After seeing what the Jordan Brand had lined up for this fall and winter, I decided that this would be the first year I would get a pair of Jordans and actually play basketball in them. Being a big man myself, I decided on the Super.Fly 3s–the quasi-signature shoe of Blake Griffin. I couldn’t have made a better decision. These shoes perform like a dream and are well worth a look for your upcoming rec or intramural season.
Here’s a rundown of why we love the new Super.Fly 3s.
GRIP
The grip on the Super.Fly 3s were great. I tried them out on a covered outdoor court (the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge Park which btw is probably the best outdoor basketball in the world right now) and had zero issues with sliding. Cuts weren’t ever a problem and I was able to maintain my pivot with ease. Great multilateral traction all around.
WEIGHT
These are so light I was initially worried they wouldn’t be able to support me. I’m 6’3″ and weight 220 pounds right now, so my whole life I’ve been wearing traditional “big man” shoes that gave me the support I thought I needed. Shoes like these are usually heavy, but it wasn’t something I ever really paid attention to. Now after playing in light (but supportive) shoes I don’t know I can say that I can go back to heavy ones anymore.
Plus, they’re also lighter to carry back and forth from games.
SUPPORT
Ankle support has always been the most important characteristic of shoes for me, simply because my health is priority #1. I’ve seriously sprained my ankles a handful of times and anything I can do to prevent further injury is a must.
Make no mistake about it, these shoes have great ankle support. The flight plate (the hard plastic you see at the back) and shoe material might not come up as high as other classic shoes touted to have great support, but with modern technology height is no longer necessary. Courtesy of the Flight Web fit system (a series of hidden laces and straps) which locks your feet into the shoe, there’s little movement within the Super.Fly 3s.
You can also tell that your feet are close to the ground–meaning there’s less distance for your ankles to roll over on.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE
Long story short, we loved these shoes. They performed better than we could have hoped for.
I would recommend these to anyone who’s looking for a quality performance basketball sneaker who’s not looking to spend more than $150 (a budget that’s not unreasonable in today’s market). There are currently eight different colorways available on Eastbay, but if you’re looking to spend a little more you can either head over to NikeID or wait until later in the season when limited releases start leaking.
Either way, you’re going to be looking and playing good in the Super.Fly 3s. Here are some of the different colorways you can expect to see on a court near you.
