Jordan Fly Wade | Supportive, stable, and pretty light too.
words // Zac Dubasik
images // Nick DePaula
When Jordan Brand Creative Director Mark Smith began work on the Fly Wade, it wasn’t even the Fly Wade. “The shoe started out actually as the AJ 2011,” he explains. And while the Air Jordan 2011 project would eventually move in the direction of modular cushioning, the Fly Wade retained that design’s original direction. “We really had one goal with that, which was to create the lightest Air Jordan.” Weighing in at 13.7 ounces, the Jordan Fly Wade is in fact the lightest option out there in performance hoops from Jordan Brand.
That said, the first thing to examine in evaluating the Fly Wade is its weight, which has been billed as “impossibly light.” In recent times, the lightest weight, and most advanced materials, haven’t been what Jordan Brand has been about. In terms of their performance kicks, they’ve been much more likely to use thick leathers, and plush liners, giving their kicks a more handcrafted than high-tech feel. And in comparison with some of the more luxurious of those examples, the Fly Wade is in fact a major step in weight reduction. By current benchmarks though, the weight of the Fly Wade is not mindblowing by any means, and very “possible.” The fact is, there are shoes out there now approaching a full four ounces lighter than the Fly Wade. But that’s not to say that the Fly Wade isn’t a good shoe. It definitely holds its own, and even surpasses some of those lighter shoes in other areas.
The primary method the team at Jordan Brand employed to reduce weight was through careful attention to the upper materials and construction. “It really started with a very simple inner bootie that was as light and breathable as possible, then we started adding skins for support,” explained Smith. “Knowing that we couldn’t use the skins all the way up [the collar], because of the ability to hold his foot in, we put some synthetics and key support elements in the upper portion.” Throughout the midfoot, the upper creates a true one-to-one fit when tightly laced. The combination of shape, materials, and the underlying bootie feel outstandingly secure.
Adding to that security is one of my favorite Jordan Brand support elements: their often-used molded collar notch. “We call it the dog bone,” explained Dwyane Wade, at the media launch of the shoe this past March. “It’s the same element from the [Air Jordan] 2010 that I felt locked my ankle in.” A rock solid heel counter rounds out the shoe’s lockdown. “One of the other things we did,” says Smith, “was took the internal heel cup, and we exposed it on the final version.”
By way of this exceptional heel lockdown, the ankle is fully stabilized – so much so, in fact, that the collar height is largely unnecessary. It’s also one of my two biggest complaints about the shoe. I found the collar’s cut and shape, despite being asymmetrical, to be too restrictive, and at times even uncomfortable. The collar padding above the aforementioned “dog bone” is very thin. Thicker socks helped with the comfort issue, but definitely not with range of motion.
My other major, and stronger, complaint with the Fly Wade also deals with the upper. While the midfoot fit was superb for my foot, I found the toe box had too much volume. The bottom two eyelets, when laced tightly, pull close together, which in turn creates an unnatural flex point in the forefoot. The awkward angles, coupled with the rigid “skin” synthetic used on the upper, pinched on both the medial and lateral sides of my forefoot, causing constant discomfort. Thicker socks provided some relief, but not enough to remedy the problem. Breathability is pretty standard fare for a more supportive shoe, which means not spectacular, but completely acceptable.
As for the shoe’s cushioning setup, Smith describes it as “the best of both. … We’ve got the heel Air, and then the forefoot Zoom – a little bit of Quick and Explosive.” As you might expect, this targets the heel with impact protection, while offering more responsiveness up front. It wasn’t the most responsive forefoot cushioning I’ve ever felt, whether it was because of the bag thickness, or the layers over the bag, but cushioning was still very good. The shoe was also very stable, thanks to its wide base and large TPU shank. The base felt so stable initially, that I thought it came at too much of a sacrifice to transition and court feel. After three or four wearings however, the midsole became more flexible, which helped dial back some of those initial shortcomings.
The direction of the Fly Wade may have split from the concept of the Air Jordan 2011’s final direction, but it does share one similar trait. Smith explained that “some of the technical pieces that we took … were developed at the same time as the 2011 game shoe.” In particular, that refers to the performance graphics used on the shoe’s outsole. An inverted and twisted elephant print makes up the traction pattern, and provided reliable footing. I actually found it to be a slight improvement here over the 2011’s.
The marketing of the Jordan Fly Wade focused heavily on its weight, but if you are looking for a shoe based on weight alone, there are better options. The Hyperdunk 2010, Hyperfuse and Kobe VI are all nearly two to three ounces lighter. The adiZero Crazy Light from adidas Basketball is nearly four ounces lower. However, if you are a player in search of a fast shoe, with no compromise in the cushioning, stability and ankle support departments, the Fly Wade is worth some serious consideration – especially if your tastes trend away from the low-cut craze. The shoe is much better suited for bigger, stronger slashers and swingmen than point guards looking to go as minimal as possible.
It’s far from perfect, but I’m a fan of the direction of DWade’s first post-Converse signature shoe. It fills a void at the signature shoe level in terms of the player it’s best suited for. While the issues I had were fairly major in terms of comfort, thanks to the pinching toe box, there was also a lot I liked about the shoe after the initial break-in period. The Fly Wade’s support, cushioning and traction were all great. Considering that the shoe is tweaks (although very important tweaks), rather than major changes, away from being exceptional, I’m looking forward to the line’s potential.
Jordan Fly Wade details:
designer: Mark Smith
season: Spring 2011
best for: Players looking for a shoe that’s as fast and light as possible, without making any sacrifices to cushioning and support; players who don’t mind a more restrictive collar
colorway tested: Black/ Varsity Red/ Dark Grey
key tech: Heel Air; forefoot Zoom; TPU midfoot shank; lightweight synthetic bonded upper; asymmetrical collar
pros: midfoot fit; stability; cushioning; ankle support
cons: firm collar, excess toe volume creates pinching at flex points
improvements: add padding to top of collar for increased comfort, or better yet, lower collar height; better control flex point through materials and pattern geometry in toe
buying advice: While the Fly Wade is billed as being “Impossibly Light,” there are choices from multiple brands that are far lighter. It is, however, the lightest current option from Jordan Brand, and offers exceptional heel and midfoot stability. If you are looking for a fast shoe, with a greater emphasis on cushioning and ankle support than weight, and you are a Jordan Brand fan, the Fly Wade is worth considering. It’s far from perfect, but a good starting point for DWade’s line to build on.
B, psh, I only wear As!
Nice job though!
Shoe looks nice and that grade is what I expected.
Definitely a good look with the 5 on ankle support.
Exceptional review. These shoes are definitely on my radar. How’s the sizing?
Great review Zac! Awesome photos Nick!
The Wades are true to size for me. I wear a 10 and a 10 felt great.
I agree the ankle cut could be better – a little lower would be nice. However, it works fine for me. I have zero discomfort nor feel overly restricted by the ankle cut. The forefoot flexing was an issue for me initially, but it quickly went away. I double sock for playing ball which probably helps a bit. I’ve also played in the all blacks and the pimentos and found the upper on the pimentos to break in a little faster and a little better than the all blacks. I’m curious to see if anyone else has had similar experiences with the two colorways.
Overall, I really like playing in the Wade Flys. I’d give them a A- or B++ at the minimum. The fit, comfort, cushioning, traction, and stability are all great after a very short break in period for me. It’s nice to see Jordan Brand putting out some very good performance shoes.
Why are you avoiding the lebron 8 PS? It’s the best performance shoe of all time as it combines some of the best technologies available. It gives you what you need where you need it. I know you are not a lebron fan but I look forward to an objective review of the first shoe to ever combine ZOOM in the front, Max in the heal, carbon fiber in the middle and the best breathability with fuze.
^ I’m playing in the 8 PS now and will have a review up 2 Thursdays from now on them. Glad to hear you’re liking them!
Nick, the P3s are nice shoes. I wonder if you’re going to have any of the arch soreness that some people are getting (me included). Can’t wait to see your review.
Supeb Review Zac, the whole feeling i get from the reviews in SoleCollector is of pure professionalism. You, Nick and the rest of the team do a great job of combining amazing quality pictures with the right words that every sneaker + tech + design / fashion head can understand and relate to.
Every JB review of course grabs my attention more than any other because of the high standards we come to expect from the brand (not to mention that many of the top athletes in the league wear something with the legendary jumpman logo)…since Wade joined JB i have wonder why he still hasn´t the greatest shoe on his feet, the things you point out as cons seem to me really disappointing and has left me to think that it has to be frustrating at times for this athletes under contract to wear what they are told to…i mean, sure the million of dollars must be great, but every true basketball player out there knows how great is to play in your favorite shoes! wich in turn has led me to ask you guys something:
I Loved the Nike Go LWP review that Nick did a few months back and it would be unreal to see a season (maybe in the summer!) of retro reviews from a 2k11 point of view; In that review there was something that striked me: the sentimental value we put on some of our favorite shoes of all time that in many cases outlasts the materials, tech and advancements value in today´s shoes…but could it be just that? just like in the car industry shoe companies try to come up with the latest most advanced (and now) lowest lightest shoe saying that it´s the best of all time…but is it? we, the ones that have no obligation to wear the newest brainchild of a troubled by deadline designer have the blessing of gearing up in the best of the best every time we hit the court! i mean, you could do a lot of good getting here reviews of what has been stood the test of time and are perfectly right for the game of basketball even if they are 20 years old! some guys from the NBA in the seventies and eighties were so athletic, light and graceful one would think they were wearing some crazy lights or kobe´s but they didn´t!
C´mon, let´s get more old timers in the performance reviews!
Nice review, keep’em coming.
Wow. I’m surprised these scored this well. Sounds like a great team shoe. Too bad they are super ugly. I just can’t get over the strap system.