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“No matter what position you play, you can be confident that this shoe will maximize your potential, helping you get to where you need to be on the court.” – Jordan Brand’s Justin Taylor, designer of the Super.Fly 2.
Let’s not waste any time, or syllables, for that matter. Two words on the tech sheet garnered my interest before I laced up the Jordan Super.Fly 2 for the first time: Flight Plate. Why? Let’s take it back to the beginning of the year. The Air Jordan XX8, which introduced us to the exceptionally supportive Flight Plate, is one of the better performance basketball shoes of the year so far (sadly, some of you can’t get over its super high cut, which is understandable to some degree, but you’re still doing yourself a disservice).
In addition to the Flight Plate, I also read that a number of the characteristics that were incorporated in the XX8 were also assimilated on the Super.Fly 2, a more conventional looking basketball shoe silhouette. So, could the Blake Griffin-inspired Super.Fly 2 be the XX8 wrapped up in a more orthodox model?
Check out a full, in-depth performance review of the Jordan Super.Fly 2 below.
Traction: Jordan Brand went with a modified herringbone pattern, which I found to work quite well. Herringbone is something that can be included on every basketball shoe, and I wouldn’t complain at all because it works so efficiently. On the Super.Fly 2, the pattern is multidirectional just like on the XX8, so it allows you to stop and start quickly and change your trajectory without losing seconds. As a guard roaming the perimeter, you need some very resistant traction both offensively (when penetrating and cutting) and defensively (when attempting to turn the offensive player) without sliding, and the Super.Fly 2’s pattern, especially around the protruding Zoom unit, is very good. One aspect I noticed, compared to the Air Jordan XX8, is that the rubber on the herringbone pattern seems softer on the Super.Fly 2 and isn’t as adhesive. A few of the grooves on the bottom began to peel a little the more I played in it, particularly around the toe area, but there was not a glaring difference in regards to how the Super.Fly 2’s bottom felt on court. However, because of that, I don’t recommend regularly playing in this shoe on an outside court.
Breathability: The Hyperfuse construction is an enigma, at least in regard to breathability, and seems to vary from model to model. Silhouettes, such as the original Hyperfuse and the Jordan Fly Wade 2, were remarkably breathable in large part due to their lean builds and incorporation of perforations on the uppers. Contrarily, a heavy duty shoe like the LeBron 9, although laced with Hyperfuse, was not as breathable by any means.
The Super.Fly 2 is not very breathable. It doesn’t feature any perforations on the base and its lockdown trait is very dominant. Now, do understand – breathability is not a make or break aspect of a basketball shoe, and the degree of its importance changes from player to player. Sure, it’s not a breathable shoe, but I didn’t have profuse sweating on my foot or anything like that. The mesh tongue is actually one part of the Super.Fly 2 that provides a small amount of breathability.
Cushioning and Responsiveness: This is where the Air Jordan XX8 and the Jordan Super.Fly 2 are simultaneously alike and different. If you recall, it took a while to get used to the protruding Zoom Air bag in the forefoot on the XX8, but that wasn’t the case with the Super.Fly 2. It, too, features unlocked Zoom in the forefoot, but my initial wear was much more comfortable and easier to adapt to. Give credit to the improvement on the enlarged Zoom Air unit this time around. Instead of having vertical split down the center of the Zoom bag (seen on the XX8), the Super.Fly 2 owns a horizontal split, which provides much more flexibility in the foot strike area. It sort of acts as a crease in a high-wear area on the forefoot that naturally flexes when the foot hit the court. It’s one of the best Zoom Air setups on any shoe I’ve tested.
The Phylon midsole also deserves some mention in this department. It’s very responsive and features more compression than the XX8’s midsole. It also owns a low-profile feel, which helps with quickness and response time.
Lockdown: The Dynamic Fit setup works very well in supporting and securing your foot in the shoe. The individual textile straps on the inner sides seem to be connected to the bottom of the footbed, therefore, when lacing the shoe up tightly, it gives you a beautiful, fastened fit around your foot. The loops, to some extent, work together by burying and crowding the foot to keep it in place on top of the footbed.
With the overall build in mind, the Super.Fly 2’s fit is ideal for a big man because it features a wider base around the forefoot area. Guards can benefit from this wear as well, although some may find it a bulky.
Support: The solid Fuse technology is definitely supportive, but the main factor in this department is the Flight Plate. While featuring a similar ride to the Air Jordan XX8, I actually found a more supportive transition from heel to toe in the Super.Fly 2. The XX8’s Flight Plate was divided into independent pieces in the forefoot and heel, but the Super.Fly’s Flight Plate is simply one piece from the heel to the forefoot that kind of acts as a seamless shank plate. Basically, the Super.Fly 2’s ride is more in unison and smoother than the XX8’s. The padded Achillies notch also deserves some mention seeing that it reduces slippage in the heel.
Durability: Earlier, I made mention of Fuse constructions being an enigma in regards to breathability, but we do know that this technology is immensely durable. The Super.Fly 2 is predominately formed of the lightweight Fuse (overlays and underlays) and also features a sturdy, canvas-like material throughout the upper. Throughout my time playing in this shoe, the Super.Fly 2 retained it shape and showed no wear and tear. The only problem I had, in regards to durability, was the traction pattern factor I mentioned earlier, which is minor.
Overview: The latest chapter in Jordan’s Super.Fly line is definitely a step in the right direction. Not only does the Super.Fly 2 feature improvements on the original Super.Fly, but it also builds upon the success of the Air Jordan XX8. Its package of top-notch cushioning, high-level traction and unmatched support makes the Super.Fly 2 a great option for the court. Though it lacks in being breathable, the Super.Fly 2 makes up for it in pretty much every other category and features performance-ready capabilities for every position on court.
The Jordan Super.Fly 2 will launch in five colorways on tomorrow, August 1 ($140): Cement Grey/University Blue-Gym Royal-White, Black/Cement Grey-Dark Grey-White, Green Glow/Black Spruce-White, Court Purple/Bright Citrus-Black-White and Volt/Fire Red-Black-White.
