Performance Review: Jordan Fly Wade

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has undoubtedly been one of top five performers in the 2011 NBA Playoffs. His ability to elude defenders and attack at will has garnered the attention of many this postseason. Likewise, his new signature sneaker, the Jordan Fly Wade, has received a lot of attention considering it is the lightest Jordan basketball sneaker ever created.

We put this shoe through our performance tests to see if it provides a distinctive advantage to wearers or if it surrenders performance elements just for the sake of being a lightweight shoe. We found out that the Jordan Fly Wade possesses a very unique combination of lightweight capacity and durability that definitely benefits perimeter oriented players. Check out our Jordan Fly Wade performance review, along with detailed photos of the “Pimento” Jordan Fly Wade and shots of Wade wearing his signature, below.

Strengths:
Lightweight Capacity
Fit
Response Time
Ride
Traction

?Ultimately, we wanted to make something lightweight, thin, closer-to-the-foot and very technical,? – Jordan Brand Creative Director Mark Smith.

Dwyane Wade is a jack-of-all-trades type of player. His combination of quickness, speed and physical aggression (when attacking the rim) is very distinctive in regards to any other player especially at his position. Therefore, Jordan Brand had to form a sneaker that possesses characteristics of a finesse type of game all while incorporating forceful, aggressive elements that mimic Flash?s approach to basketball.

At first thought, an extremely lightweight sneaker does not seem to be the best route for a player like Dwyane Wade considering he plays with so much force and rigor; yet, Jordan Brand did a great job of balancing the Jordan Fly Wade?s capacity with a durable, pressure-resistant fit. The Fly Wade possesses a very close-to-the foot fit and specializes in extreme impact protection. One can undoubtedly feel the maximum amount of responsiveness when returning to the ground from grabbing a rebound, contesting a shot or any other landing aspect in basketball. You usually do not feel much of a responsive, springy surface in lightweight shoes considering the absence of materials and layers, but the Fly Wade?s Phylon midsole, which uses Zoom Air in the forefoot and Max Air in the heel, provides a plush, soft landing surface when returning to the floor.

The combination of Zoom Air in the forefoot/Max Air in the heel, along with a slim, confined construction brings us to our next Jordan Fly Wade advantage: response time. The Fly Wade simply feels like an added attachment to the foot; therefore, the wearer loses no seconds when cutting and moving laterally in this shoe. If you notice, Dwyane Wade sort of attacks the basket at specific angles rather than using direct movements to the rim, and the Jordan Fly Wade is perfect for that by allowing a free range of motion for your foot all while providing a very attached feel. The layers between the foot and the actual shoe feel non-existent when playing, a characteristic that increases the overall fit of the shoe and allows you to confidently feel quick and explosive without any extra bulk refraining you. The Fly Wade is definitely an advantage for those of you who have a narrow foot seeing that the construction of this shoe is very slimmed down as opposed to being wide in the midfoot/toe area.

We previously mentioned Wade’s unique way of attacking the basket at angles. The Jordan Fly Wade not only aids these movements through confined construction, but it also features a multi-directional traction pattern. The vertical flex grooves are definitely useful if the wearer uses a lot of stop-and-start, hesitation moves in attempt to beat his/her opponent.

Weaknesses:

Durability (outer shell)
Construction
Aesthetics

Earlier, we stated that the Jordan Fly Wade owns a very high level of durable wear; however, that does not transfer to the outer shell of this shoe. After playing in the Jordan Fly Wade a few times, indentions, creases and wrinkles were very noticeable in high wear areas such as the lower quarter panel (both sides) and the toe area. Therefore, we cannot really gauge how the Fly Wade will hold up from an aesthetic standpoint after a season?s worth of wear.

We also question the versatility of the Jordan Fly Wade from a position standpoint. The Jordan Fly Wade owns a very slim, sleek, confined construction, which can be classified more for a perimeter-oriented type of player. A player with a wider, base-heavy game may not benefit as much from wearing the Jordan Fly Wade as a quicker, more speed-reliant player would.

Overview:

The Jordan Fly Wade is unlike any other sneaker on the market as of now. It caters more to the perimeter dependent player with its lightweight build, responsive fit and confined construction; yet, it provides the wearer with impact protection unlike any other weight shedding performance sneaker. Many have criticized the overall aesthetic look of the Jordan Fly Wade seeing that arguably possesses some of the Jordan team shoes that have released. However, the ride and close-to-the-foot fit definitely are the superior aspects whether this shoe is appealing or not. The Jordan Fly Wade is now available in four colorways, for $140. Two more Jordan Fly Wade colorways are expected to drop on June 9. 2011.

Click here to view extremely detailed photos of the Jordan Fly Wade.