Air Jordan Ultra.Fly 2 REVIEW: An Interesting Performer

The first Ultra.Fly was decent, so there was lots of room for improvement. And the second one looked really interesting before I got it, so why not test to see if it’s better than the first? Here’s my detailed Air Jordan Ultra.Fly 2 review.

Go check out the Ultra.Fly 1 review so you can compare the two!

I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, fit, performance, the upper and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the Air Jordan Ultra.Fly 2 review!

THE TECH


ZOOM AIR & PHYLON

It’s awesome that we’re getting some kick-ass tech for lowered prices. This thing has ZOOM AIR units in the forefoot and heel areas, plus a Phylon midsole. And those units don’t feel sh*tty. Not at all.

FIT


TRUE TO SIZE, TIGHT AS HELL

So this won’t be a problem for regular/narrow footers. The shoe feels very (and I mean very) snug once you put them on. That’s how it felt for me since I have slightly wide feet. The upper does break in after a pretty long period but these don’t feel how they should. It’s just too tight in there. Even with all the nice padding and soft materials. Like I said, if you don’t have a wide foot, these should give you a fantastic experience. Give ’em some break-in time and they’ll feel nice.

Even with all the nice padding and soft materials. Like I said, if you don’t have a wide foot, these should give you a fantastic experience. Give ’em some break-in time and they’ll feel nice.

Another weird flaw is their lack of ventilation. The upper literally has no spots for air flow and I could feel that. Normally, not a lot of shoes have breathability issues but this one kinda does. It’s not a dealbreaker since I don’t really give a sh*t about ventilation but this time I could feel the slight lack of it. But it’s not that bad, I don’t think too many people are concerned about ventilation anyway.

Also, putting these ones is one hell of a task. For f**k sake, this is probably the hardest shoe to put on ever for me. The one-bootie construction, plus the ankle collar doesn’t stretch AT ALL, so good luck.

So these are the negatives. The positives are the comfort itself (if you go up half a size or you don’t have wide feet), the containment and a secure feel they provide you.

PERFORMANCE


 

CUSHION

So this is where I really love the shoe. The cushion setup for a $125 JORDAN shoe is awesome. Top-loaded ZOOM units in the heel and forefoot areas and a good quality Phylon midsole.

Great heel impact protection, nice and smooth step transitions and the best thing was the forefoot, seriously. Not a lot of shoes give you excellent cushion in the forefoot. They mostly just focus on that “responsive feel” now but this isn’t the case with the Ultra.Fly 2. The forefoot felt reaaaaaally nice and soft which is a huge plus for me. I play a lot on my forefoot area with all the landings, cuts and stops.

Still, the shoe didn’t feel that bulky or slow, the cushion didn’t take away the responsive feel. You don’t feel super low like you would on a Kyrie or a Curry shoe. This is almost an ideal cushion setup for how I play. It has that nice balance – great cushion throughout the whole sole while maintaining speed and response.

TRACTION

How they gripped the floor is a different story. This type of pattern picks up a sh*t ton of dust. It grips the court nicely for a while but if you play for long hours, they became more and more slippery. Not a terrible level but keep in mind that the shoe likes clean courts. Dusty courts – not so much. Be ready to wipe.

As for the rubber compound, I was pleasantly surprised. The outsole feels pretty durable, so going out to play with these outdoors is an option.

SUPPORT

Pretty good support overall. The upper isn’t that supportive but there are plenty of components to achieve proper support & lockdown. There are both internal and external heel counters, a small outrigger, that plastic frame around the shoe for lateral support, a webbing lacing system and the fit itself is very snug.

These held me pretty well for the most part. Not on a D Rose 7 level but it’s enough for a bit less explosive players out there. No complaints here.

UPPER


KNIT & FUSE – A SIMPLE SETUP THAT KINDA WORKS

So we got this pretty tight looking knit on the area where the tongue would be and the rest is completely Fuse. A less traditional setup which has both benefits and flaws.

So for good stuff, it is definitely comfortable once you get the size right for your foot shape. It’s durable, so outdoor play is a possibility.

However you have pretty much zero ventilation and for someone like me, if the shoe feels stiff, the upper isn’t stretchy and won’t really break-in much.

FINAL VERDICT


BEST FOR MOST PLAYERS, ESPECIALLY HEAVIER ONES

It’s hard to call this one an improvement over the first because some areas really took off, while others sucked a bit. The Ultra.Fly 2 is a cool shoe for just anybody who appreciates good cushion, a secure & supportive fit, and comfort.

It’s a bit sketchy at traction and the fit is really tight for larger foot people though. Still, $125 isn’t too bad, so decide if this one’s for you.

+ A FANTASTIC CUSHION SETUP
A VERY SECURE & SUPPORTIVE FIT
GOOD FOR OUTDOORS
SUPER TIGHT FIT FOR LARGER FEET
REALLY ANNOYING TO PUT ON
– TRACTION IS REALLY SENSITIVE TO DUST

Okay, that’s it for the review! I hope you found it useful!

So in the end, I’d stick with the Ultra.Fly 1, OR I’d check out the B.Fly which is another awesome budget shoe from Air Jordan with a Performance Woven upper!