Jordan 33 Performance Review
Each Year we anticipate the release of the new Jordan model; whether it be just to see what they have came up with next or to see what new tech aspects will be released to help on the court. This year they gave us a lot, I mean a lot, but did it disappoint?
Grading System: 0 = Awful! 3 = Awesome!
Materials:
Grade: 1
The materials were one of the most disappointing aspects to the shoe in my opinion, specifically in one area. The toe box area and most of the upper features a very soft mesh which is very comfortable with the shoe on your foot. The downfall is getting your foot stepped on. I found myself noticing my toes getting stepped on more in these shoes, more than I have in any shoe in a long time. I don't believe that I'm getting necessarily stepped on more, but more that the materials are so soft you can just feel any touch to the toe area.
The rest of the shoe pretty much features some synthetic leathers/suede. I gave the materials such a low rating for the aspect of possibly hurting your toes In the shoe. Ive heard lots of complaints about these not having premium materials..They definitely do not, but when I am looking for a basketball performance shoe I am not so much worried about premium materials just materials that work overall. I wish there was more support in that toe area and these would easily go from a 1 to a 2.
Lacing:
Grade: 2
FastFit Technology, a very awesome new tech feature, that is featured on these Jordan 33's. If you do not already know this, the Jordan 33 features no laces but a tightening system thru a ratchet which can be seen tightening on the bottom of the shoe and wires running throughout the shoe in place of laces.
Right below your tongue there is a strap that does say "pull" on it which is obviously where you pull once your foot is inside to tighten the shoe to your liking. When you pull there will be clicking sounds. I have tried to count the number of clicks to see if I can find the perfect fit each time, but it is a little hard to do so. One thing I will heavily suggest against is getting the fit to tight. I have done so a few times and found my foot going numb or felt as if it was cutting my circulation off.
Toward the inside of each "pull" strap on each shoe you also have another strap. On my exact pair it is a black and yellow striped strap. This strap is your "eject" cord or strap, which obviously loosens the shoe for you to get out or loosen to readjust if you do get the shoe to tight.
Last, but not least you have a strap towards the inside or medial side of each shoe that stretches basically from the tongue back towards your heel. This strap really does work and is not just for looks. It seems as if it really compresses the lace cords and gives you a very locked in feel. Also be careful with this strap as you can get it to tight as well.
FastFit is definitely a really sweet aspect to the shoe. Preferably I do prefer standard laces because I feel it is kind of hard to get the exact same fit every single time I play in these, but I definitely think if you want to try something different, new, and maybe a step towards the future of basketball shoes definitely give these a shot! Oh and if you don't like how they look you still have to go try them on, because it is an experience in itself!!
Cushion: 3
The Cushion on the 33s features a fairly large zoom air unit in the forefoot as well as a hex unit in the heel. The air units are actually outlined in red on your outsole if you wanna take a closer look at them. There was an initial break in process I did feel like on these 33s. When I first started to play in the 33s I felt like they were bulky and made me feel as if I was glued to the floor. After a little bit of play time, or breaking them in they started to feel much better. You get much more court feel with still a lot of impact protection. Overall as a player I normally play on my forefoot and sometimes toes, but not so much on my heels. I do appreciate the heel cushion, but I do not really seem to use it very much.. The jump man is even still visible in my pair on the insole if that tells you how much I am on my forefoot or toes. The forefoot area though is very comfortable and does give you the responsiveness you need to be successful.
Traction: 2
The traction overall on The Jordan 33 is one of my favorite parts, but also one of my least favorite parts.
If you rate your traction on sound these are very, very loud and squeaky. They will definitely win you over if that is how you rate your traction. My way is more of the feel on the court and my ability to change directions. Laterally you could not ask for anything better as I love the traction and feel near perfect in the shoe. Vertically is where it can get a little tricky.. There is an area at the very tip top of the toe area where the shoe goes from flat to an angle. This area will sometimes basically miss the floor if you do not come to a stop on your toes.
Let me try to explain a little better. Lets say you are wanting to shoot a pull up jumper, you beat your man off the dribble and are stopping more with your forefoot than right up on your toes. You may have a slip in your step if you are not careful. I was actually testing these and the Harden Vol. 3 at the same time and it was hard transitioning to each shoe because I felt myself playing even more on my toes than normal in these compared overall to other shoes. I felt myself having a distinct play style in these actual shoes, or actually thinking about the shoes and my feet more than just playing. I loved the traction laterally, but just couldn’t get the right feel for them vertically.
Overall: 2
The Jordan 33's out of the box despite a small break in are a decent basketball shoe. I wouldn’t rate them amazing but there also not all around terrible either. The traction feels awesome sometimes and at other times not so good. The fastfit was giving me the same circulation problems as the Adapt B.B. I hope I am not sounding to harsh because overall I love Jordan and Nike brand, but I am just struggling to find the correct adjustment for me in these as well as I told you in my previous review on the Adapts. If I were to choose between these and the adapts I would definitely go adapt hands down! Remember when I am reviewing these sneakers I am going by what I feel on my actual feet. You could find the perfect adjustment the first time out! I hope you do and have great success in them, but for me I can’t give them more than a 2 for what I was able to get out of them.
I hope you enjoyed this review on the Jordan 33, and it gives you a little more information on which direction you would like to go on the 33s!
Have A Great Week & As Always Happy Hooping!!
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