After the release of the Iconic numbered Air Jordan 23 ( a tough act to follow regardless, the air Jordan 2009 looked step in with new technologies as well as as some traditional and new materials that have never been seen on an air Jordan before. Next up was the Air Jordan 2010 flag ship worn/debuted and designed with D wade in mind. A great performer even if the clear window came off as a gimmick at first (luckily it performed great) and this year we had another opportunity. The innovation: modularity.
Nice word. So what is it. Well ironically modularity was a theme we reviewed and even used when I was in design school ( Industrial Design). I used this approach when designing a couple of book cases/shelf’s that featured modular parts the fit interchangeably while all fitting in to their respective units.
“ In general, something described as modular is made up of distinct, self-contained units or components that can be combined or arranged in different ways. It often implies flexibility, adaptability, and ease of assembly or modification.”
So is this the first time that this has been done. No & yes.
The credit for modular sneakers might go to Adidas from
the Adidas eqt bball with featured removable and
interchangeable inner sleeves that fit inside of the upper
and tooling shell.
Then there was the Nike a baja which also had a
removable sleeve for a basketball sneaker. As far as
modular cushioning goes the adidas Los Angeles
trainer had removable and interchangeable cushioning
rods that fit into the heel with different densities to support
running on different surfaces, like concrete, asphalt,
and grass.
So it isn’t new, now what? “Well it’s not always what you do,
but how you do it.”- Lil Wayne
While the Air Jordan 21 was the 1st Air Jordan to use removable/modular
cushioning it was targeted in the heel giving the option of targeted heel max
air in Polyurethane or heel Zoom air in pylon. This concept was carried over to the Air Jordan 22 as a part of the IPS cushioning system that denied with the Air Jordan 20.
Are you with me so far? Great now what makes this new and innovative in the air Jordan 2011 is that the entire insole/inner midsole is removable and interchangeable giving you two types of cushioning approaches.
Quick. A Unc Blue phylon midsole with heel & forefoot Zoom air units. For quick movements by smaller guards.
&
Explosive: A bulls red cushion midsole with top loaded dot welded full length air units. For larger more explosive players like big guards or forwards.
This gave you the option to choose your cushion all with the same shoe. See innovative, different.
So does it hoop. Let’s find out.
From the outside looking in the Air Jordan 2011 looks like update Air Jordan in 11 in some ways. The launch colorway is very Concord eleven without the patent leather. This model uses a unique embossed Italian leather with a specific patina that ages well with wear. The outer “shell” midsole is very clean and simple with a subtle 90 degree/180 degree square cross hatch pattern (like the 11) a translucent out sole with a unique pattern, and clean alternate tone at the ankle and heel. Clean is an understatement.
Comfort & Fit 7/10
The Air Jordan 2011 comfortable enough with a nice one piece bootie with mesh around the tongue and sides as well as good padding and a soft lining. The bootie stops just under your ankles to give good range and mobility while white parts of the upper still provide ankle coverage when fully laced with a thin breathable material that still allows natural motion. Similar to the Air Jordan 7, but cleaner. Nice! The insoles regardless of which type you choose fit seamlessly into the shoe without and discomfort or impediment of natural movement. I’m quite sure there was a lot of math involved in the design/development/engineering and production. You’ve gotta make sure you have the proper tolerances for your male & female parts ( design talk lol). Like the Air Jordan 11 the 2011 also features nylon laces loops just in a defferent way. The lace loops are attached to the base of the upper from the inside and they are only stitched from the top and the bottom allowing some freedom of movement within the upper. This allows the lace loops move securely with the foot in motion while still providing lock down and fit in the fore foot and midfoot. The fit could have even better with a more solid heel counter, there was a little better of heel slip, movement within the heel area even when fully laced. They probably had to make sure the the soles could move in and out affected, but nothing comes with a cost and unfortunately the lack of heel fit never really went away.
Cushioning 8/10
For this being the first full length modular insole/midsole system. The cushioning wasn’t bad. As a guard I assumed that the quick midsole would have been perfect for me. Ironically in comparison of the two. The phylon midsole was just too stiff/firm. I opted for the explosive midsole most of the time and didn’t look back. This was my first time experiencing cushion in basketball shoe and I was loving it. By comparison, cushion is softer and more giving than phylon and coupled the top loaded full length air unit. This insole was feeling just as good or responsive as my favorite sneakers with zoom air. And that’s saying a lot as I’ve been team zoom air for over a decade as one of/if not my favorite cushioning for basketball and performance. The only cons of the explosive midsole is that it may break down quicker over time. Even with the carbon fiber shanks I ended up having use custom orthotics with them over time (but that could have just me). Two types of cushioned midsoles for one sneaker. It never hurts to have options!
Traction 7/10
The Air Jordan 2011 features a full length translucent outsole with a data driven elephant print/fingerprint inspired traction pattern that tightens and swirls around a profit point at the ball of the foot. There are flex grooves that help with mobility and natural movement on the court. While the rubber compound and pattern weren’t bad. They still left something to be desired. Solid rubber might be better at for the most a part a strong herringbone pattern with sharp peaks the right durometer of rubber and adequate spacing can do wonders on the court. Translucent rubber & and story telling isn’t bad, it’s just that solid rubber and performance herringbone can be better.
In Summary,
The Air Jordan 2011 isn’t a bad performer with all things considered there are better performers this year from multiple
Brands. While the modular inner soles/inner midsoles brought something new to the table I think most players while ideally shift to one or the other for most of their duration with the shoe. While comfortable the fit in the heel didn’t allow me to have the same confidence/fearlessness of last years Air Jordan 2010, this years hyperdunk, hyperfuse or Kobe 11. While those sneakers screamed attack. The AJ 2011 murmured enjoy, even with the quick midsole the fit and cushioning felt great
During runs, but I just know better heel fit, a stronger/more firm heel counter and even better cushioning would have put these over the top as an on court performer. a traditional midsole might have provided a better feel and transition. There be additional versions of the Air Jordan that uses the quick & explosive midsole options in a more traditional/conventional way albeit with different materials. I will say that the materials are definitely a highlight of this years model are definitely top notch for the leathers, comfortable tongue/bootie and clean color blocking the AIR JORDAN 2011 is a clean modern classic of the court that still does a great job on the court. Buy it if you want the newest and latest Jordan to add to the me collection and you want to hoop in the them, skip them if you are looking for the top performing basketball Shoe To compete on the court, there are plenty of other options (while not modular) can still over Top level performance at a better price. Onto the next one.
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