It’s perfectly fair to ask can you play basketball in Air Jordan 11s? Let’s face it, when you have the Jordan name included, people have a tendency to think that any shoe will then play well on the court.
But when deciding if you can indeed wear this shoe on the basketball court, you need to take a few key aspects into consideration.
So, let’s look into not only answering the question but trying to explain our answer to help you out when it comes to making your decision as to whether or not you want to go ahead and own a pair of Air Jordan 11s.
The Answer
But let’s cut to the chase here. Air Jordan 11s are perfectly fine when it comes to the basketball court. They will offer the type of support you look for when it comes to being on the court, and they are also extremely comfortable on top of everything else.
They contain support in the midsole that will apply the correct amount of pressure and comfort to the key areas of your foot. It includes shock absorption and stability, so those quick changes of direction won’t result in some incorrect pressure being applied to the wrong part of your foot.
Honestly, these shoes are going to look the part both on the court along with acting as a fashion statement. But keep one thing in mind. These shoes were actually designed to be worn either on the court, or to relax in. They are not designed to be used as sports shoes in anything else other than basketball.
In that sense, they just don’t work as they are designed more for short and explosive movements rather than something that is over a long distance. With that, they would be far too cumbersome compared to what you would be looking for when it comes to running.
Also, there’s one other thing to take into consideration if you plan on wearing Air Jordan 11s on the court, and that is how they fit.
How They Fit
While the Air Jordan 11s do fit true to size, some people do comment on them feeling slightly tight when it comes to the width of the shoe. That can cause problems when it comes to wearing them on the court, and it’s not something you can just ignore.
This is focused more on the front of the foot, but it is something that eases as the leather becomes more worn in.
What this means is you don’t really want to grab a brand new pair of Air Jordan 11s and wear them straight on the court. There’s every chance it could lead to a few aches and pains in your feet. If you still want to wear a new pair, then you will need to go up half a size to stop this from becoming a problem.
Aside from that potential issue, these shoes fit true to size, and it’s only if you have relatively wide feet that this issue may even become a bit of a problem for you. However, at least you know that the breaking in process will help to resolve the issues without too much difficulty.
But Why Do They Work for Basketball?
So let’s stick with the basketball theme for just one second and determine why this shoe is so good on the court.
One of the main reasons is comfort. The Air Jordan 11s are seriously comfortable, and that means you can play hard, and they will still feel good on your feet.
Also, there’s the support aspect both in the midsole as well as around the ankle.
The Air Jordan 11s, and with this we even include the low slingers out there, will hold your ankle and foot in place giving you the confidence that these shoes are working with you. It also means you can benefit from the cushioning effect through the sole leading to less fatigue.
These shoes are also relatively light in comparison to a number of others on the market. Saying that, you are still going to feel that they are solid enough to deal with playing ball, and that applies throughout the entire shoe.
The Retro Version
But we need to set one thing straight here, and that’s the retro version of the Air Jordan 11s.
The retro version is different to the more modern version of the Air Jordan 11s, and this will make a difference when it comes to playing ball in them. However, that is primarily in the looks department rather than anything else.
Most people will purchase the retro version to wear them as a casual sneaker rather than as a shoe to wear on the court. Now, that’s not to say that the retro version is lacking in some way when it comes to basketball. That is not the case.
So while people may prefer to wear the retro version as a fashion statement, there’s no real reason why you cannot go ahead and play ball in them. They still contain the same internal design features that will make your feet comfortable on the court.
Overall Conclusion
Air Jordan 11s are indeed a shoe you can comfortably wear on the basketball court, and it’s a shoe that will not let you down at any point.
The shoe itself was designed to be worn on the court, so it makes sense that it’s then capable of performing over and above what you would expect from a shoe wearing the Jordan moniker.
Air Jordan 11s are comfortable, supportive, and won’t feel heavy on your feet. That cuts out fatigue and allows you to play harder, and for longer.
Ultimately, it’s up to you as to how, or where, you wear these shoes. However, just know that they do work both on and off the basketball court, so there’s no need to worry about wearing the wrong shoes in that sense.