When the Air Jordan Melo 9 was available, I was deeply attracted by its cage zoom in the heel, and it was because of this that I copped two pairs at one sitting. After numerous tests of the two shoes, I think I’ve got intimate knowledge of them and here is the performance review.
The shoebox of this Air Jordan Melo 9 is low-key, but as a Jordan Brand fan for many years, its iconic logo alone is enough to get me excited.
At the side of the box, there is a fingerprint that is rarely seen and distinctive.
The brand released quite a few colorways at the time, but what I got here are the black and silver, and the one with wool at the welt.
The logo of melo is printed on the tongue, inside of which there are filled with two wisps of foam.
Besides the wool in the welt that is used as decoration, there isn’t much difference with the other versions.
The herringbone pattern of the outsole provides a very good grip that is still excellent and impressive even on smooth wooden floors. Over and above that, the separated Zoom in the front and rear parts are also the best setup for actual matches.
When the shoes were released, the Flywire has only ushered in its early stage of development. But with the advent of the tech, this Air Jordan Melo 9 , which has also adopted the tech, is greatly improved. Using the tech, the shoes not only become more lightweight, but also offer solid vamp support for its wearer.
The Flywire extends from the hollow upper to connect to the shoelaces.
As for the caga zoom that is, for me, the most inviting, it is, however, much bulkier than the average zooms. But to tell the truth, I’ve never liked air cushions are that exposed because they are subject to get scratched. Fortunately, the cushions of Melo 9 is not entirely exposed so that I am relieved of this worry.
The rear Zoom is also exposed to the air, which, nevertheless, has quite puzzled me because it get blasted easily.
In the middle part, there is the tpu and the signature.
The outsole of the shoes has also been changed to the crystal one.
The fan-shaped zoom on the forefoot is made protruding for easier and better startup. And because of this, the cushion can be obviously felt when you are landing on your forefeet.
The “wool” version also comes with a pair of red shoelaces.
Personally speaking, the wool is kind of trouble because it gets dirty easily and is difficult to get cleaned. Therefore, whenever it is possible, I won’t pick this one for any matches.
The toe of this version is a bit narrow, which is most likely to result in squeeze of our toes. Therfore, it is highly recommended to purchase a larger size so as to avoid any discomfort.
Overall:
This melo9 is definitely not a perfect work of Air Jordan, but that it is an excellent one is out of question. The separated zooms are, in the first place, a hardcore setup for playing, but with the upgrade of the zooms in the shoes, their performance is further improved. Besides that, the grip performance of the outsole is also excellent and impressive. But there also exist some disadvantages. The outsole is shy of durability and the toes also cut back on one’s good impression of the shoes. Nevertheless, nothing in the world is perfect, and with its overall performances, it will never be surplus to requirements.