Air Jordan Fly Unlimited REVIEW: Tech, Performance & Materials

In the midst of all the popular and expensive Nikey/Jordan hoop shoes, AJ decides to bring out something a bit different. Something that’s under the radar, that’s affordable and still has good qualities that make a solid basketball shoe. After a period of testing, here’s my Air Jordan Fly Unlimited review.

I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, the fit, performance, the upper and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the Air Jordan Fly Unlimited review!

THE TECH

PHYLON & ZOOM AIR

We got a very basic affordable cushioning setup. A mediocre Phylon midsole along with a ZOOM AIR unit in the forefoot. Nothing more or less than expected from a budget Air Jordan model.

The Phylon isn’t actually that bad, I’ve played in worse setups like these. Not your top-notch BOOST foam but not Kyrie 2-like either.

FIT

SURPRISINGLY COMFORTABLE

Probably the highlight of the Fly Unlimited was how comfy and secure the fit was. All thanks to a superb upper, properly implemented support and security features, an inner sleeve for softness and a true to size fit.

The shoe was extremely solid to play in in terms of comfort – no slippage inside, proper containment, nothing was pinching or restricting motion.

As a wide footer, I was concerned going true to size but I’m happy I did – after a quick adjusting period, they fit pretty much perfectly. Overall, the AJ Fly Unlimited is a felt nice and soft, comfortable and unrestrictive without taking away support or stability.

PERFORMANCE

CUSHION

What would you expect from a Phylon + ZOOM AIR unit setup? Not much. That’s how it feels. In fact, I barely felt anything at all. I’d say the Phylon midsole feels more present providing minimal impact protection than the ZOOM in the forefoot.

Of course, the shoe is super responsive, low to the ground and best for those speedy, light and low-profile type of guards. If you actually want good and bouncy cushion, skip this one and look into something like the Rose 8, CE 2017, KD 10, etc.

TRACTION

The traction of the shoe is weird and a bit disappointing. The pattern looks promising but doesn’t really stick to the floor that well. It’s not horrible but you’d be a bit disappointed if you’d expect them to grip the floor like crazy. And then there’s the sensitivity. You’ll need to wipe them frequently to avoid major slipping problems.

But that’s only the case indoors. They perform much better in the park because outdoor surfaces are much rougher. Wiping will still be a factor but not as much.

SUPPORT

Apart from the sub-par traction, I loved how these held me secure during plays. They’re not overwhelmingly supportive but not too loose either. It’s a nice sweet spot between those two, so playing in these makes you forget that you have something on.

And that’s major when playing a tough game. For a $110 Air Jordan, an internal heel counter, large outriggers, an ankle strap and a good fit is pretty good.

UPPER

LEGIT!

You’re probably thinking it’s just another cheap-ass shoe with crappy Phylon foam and a plastic mesh upper. Well, the first part is kind of true but the second one is pretty far from true.

The upper is named as textile and since I can’t really tell you an exact name of the material, it feels something like a very soft mesh reinforced with Fuse. It may sound cheap but it really doesn’t feel that way. That mesh is way softer and more flexible than most people judge it from the pictures.

The main pros would be comfort, flexibility, amazingly smooth step transitions, ventilation and the shoe is light.

Obviously, it’s not the softest or lightest option in the world but it’s very surprising from Air Jordan for 110 bucks.

OVERALL

BEST FOR A GUARD WHO PLAYS UNDER THE RIM

The Jordan Fly Unlimited isn’t a special shoe that offers only the best tech, performance, and materials a player can find. It’s a budget shoe but keep in mind that there are budget shoes from adidas or Under Armour that deliver killer shoes at even a lower price.

Still though, it’s a solid shoe. If you’re a lighter low-profile guard and you can get past the sketchy indoor traction, this might be a solid option anyway.