Dribble Media offers an in-depth performance review of the Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF, arguably one of the best budget basketball shoes released this year.
The Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF was released last December 2020. (Photo from Nike.com)
With the smashing success of the Air Jordan 35 (see our performance review here), it didn’t come as a surprise that the famous sneaker brand followed it up with another elite performance basketball shoe. The Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF was released last December, and it could already be one of the best performing shoe that you’ll see this year.
The Jordan Brand already made it known that the Jumpman 2021 PF is inspired by the AJ35, which drew tons of praises from the basketball community. The crazy thing is that the Jumpman 2021’s structure is more similar to the AJ35 rather than the Jumpman 2020, which is its predecessor. That is a wise decision as the Jumpman 2020 drew mixed reviews in its overall performance.
Having said all these, let’s proceed to the star of the show and dive deep into an in-depth performance review of the Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF.
The Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF is similar to the Air Jordan 35. (Photo via Sneaker News)
MATERIALS
As expected, the Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF used toned-down materials as compared to the Air Jordan 35. But that’s not to say that it’s a drastic downgrade. The textile mesh uppers will not wow you, but they do the job in terms of added breathability and comfort. The ankle collar is made of leather, although it doesn’t feel like a premium leather in this pair. Still, having a leather ankle collar is a major plus for a budget shoe.
As you can see in the forefoot area of the pair, there’s a couple of thick black bars made of synthetic material. This is implemented primarily to protect the uppers from the “toe-drag” and prevents dents to the uppers. The curved Flightwire cables are also evident in the sides to give users added stability in terms of fitting.
Lastly, the side plate looks similar to the ones in the AJ35, but don’t be fooled. It’s not the “Eclipse Plate” that you can find in the AJ35. It’s just a regular curved TPU side plate, but it will provide you with much-needed support in your lateral movements.
The Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF uses an outsole best-suited for outdoor play. (Photo via Nike)
TRACTION
There’s no doubt that the Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF’s traction is one of the best among the basketball pairs that will be released this year. The zig-zag pattern that you can see in the outsole is a herringbone-type traction that offers the bite that you need to avoid slips or injuries when you make sudden shifts and stops in your movements. You can also see the hard lines that form a shape of an arc on the forefoot and heel areas of the outsole, and these certainly provide additional flexibility.
On top of that, the intervals between the patters are wide enough that it will not accumulate tons of dust even when you’re playing outside. Actually, this is more of an outdoor-type basketball shoe, which is really what budget pairs are for.
If you’re looking for something wrong to pinpoint in the Jumpman 2021 PF, you wouldn’t find anything in its traction performance.
The Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF makes use of a loaded Air Zoom unit. (Photo via Sneaker News)
CUSHION and SUPPORT
The Air Zoom unit is definitely bigger in the Air Jordan 35, but the one in the Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF is loaded enough to offer you substantial protection from heavy impact. You can immediately feel the Zoom bag on the ball of your foot right when you wear the pair. There is also a foam bubble similar to the Adidas Boost tech, and this will give you additional stability and energy.
The midsole is made of phylon rubber that provides a more versatile touch on your movements. Jordan Brand also didn’t forget to place a padding around the ankle area. It’s true that the padding is thicker in the AJ35, but then again, this is a budget shoe. It’s already a bonus that the Jumpman 2021 PF has an ankle padding that provides more security than other budget pairs.
The Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF has a wide feel in terms of fitting. (Photo via Nike)
SIZE and FITTING
The Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF feels a bit wide, so you might want to go down half a size especially if you’re narrow-footed. If you’re already wide-footed, then there’s nothing wrong in going true to size.
The pair is lower than the Air Jordan 35, but it’s not a low-cut pair either. The Jumpman 2021 PF goes in between the mid-cut and the low-cut tier.
OVERALL RATING
This is the closest to a perfect budget shoe that you can cop. It is indeed a toned-down version of the Air Jordan 35, but it is way better than other recent budget basketball shoes like the Nike Kyrie Flytrap 4 or the Nike Air Zoom BB NXT. The Jumpman 2021 PF has a spring-like feel in its cushion and support, and this feature will be very adept in absorbing heavy impact when jumping or making sudden side-to-side movements.
To be honest, the Jumpman 2021 PF doesn’t feel like it is just a budget shoe. You will get tons of value with your money if you cop this pair, and its elite overall performance is arguably the best among budget pairs in recent years.
Having said all these, the Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF nets an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Where to Buy
You can now cop the Jordan Jumpman 2021 PF at selected Nike stores for only US$110.
