Blake Griffin’s newly endorsed shoe has came out, so let’s see if it’s any good and if it improved from the previous Super.Fly 4. I am really excited to try these out especially since lots of people seem to hate them. So welcome to my Jordan Superfly 5 review!
I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, performance, comfort, materials and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the Jordan Superfly 5 review!
THE TECH
ZOOM AIR – so we got a very basic cushion setup with this year’s Super.Fly. It’s a Phylon midsole and a ZOOM AIR unit in the forefoot. Nothing fancy or revolutionary, but it does work. What’s not great is it’s a clear downgrade from the previous shoe.
Fuse – we got some Fuse layers on high-wear areas of the upper for durability.
PERFORMANCE
FIT/COMFORT
Definitely not the most comfortable shoe in the world, but I didn’t have any complaints. I didn’t have any slippage, dead space or anything like that. The shoe didn’t restrict my movements, but I did not like the rigid upper, which kind of gave a very “rough” and sturdy feel to it.
Fans of soft uppers won’t like these. But other than that, besides the fact that I’d like them to feel a little softer, everything’s fine.
CUSHION
It’s a basic setup on paper, and it feels basic on court. Never expect anything god-like from Phylon and a single ZOOM unit. The heel didn’t provide that much impact protection or bounce at all, but at least you can feel it a bit.
The forefoot ZOOM is quite responsive, but it’s very firm and nothing like the unlocked ZOOM the Super.Fly 4 had. All in all, it’s a decent setup for pretty much any player or playstyle, just don’t expect anything awesome.
TRACTION
Traction was mostly fine. It is still a bit sensitive to dust like the previous shoe was, so prepare to wipe. Indoors, they gripped the floor well, they held all my stops and cuts relatively well. Outdoors, it’s also good, but the rubber compound isn’t that durable.
I wouldn’t include this in my top 10 shoes for outdoors. BUT, if you desperately need a shoe to play outside, this would hold up for some time.
SUPPORT
Once again, nothing spectacular, but neither deal-breaking. There’s a soft internal heel counter, a webbing lacing system and a tight fit. So you should be good to go in most cases.
I don’t really think it’s an awesome choice for a very fast and explosive player because there’s no midfoot shank and pretty much no outrigger. I’ve no idea why they decided to take those off.
MATERIALS
Right off the bat, I’m not a fan of this material setup. It’s rigid, not really flexible and not really comfortable either. The upper is very strong mesh with Fuse on some high-wear areas and the ankle collar is some strong synthetic.
This is a very durable setup, but not really a comfortable one. I don’t know, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. They did feel better after some break-in time, but it’s nothing compared to something like Performance Woven or Flyknit.
FINAL VERDICT
So I guess the people were right. I didn’t hate them, but definitely wasn’t a fan of them. Nothing great about it honestly. It is a versatile shoe, but that’s about where it stops.
Fairly comfortable, solid traction, very basic cushion, questionable support and a basic, but durable upper.
I guess you can pick these up if you collect Superfly’s. But if not, there are much better shoes at this price range for you to hunt. Check out my recommended alternative below.
PROS
+ Solid traction both indoors and outdoors
+ The shoe is all-around durable
CONS
– Cushion setup is very primitive, doesn’t offer too much
– Lacking support features for a more aggressive player
– The upper isn’t that comfortable due to its rigid nature
RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
AIR JORDAN MELO M12
If you’re looking for a good Jordan mid top, the Melo M12 is a solid option. And it’s cheaper.
Two ZOOM AIR units, FlightPlate, FlightSpeed and a very soft mesh upper. Great all-around performance. This is an Air Jordan done right.
That’s it for the review! I really hope you found it useful for your next purchase.