Aaron Kr. 
Earlier this week, Sneaker News had the pleasure of attending the Jordan Brand Flight Forum, an official unveiling of the brand’s Holiday 2011 performance basketball footwear. Held at the Nike campus in Beaverton, Oregon, the event featured a focus on the new signature models from JB’s “Big 3” b-ball endorsers, which have been carefully structured into three sub-categories within the brand. The idea of “Flight” is nothing new to the Jordan shoe line, but this latest campaign takes the concept and translates it into a fresh new concept where three different angles of flight are explored – Fly Around, Fly Through and Fly Over, with each specifically tailored to the individual styles, movements and performance needs of Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade respectively. Each category featured a separate build-out to showcase the new signature models for each of Jordan Brand’s three-headed b-ball monster – the CP3.V, Melo M8 and Fly Wade 2. In addition to the sigs, some corresponding basketball releases that can easily be slotted into the three silos were also included in each room and outlined in the presentation. Jordan Brand designers walked the group through a comprehensive breakdown of each shoe and eventually finished off with a look at some of the upcoming apparel for the Holiday 2011 season and moving into Spring 2012.
Following the presentation, media members were taken over to the Bo Jackson Gymnasium where we were put through a rigorous wear-test session to find out just how well some of these upcoming models performed on the hardwood. We started in Melo M8 for warm-ups and some Sparq Training tests, followed by the CP3 2’Quick for some high speed drills and finishing up with the Fly 23 for some more intense 1 on 1 action between the attendees. Full-out scrimmages followed where each participant had the choice of which shoe felt best to play in and the results were fairly evenly distributed, punctuating the emphasis on finding the right fit and feel for any body type and style of play and reinforcing the notion of engineering each product to the distinctly different needs of CP, Melo and D-Wade. Keep reading for an extensive look inside the event, including a full photo gallery and tech sheet for all the shoes featured at the Jordan Brand Flight Forum.
“FLY AROUND” – JORDAN CP3.V
The Flight Forum tour began with the “Fly Around” portion and a look at the CP3 2’Quick, followed by the unveiling of the upcoming CP3.V. Jordan Brand creative director, Andre Doxey walked the group through an extensive breakdown of the latest Chris Paul shoes, emphasizing “quick” and inspired by CP3’s ability to nimbly weave through defenders and ferociously attack from all angles at all times. Utilizing Flywire technology and a super responsive Podulon midsole to ensure that there’s no extra bulk to weigh you down when making cuts on court, the CP3.V picks up right where the IV left off and offers an ideal fit for those players looking for a speed edge and optimal traction on court. Additional features like the low ankle cut and extra cushioning in the heel allow for an easy range of motion without losing any of the lockdown needed to keep your ankles safe when making quick cuts and slashes on the floor. Be on the lookout for the first colorway of the CP3.V hitting stores on January 11, and if the “Fly Around” approach sounds like the right fit for your game, you can find the CP3 2’Quick in stores now with many of the same engineering considerations in place.
“FLY THROUGH” – JORDAN MELO M8
Moving over from the quickness approach of the CP3 line, the “Fly Through” silo focuses on the explosive power of Carmelo Anthony’s game. JB designer, Justin Taylor, explained that Melo’s versatile style of play requires a lot of thoughtful insight to ensure that his feet are well protected and cushioned while still keeping his shoe lightweight and ready for speed. The Melo M8, offers the best of both worlds, featuring a TPU coated Flywire-infused upper with a flowing rand around the toe that was actually patterned after Melo’s movements on the court. Underfoot is a special blend of cushioning for maximum impact protection, sporting a visible Max Air unit in the heel and an exposed caged Zoom unit in the forefoot for an extra responsive fit and feel. Also falling into the “Fly Through” category are the new Big Ups model, as well as the Air Jordan 2011 A Flight, both of which are starting to hit JB retailers now. The first three colorways of the Melo M8 will release next Wednesday, October 12th with another two on the way in November and December.
“FLY OVER” – JORDAN FLY WADE 2
The last of the three Flight Forum rooms was for the “Fly Over” segment starring the Jordan Fly Wade 2 and led by JB designer extraordinaire, Mark Smith, who steered the presentation with a comprehensive rundown of Dwyane Wade’s second signature shoe for the brand. Following up on the incredibly lightweight frame of the first Fly Wade model, the new shoe throws some Hyperfuse construction into the mix, making the already featherweight feeling of the shoe more breathable as well. The upper sits atop a combination of Phylon and Lunarlon in the midsole with a 3/4-length TPU shank providing additional support underneath. Aside from the tech upgrades, the most noticable element of the Fly Wade 2 is unmistakably the new Wade logo, featuring a stylized “W” that can also be interpreted as a “3” when rotated counter-clockwise. As the complement to the new Wade shoe, releasing in the first two colorways this December 7th, we also got an up-close look at the Fly 23 – which serves as a bridge between the two Wade releases and is available in multiple colorways already.
