Last week, I had the opportunity to join a Zoom call with a bunch of sneaker media folks and some very important people at Jordan Brand for the official unveiling of the Air Jordan 35. I also had a plumber in my house working on the radiator, and my wife was at work so I was watching my 4-year-old daughter as well. In 2020, I’ve learned to multi-task in many new ways. Needless to say, though, I wasn’t going to miss a minute of this Jordan Zoom call. I wanted to learn as much as I could about the latest and greatest Jordan Brand had to offer. Read on to find my full Air Jordan 35 review.
Air Jordan 35 Review: The Unboxing
About 30 minutes before the call started, my doorbell rang with a FedEx package left at my door. Inside the box was the sneaker they were about to unveil on the call. Jordan Brand has some good timing! As I opened the box and fixed my eyes on the grey and multi-colored masterpiece, I laughed. The connection between the Air Jordan 35 and the AJ 5 was pretty clear. The tongue, the back upper of the heel, the 23 on the side – they were working overtime to stir up the nostalgic feels with this one.
Now back to the Zoom call. It was great to see a bunch of familiar faces, both on the media side and on the Jordan Brand side. Tate Kuerbis, the lead designer for the Air Jordan 35, told us all about his thought process behind the shoe. Gentry Humphrey, VP for Jordan Brand, was on the call as well, and told us what was going on with the Brand the past few months leading up to this unveiling. And Trent Casper, the global footwear product director, joined to explain everything that goes into producing the next great Jordan sneaker.
As far as all the tech that is packed into the Air Jordan 35, you can read about that here. As I mentioned earlier, you are getting serious AJ5 vibes with the 35. You can also see some similarities with the AJ12 and AJ13, depending on the angle and colorway. I personally also see some similarities to the Adidas Kobe 1 when looking straight down on them. I doubt that was intentional, but that’s what I see.
AJ35 Fit and Design
As far as fit and feel go, you’re getting the best basketball sneaker in the game. I slipped them right on and tested them on an outdoor court and have very few negative things to say about them. The padding in the heel is a bit stiff when you try them on for the first time, but when you’re running and cutting you don’t even notice it. The Zoom Air in the heel and forefoot is awesome of course. And inside the sneaker it feels like your foot is wrapped in a soft foamy sponge. For me it’s a great fit and they run true to size.
As far as the design goes, the AJ35 utilizes and improves on the Eclipse Plate underneath your foot for an explosive takeoff. I do not recall anyone saying the AJ35 is the lightest Jordan ever, and I assume this is because the heel Air Zoom bag is bigger. Plus, they had to make it a little more sturdy for the big Jordan Team guys like Zion, Jason Tatum and Luka Doncic.
Like most Air Jordans, this one is growing on me. Air Jordan designs are typically polarizing and take some getting used to. It’s hard to say right now where this one will fall in terms of popularity, especially since Jordan Brand was not able to put as much hype and fire power into it’s unveiling. I’ve heard some people comment and say they love the design, and others say they aren’t impressed. I, of course, am biased, since I got a pair 3 weeks early and have met Tate Kuerbis, Trent Casper, and several other Jordan employees over the past few years.
Final Thoughts
Even if you’re not a fan of the design, it’s worth at least trying out the AJ35 because of the tech upgrades. You won’t be able to deny the fact that it is one of the best, if not the best basketball sneakers to hoop in.
The Air Jordan 35 ‘Center of Gravity’ drops on October 17th for $180.
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