| 08.14.2018 – When you talk about the Jordan Brand the first thing that comes to mind is basketball and the man associated with the product.
Usually, Air Jordan shoes these days are not worn on courts but at parties and other places with bright lights and good wine to drink. Current AJs are no longer worn by Michael Jordan, but athletes that are endorsing the long storied brand. But during the early days of the brand it also produced “trainers” a pair of kicks for running. Rarely, it is associated with the shoe but these days you won’t notice that they’re still producing a pair that hardly popular for some… |
I’ve worn a pair of Jordan shoes since 1996 starting with TEN or X, that was the time he was temporarily retired from the game and decided to play baseball instead. The brand expanded sometime between 1997/1998 was they started introducing other version beside the flagship shoes.
They had the Jordan “Trainer” in 1997 but it wasn’t for running, but still for basketball. Over the years it started to evolve and include a running shoe, which produced the Jordan Racer 88 released this year.
But the Jordan Relentless at first thought was a running shoe. It is design for workout for indoor and outdoor, which is usually for the gym rat trying to get in shape with weight lifting and training. This was a “Silly Comfort” present that was unexpected and I haven’t worn an Air Jordan in a while.
Turns out shopping for it last Saturday was an unexpected end looking for a pair of running shoes with this training shoe at the Foot Locker outlet in Rundle Mall. I was hoping for an upgrade from the usual Zoom Structure 20, but either 21 has no longer have any stock or they’re just waiting to get a new pair of 22s. Long story short that started going to the Foot Locket outlet at Westfield Marion ending up at the one in the City of Adelaide was like too many things happened in-between with a quick story.
His Airness Relentless
The Jordan Relentless that was available at the Foot Locker in Rundle Mall was just a week old and it was one of the new sneakers they had. The Foot Lockers in Australia have various degrees of differences and this store was more on basketball for a country that is more about soccer (football) and Footy (Aussie Rules)
SIDE NOTE: It is the only colorway I’ve seen and it is inspired from and based its aesthetics to the Air Jordan XIV that I originally had, which was bought in Hong Kong in March 1999. This was the time the Nike brand was in transition in the Philippines as Mondragon, the originally distributor was longer the one bringing the shoes.
“The Last Shot” shoes or Air Jordan XIV was Michael Jordan’s last pair to wear as a Chicago Bull on 13 June 1998. At that time it wasn’t released yet taking inspiration from his Ferrari Maranello down to the emblem.
The Mid and Outsole Design
The Relentless of course takes the colorway and aesthetics of that shoe and this is what makes this pair of training shoes looks impressive. Although it is a trainer shoe it is still different from the AJ XIV with the outsole of the Jordan Relentless is the continuation of its midsole.
The foam compound is designed to be durable to endure the abrasions of working out on various types of indoor and outdoor surfaces. It features grooves throughout the length of the unit which promote flexion in multiple directions. The high-wear areas of the underside are lined with rubber pods. This material is crafted to enhance the durability of the sole unit while adding traction to the outsole.
The Phylon midsole of the Jordan Relentless is crafted to be soft to attenuate shock. It is engineered using EVA foam pellets that underwent compression, heating, and cooling, which results in a hard-wearing platform that is also flexible to assist in natural foot flexion. The midsole are raised at the midsection, creating a wall that supports the medial and lateral sides during side-to-side movements. It also extends to the front to protect the toes during activities such as sled pushes and burpees.
Upper Structure and Aesthetics
The upper structure and quality employs a combination of mesh, nubuck, and synthetic materials. The mesh fabric makes up a majority of the façade and ensures that the foot chamber is well-ventilated. Nubuck, a type of leather, forms a wrap at the rear foot which not only adds to the aesthetic flair but also keeps the back of the foot steady. Synthetic overlays protect the high-wear areas such as the toe box and eye stay against abrasion.
This Jordan trainer utilizes a traditional lace-up closure which allows users to customize fit by loosening or tightening the laces. For additional lateral support, the mid-foot strap can also be adjusted for a more locked-down fit. The thin tongue prevents the laces from digging into the instep while the user is working out.
As for the collar, it is lightly padded to keep the ankle area comfortable. It also holds the back of the foot in place to prevent slippage while on the move. The collar is designed to be low at the medial and lateral sides to afford greater mobility and facilitate quick transitions.
Relentless Training
The name itself synonymous with the greatest basketball player ever played in the game. But even though this is not a basketball shoe it still stands out having the Jumpman logo similar to the AJ 14 down to the same emblem of that Ferrari sportscar that Michael owned.
There are several colorways of this shoes but it appears that this version is only exclusive at Foot Locker as the other versions I’ve seen are entirely different from this Relentless they are seemingly not up par with the aesthetics of this one. There have been two versions sighted in the Philippines and none of them having black colors.
This might be available only outside the country or some other market that carry it like Foot Locket. But not in the Philippines and had only worn this pair once during the trip back to the country a few days ago. It is snugged that fits on my feet and more of a walking shoe than best used in the gym, but I don’t think I’ll be wearing this here.
Probably a supplement for traveling outside the country as a “travel shoe” as hoping it does not fall apart as the AJ XIV reissue I got in 2008 that the sole just got separate during my first trip to Singapore 2009, which hopefully I can find someone who can restore it back to its prominence.
Overall the Jordan Relentless is impressive although it felt like a “silly comfort” gift and it doesn’t feel like I can use it every day as a personal connection to me is the trip heading back to Manila from Adelaide as a travel shoe. But hopefully some of my old Jordan’s would be revived soon. I’m still wearing a running sneaker because almost all the people I knew who never worn a pair Air Jordan before is rocking them.
I’ve moved past wearing them to “look good” as I have worn a pair as beaters until they are all worn out. But not this one or the other previous J’s that I have worn in my past travels. If you ask if I would consider suggest getting this? Yes if it is available in the Philippines with this colorway. But if you don’t have any option the camo green version would do nicely as an everyday wear.
Jordan Relentless (AJ XIV Colorway) was acquired at Foot Locker in Rundle Mall, which retails at: $ 135.00 AUD (** ₱ 4,820.68) on 11 August 2018. For more details about other shoe brands and products follow Foot Locker Australia on Facebook and Instagram.
Credit Product Description | RunRepeat
** Currency Converter via Google
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