Welcome to Soul Balance's complete calendar for new and upcoming sneaker releases from some of the most popular brands, including: Jordan Brand, Nike, New Balance, adidas, Vans, Converse, ASICS and Reebok. Here, you'll find pricing and sizing information and portals to our "Where To Buy" lists and occasional exclusive product images. Some of our recommended online retailers include: Stadium Goods (after market), Nikestore, adidas, New Balance, Finish Line, JD Sports, Foot Locker, and for our Indian viewers Vegnonveg.
Previous shoe reviews:
Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 – HONEST Sneaker Review
Features of the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2
Like previous reviews, we’ll start off by breaking down some of the key features of this sneaker.
Upper
Like most boost sneakers, the upper is primarily made of Adidas’s signature primeknit technology and I can’t be happier.
The primeknit upper offers a great balance of stretch and hold, hugging your feet in place while still allowing your toes to wiggle around for a nice unrestricted sensation.
Similar to the Adidas Ultra Boost, breathability is also amazing with good air flow due to the decently large pores of the primeknit.
Staying true across the 350 series, most colourways also have a jagged stripe across the sides. This adds contrast to the design, making the sneaker stand out even more!
Midsole
Moving on to the midsole, we have with us another one of Adidas’s signature technology and that is BOOST.
And I absolutely love this.
Other than the fact that it yellows over time (more on that later…), I have nothing but praises for this awesome midsole.
The Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 offers great responsiveness and bounce from it’s BOOST midsole so walking/running in these feels simply amazing. Support is also substantial on the midsole so you don’t feel like you’re sinking right in with every step.
Now in terms of appearance, the BOOST midsole does yellow over time due to natural oxidation. Thankfully, none of this can be seen when these sneakers are put on feet.
See why below!
Outsole
With rubber gum wrapping across the midsole and outsole, BOOST which is usually visible (like in Ultra Boost or NMD) is now all covered up. So no amount of yellowing would affect it’s appearance other than the outsole (image above) which no one can see anyway.
If that still annoys you, consider getting a white acrylic paint pen to whiten the yellowed BOOST after a period of use. This keeps the BOOST looking as good as new! I personally use Angelus acrylic paint which I’ve found to be real effective.
The gum outsole also provides great traction, giving good grip on every step.
For those of you who’ve checked out my review on the Adidas Ultra Boost 4.0, you would know that I complain about the thin outsole which makes it less durable.
Thankfully, the gum outsole here solves this problem as it is thicker and also more durable. This makes the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 a sneaker that last.
The gum sole solves both the problem of ugly yellowing BOOST and thin outsole! What a great addition!
Padding
Next up, the sneaker collar is lined with firm padding which gives great cushioning to your ankles and mid foot. This undoubtedly adds comfort to the sneaker.
The opening of the sneaker is also made to be wide, allowing you to easily slip these on without much hassle.
I personally just slip them on without needing to meddle with the laces at all!
Recommended Reading: If any of the sneaker features I’ve mentioned sound unfamiliar to you, check out The Parts Of a Shoe- A Beginner’s Guide!
Lacing
Lastly, the lacing is one that is different from most BOOST sneakers, which is the lack of a lace cage.
Without a lace cage, the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 looks simpler and kind of resembles the Ultra Boost Uncaged to me.
Functionality wise, this does not have any impact on the sneaker but I personally find that it gives a cleaner look and also allows more style choices using different lacing methods.
And who’s gonna complain about having more style choices?
You may search up ‘yeezy lacing’ on Youtube for countless tutorials on the different lacing styles! My personal favorite is still the simple double looping.
Jordan Jumpman 2021
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.
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