’ right when I put on the shoe and also during my runs. The heel features foam as compared to zoom on the XX8. For me it wasn’t an issue as the foam still gives you that impact protection you need and it’s the right combination with the fore foot zoom to give you that smooth transition from heel to toe. Just the right amount of firmness to responsiveness. The Jordan XX9 also added a connector or bridge from the heel to toe compared to the XX8 which had the heel and toe areas separated. I didn’t really feel the difference that much but overall this again made the transition from heel to toe smoother. Overall the XX9 provides great cushioning. They took what the XX8 offered and tweaked it for an even smoother ride.

FIT

The Jordan XX9 fits true to size. The weave material gives you a little breathing room as it has a bit of a stretch and won’t lock your foot in too tight. For something that’s pure weave and pure fabric, the fit and lockdown are incredible. How JB did it I don’t know but they just did. Fit is amazing right off the box and the shoe just feels perfect on your foot. Flight Web technology is seen on the mid foot area and lacing system which keeps your foot locked in. It lets you move how you want to while keeping your foot stable and protected. If you want to talk about how a shoe feels one with your foot, the XX9 does exactly that. Just lace them up and play. I loved how it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything while you’re playing. Amazing.

BREATHABILITY

Breathability is good because the whole upper is woven and air flow is adequate. It may not be the best out there but this wasn’t an issue for me. I didn’t feel any hot spots and overall this just worked for me.

TRACTION

The XX8 had great traction and I felt they did the same with the XX9. Compared to the XX8, the Jordan XX9 changed the outsole pattern to a more wavy look. I don’t know how this improves or changes the traction but it does its job. I didn’t feel any slippage on any of my runs and the responsiveness to cuts, change of direction and sudden stops were just great. No problem in this area. Overall the XX9 has solid traction.

SUPPORT

Again it’s amazing to note that this shoe provides all that support with just a single layer of material and pure woven uppers. The performance woven upper is soft but you don’t feel that lack in support once you have it on. Flight web again provides that lockdown right at the mid foot area and I didn’t feel any movement inside the shoe. You can lace them up tight and you won’t get any pinching or pain. A standard heel counter is placed inside to keep your heel in check and it does its job well. Comfort and stability are great and you can move freely with the shoe while keeping your foot stable and protected.

Overall I simply loved the Jordan XX9. Coming from the XX8 which for me was the best shoe I’ve played in, I couldn’t imagine how the Jordan XX9 could still top it but they just did. They took what worked in the XX8 and just made it a smoother and more comfortable ride overall. The addition of the performance-woven uppers just took the shoe to another level. Personally I have to say this is the best performance shoe out there and now the best I’ve played in. The only drawback I see is the steep price at P10,595 for the first batch of releases and P11,995 for the new colorways. But if you’re gonna go hard you shouldn’t hesitate on this one.

You can get your own pair at Titan shops and other Nike retailers around the metro.