Air Jordan XIX

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The lacing structure is unique and creative. But for those who use the XIX for high level competition, it maybe wise the swap out the thin laces with traditional ones. The lace toggle/holder is actually more trouble than it is worth.

Once you leave your opponent in the dust, two silver Jumpman's boldly reminds them they just got beat by a pair of Air Jordans. The scripting says Jordan Nineteen and provides a nice elegant feel to the shoe.

      As you pull back the Tech Flex lace cover, you'll find another layer of complexity. The inner cover is made with a soft grey synthetic leather with the letters XIX stitched at the top. Underneath sits arguably the most controversial component of the shoe. The unusual lacing structure uses extra thin shoe laces that is held in place by a lace toggle. The toggle functions much the same way as past Jordan lace holders - pull the laces up and then release the toggle to lock. While this is a creative approach to something trivial, we found the system to be lacking in actual functionality. The thin laces continue to slide out of the toggle until the lacing structure becomes loose. The width of the laces also makes the shoe extremely hard to tie tightly and the entire effort is more hassle than its worth. Compare it to the thick laces found on the Air Jordan XI and you'll have yourself two opposite end of the extremes. Your best bet is to go with a traditional set of normal sized laces without the toggle.

      From the rear view you can see how the strap system becomes complete. The inscription on the heel straps read Jordan Nineteen. The writing is pretty small for the overall shape of the shoe and is a bit hard to read so don't be surprised when you catch onlookers staring hard at the rear of your shoes with a confused look on their faces. The italic scripting gives the shoe a more elegant look while the two Jumpman's boldly makes the statement that this is a Jordan signature.

      One of our favorite part of the Air Jordan XIX is the rear pull tabs. It is made with essentially the same Tech-Flex material as the lace cover, but is woven much tighter and closer for strength and durability. The look and feel on the tabs are even more snake-scale like. This design element is ingenious because the wearer will be reminded of the Mamba snake every time they put on their shoes due to the snake scale texture of the pull tabs. How's that for inspiration before you get on the court?