Jordan Extra Fly REVIEW: Another STELLAR Budget Option?

It’s the budget hoop shoe era now, from all brands. From AJ, we got the Ultra Fly, B Fly, Ultra Fly 2, Rising High, Rising High 2 and now the Extra Fly. They’ve been doing pretty great so far, so let’s see how this one performed in my detailed Jordan Extra Fly 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 Jordan Extra Fly review!

THE TECH

PHYLON & ZOOM AIR

The same cushion setup as the Ultra Fly and as most of AJ’s/Nikey’s budget models. A Phylon midsole with a decent forefoot ZOOM unit. What’s interesting is it doesn’t feel the same on each shoe, as some Phylons are made better than the others. You’ll find out how this one did in the Performance section.

FLYWIRE

We also have the regular Flywire cable system for proper lockdown and containment. I haven’t really experienced a bad Flywire setup from Nike or AJ and this is no exception.

FIT

SOLID, NOTHING SPECIAL THOUGH

So the shoe performs and feels very similar to the Ultra.Fly. The fit area is the one that felt most different to me. The materials on this one are a bit more forgiving and even though there are a lot of synthetics, it still doesn’t feel that firm or plasticy.

The fit itself is also a bit roomier than the Ultra Fly and me, as I wide footer, I didn’t have to go up half a size. It was tight at first but break them in, and you’re good to go. Regular footers should also go true to size for a proper experience unless you prefer an extremely snug/tight fit.

I didn’t really have any major fit problems with the shoe. After the short break-in period, they were fine. No ventilation issues, no slippage, didn’t feel restricted or too loose. The shoe still doesn’t feel as free and balanced as some top tier models out there but it’s not bad.

I guess the only thing that was slightly negative was a tiny bit of dead space in the forefoot are. Literally, right at the front, I felt there was some extra room but that didn’t really affect my game.

PERFORMANCE

CUSHION

The cushion felt pretty much the same as on the Ultra.Fly. If you read that review, you know I’m not a fan of that setup. The forefoot ZOOM is barely felt, there isn’t a lot of impact protection. It’s not a soft/bouncy setup, nor a very responsive or court feel orientated one.

So the end result is a decent at best setup with a good quality Phylon midsole. Yeah, the only good thing about the cushion is the Phylon itself. I felt it a bit throughout the whole foot and that was enough not to call this setup terrible.

TRACTION

The outsole is identical to the Ultra.Fly, so you get the same traction. And the traction is awesome. Grips the floor really well, no slipping or sliding, definitely a strong part of the shoe.

UNTIL dust comes into play. After some minutes, something just doesn’t feel right and that’s because the outsole picks up a lot of dust quickly. If you want to maintain that high-quality traction, you’ll have to wipe often.

And the rubber compound doesn’t look too durable. I wouldn’t tear these outdoors. Get the Rising High 2’s if you want outdoor capabilities.

SUPPORT

This is the best part about the shoe. It feels supportive, containment and lockdown are fine and best of all, I didn’t feel as restricted or uncomfortable as I did with the Ultra Fly’s.

Thanks to the upper changes, it was a solid experience in terms of support. I think any playstyle could confidently play in these.

Lastly, the ankle cut is this weird hybrid between a low and a high. Some say it’s a low top but it doesn’t really look that way for me. I guess you can call these the highest variant of a low top there is.

UPPER

A MIX OF SOLID INGREDIENTS

This is far from the Ultra Fly’s Kurim. The Extra Fly has an overlay mesh upper in the middle, Fuse at the toebox and a synthetic overlay at the back area.

Definitely not a bad setup, I’ll say that. The mid section is pretty soft and comfortable, while as the back synthetics provide lockdown and support, even though it isn’t that firm or plasticy as you’d think by judging from the images.

The Fuse along the toebox provides additional reliability and protection from toe drags.

FINAL VERDICT

BEST FOR PRETTY MUCH ANY PLAYER

The Air Jordan Extra.Fly is not a bad shoe. And even though it’s not a crazy good one, I can surely see some players liking these for what they are.

You get solid performance with a few problems here and there but they’re versatile, doesn’t focus on one playstyle/player build and don’t break the bank.

Looking for a Jordan hoop shoe at a fair price? Get the Extra Fly, I don’t think it’s a bad choice.