Air Jordan Rising High REVIEW: Outdoor Shoe on a Budget

Welcome to my Air Jordan Rising High review! This was quite a find for me, because there aren’t a lot of outdoor-friendly basketball shoes anymore. So let’s review it and see if it performs!

I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, performance, comfort, materials and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the Air Jordan Rising High review!


THE TECH

ZOOM AIR – The shoe’s cushioning setup is an unlocked ZOOM AIR unit in the forefoot and Phylon throughout the rest of the midsole. Nothing special, similar to other Air Jordans. It does feel really good for a $120 model.

Flight Speed – this is a torsional plate that acts as a bridge between the forefoot and heel areas. It makes the step transitions smoother and overall enhances the feel of ZOOM AIR.

FLYWIRE – these are cables under the upper that are connected to the shoe’s laces for lockdown. Again, nothing out of this world, works as intended, just like most Nike’s/Jordan’s out there.

PERFORMANCE


FIT/COMFORT

Generally I had no complaints with the fit of the shoe. It fits true to size. Very comfortable interior with some proper padding. The ankle collar isn’t irritating, the tongue is also comfy. No containment/slippage issues.

Definitely didn’t expect comfort from this shoe honestly, but they ended up being pretty pleasant to play in.

CUSHION

If you have experience with the Jordan XX9 or XXX, then this feels very similar. The forefoot feels properly balanced and responsive thanks to Unlocked ZOOM, while the rest isn’t spectacular, it gets the job done.

You’re getting responsiveness, court feel and stability. Not a lot of impact protection, but enough for me. I’d say it’s a pretty versatile setup that should fit most playstyles/positions.

TRACTION

I’m not in love with their traction, but they’re not terrible. Like I said, the traction pattern is extremely sturdy and durable, so it’s pretty much made for outdoor hoopers.

I can actually say that they don’t even perform that well indoors. The rubber is very sturdy and polished floors cause slippage. Talking about unique. But yeah, this is a perfect setup for streetballers – grips the floor extremely well and extremely durable outdoors.

SUPPORT

Support is awesome, period. No gimmicks or flimsy spots. A heel counter, FLYWIRE, supportive and proper fit, lateral outriggers. Everything works extremely well combined. The ankle collar is soft, but that’s not the main support factor. In fact, it’s barely a support factor at all. I’m happy they designed this way – it doesn’t annoy the sh*t out of me like some shoes do.

This is a great option for athletic players who need a lot of support on their landings, cuts, drivers etc.

MATERIALS

The upper is synthetic leather, Fuse on some high-wear areas and the ankle collar is mesh. A very standard and “budget” setup, which is expected. The strong points would be durability, support, stability. While the downsides to this type of setup would be comfort (even though it isn’t bad in this case) and ventilation.

FINAL VERDICT

So the Air Jordan Rising High actually exceeded my expectations. It’s a solid and versatile shoe for outdoor players, mostly. And at a pretty affordable price.

Decent comfort, solid cushioning, great outdoor traction, awesome support and a basic material setup.

Streetballers, this one of your strongest options. Pick these up and tear em’ down, that’s what they’re made for.

PROS

+ A great cushion setup for everyone
+ Killer support in every area
+ Superb traction for outdoors

CONS

 The upper needs some break-in time
 Traction is weirdly inconsistent indoors

The second Rising High has came out not long ago. Check out the review and find out if it improved!