The material choices are obviously right in line with today’s standards – everything’s about minimalism & shedding as much weight as possible now. The combination of Air Strobel and phylon midsole for the cushion setup is already good enough. But for players like Zion, a beefed-up and more compressed cushion system are really important. And there were a handful of moments where I slid out due to several spots on the court I played on which had the rubber surface torn off, so the shell underneath was much more slippery.

However, the actual experience on the court wasn’t as crazy as the specs on paper. Things actually started off quite stiff and clunky – but just a few days in and I was able to actually feel the forefoot Zoom unit, while the Phylon midsole softened up and elevated the experience quite a bit. The Jordan Zion 1 weighs 12.1oz/343g, on the light/medium-end for basketball shoes (low-top basketball shoes have an average weight of 12.7oz/359 g), which surprised me with its multiple-layer cushion setup. A couple of sessions and these already starting to look banged up: the ultra-thin mesh is getting uneven, the Fuse overlays that feel like leather are getting creases left and right and the fabric pull tabs are getting weary.For me, the cushion was also adequate to handle the harder landings of concrete surfaces which many other shoes are not well suited for. Solid traction but needs wiping from time to time

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has officially entered a new realm in the NBA superstar atmosphere: he officially has his own signature shoe. The shoe has an interesting construction that led to me going true to size as a wide footer, thus ending up fine width-wise but having dead space length-wise. You might want to try these on before you get ’em or go TTS/ half a size down if you’re a narrow footer. The Jordan Zion 1 features an extremely thin open mesh build along with several Fuse overlays on high-wear areas such as the toebox and the lacing system. The heel portion features another synthetic overlay that’s a bit beefier but still fairly minimal.

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This did not affect the performance for me nor bother me but I do want to call this for those who may dislike this attribute. A fair price with pleasing aesthetics The Nike Air Strobel continues to prove that it is a cutting-edge cushion technology meant to provide the best impact protection without compromising the court feel. Along with the reliable Air Strobel, the Jordan Zion 1 is also infused with a very responsive and bouncy phylon midsole. Every signature pair undergoes a series of trial-and-errors to identify the most appropriate materials and technologies for the players’ overall physique, feet structure, and playing style. This is also one of the reasons why certain signature pairs jump from one technology to another.

Would’ve I liked the bite to be a little more aggressive? Sure, but the baseline level of grip the Zion 1 offered me didn’t cause any problems. But depending on one’s game, other aspects of the shoe must be focused on. The Jordan Zion 1 is just another sneaker with this kind of consideration. Though Zion’s specimen is kind of rare, there are actually a lot of players with the same play style. To deliver on his personality, Jordan Brand revealed the initial four colorways of the Zion 1, whichfeature nods to his upbringing and style of play. The “ZNA” look, for instance, is a celebration of Williamson’s rise to the top of the sport. It releases on May 5. The “Noah” colorway — slated to drop May 19 — is inspired by “the unbreakable bond” between the baller and his little brother, featuring doodles inspired by Noah’s visit to Nike HQ in Beaverton, Ore.And “Marion,” which will release on May 26, is an homage to Williamson’s home in South Carolina. There’s good foam padding around the ankle which was nicely hugged, and even though the tongue is stupidly thin, I never had any issues with it as I did with a LeBron 18.I tested the shoe in both some workouts/shootarounds on an indoor court as well as a few on an outdoor court. Overall, the traction was solid - despite the indoor gym floors being dirty/dusty(think local community gym), the traction gripped the floor consistently and had a noticeable bite moving in any direction. Lastly, the material choices are definitely on the cheaper side of things but that never hindered my performance on the court. However, the questionable build quality could throw some people off, particularly those who are looking to get the sneaker and play in it solely for multiple years. Zion’s first basketball shoe was an explosive and supportive option for me that I thoroughly enjoyed, and found to bode well for the future releases in his series! Who should buy Zion 1 Now sure, there is a performance factor in hoop shoes, they’re not just comfy shoes you can hoop in, as you need to be well-supported, it has to properly fit your foot shape, etc. A full-length Air strobel stitched right to the upper, a Zoom Air unit in the forefoot, and a plush Phylon midsole to top it all off. Sounds like a crazy setup on paper.