With this year being Carmelo Anthony’s 10th year with Jordan brand, Tinker Hatfield decided to put out a performance beast to cater to one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers in the game today. The Jordan Melo M10 resembles the Jordan XX8 and XX8 SE but provides premium quality materials and a sturdier ride. Check out my review below for the full insight on the sneaker!
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Traction:
To make this quick and short, the traction was phenomenal. Like the Jordan XX8 and the XX8 SE, the Melo M10 uses the same traction pattern with the two-part outsole allowing for a more natural motion. The grooves were extremely pliable and aggressive. Composed of soft rubber, it enabled itself to grip the floor on all court conditions. I played with this shoe on recreational floors, clean floors and outdoors and had no signs of slipping whatsoever. In my opinion, the Nike Kobe 9 Elite and the Jordan Melo M10 have the best traction nowadays.
Cushion:
The Jordan Melo M10 uses the flight plate technology, which is the same cushioning set up as the Jordan XX8, XX8 SE and Jordan Superfly 2. For those who have balled in the XX8 or the XX8 SE’s, you will know that the cushioning set up is one of the best in the market and probably the most responsive too. Despite the same cushioning set-up, the Melo M10 doesn’t provide the same bouncy feeling that would be felt with the XX8s and the Superfly 2’s, however they are not bad whatsoever. They are quite stiff at first and they do require a heavy break in time but once broken in, you feel the responsiveness of the unlocked zoom. The only downside of the cushioning set up is that if you ball in these shoes or the XX8’s or the SE’s outdoors, the traction will burn and you might be at risk of popping the air bag or shifting it from it’s cage. As long as you stick to hooping indoors with these, the cushioning will be fantastic and will hold up fine.
Lockdown/Fit:
Lockdown was another category, which was awesome in my opinion. For me the lockdown was great to three reasons: the heel cup, the heel notches and the adaptability of the upper. The extended TPU heel cup keeps the heel locked down into the foot bed and provides stability for lateral movements. In addition to the external heel cup there are internal heel notches, which secure the ankle even more to the foot bed; so that was a great addition from Jordan brand. They were also nicely padded providing great comfort for my Achilles. The upper on the Melo M10 is usually composed of a Durabuck material with individual fingers where the lace eyelets are providing for great lockdown in the mid foot but still allowing flexibility. The upper is quite stiff but again I reiterate the break in time it will really help conform to the foot. This was another feature that I really enjoyed but the solid break in the upper is why they didn’t receive a perfect score.
Heel-to-Toe Transition:
Heel-to-Toe Transition goes alongside the cushioning set-up. Pretty simple. Once the cushion was broken in, the ride was exceptional. The impact protection from the heel zoom unit and the responsiveness of the unlocked zoom in the front was an amazing experience. The shoes were extremely comfortable and moved really well with my feet.
Support:
Support on this shoe was fantastic. When you first get these in your hands; you can tell that they are an extremely sturdy shoe. I automatically knew support was going to be great in these. After playing in them, my foot was contained so well I was very impressed. The back of the shoe has a large plastic TPU heel cup which wraps around the heel keeping the foot locked into place and helped secure lateral movements. The mid foot is part of the whole flight plate system so there is a TPU plate separating the forefoot and heel. It provides a shank plate for the shoe which helps arch support. The flight plate system worked phenomenally in allowing the foot to move in its natural motion but providing excellent torsional support. Additionally on the outsole, the Melo M10 features extended rubber outriggers to help provide protection for lateral movements and it also has a TPU piece on the outrigger to cage the fore foot and not let it slide. Lastly, the entire upper fits so well with the Dynamic Fit Systems acting like fingers around the foot. The ankle cushion was also extremely sturdy and well cushioned. Support in this shoe was another category where the Melo M10 excels.
Durability:
If you like premium quality materials, this shoe will do it just for you. The outsole is composed of a soft yet sticky rubber, which will last you ages indoors. Outdoors I would not recommend it especially since if you burn through the rubber, which is inevitable through time, it will hit the unlocked air bag in the fore foot. These can be used outdoors as seen in my performance video but I would not recommend it just for the longevity of the product. The midsole is composed of stiff Phylon foam but once broken in it works marvelously. The whole upper is created from thick Durabuck material, which is very durable for basketball but does require a longer break in period, which might be a downside for some people. The heel is secured with a large external heel cup composed of TPU so durability of this shoe was on point. Once you have these in hand you will feel the materials are premium and this should be how all Jordans should be made.
Overall: A-
The Melo M10 is a ridiculous shoe on court. Personally I think it is an underrated sneaker and people are sleeping on it. It provides phenomenal traction, outstanding support and durability and an excellent cushioning system once broken in. Just a quick touch on the ventilation, this was the only area, which scored poorly. The upper has perforations along the Medial and Lateral side but this is covered with an interior booty, which is an extremely thick neoprene material. This material absorbs the sweat rather than exposing it hence ventilation in this shoe was pretty much nonexistent. Airflow in the shoe doesn’t affect me much so I was not bothered but for some people this is a big deal. In summation, the quality of the materials is also on point and these are a beefier version of the XX8 SE for those who loved playing in those. These are in my top 3 rotation for on court purposes, I simply love this shoe.
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Additional Information:
Designed by: Tinker Hatfield
Best for: All players (catered for heavier players)
Colorway tested: Black/Anthracite/Gym Red
Key Technology: Flight Plate technology, Unlocked Zoom Bag, Dynamic Fit System
Pros: Premium materials, Excellent traction, Extremely responsive, Abundant support, Durable
Buying advice: Definitely try on in store and wouldn’t recommend playing outdoors
how’s the fit/sizing? is it true to size, or I need to go half-size up/down?