FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONS : SUB-550 g
Which Air Jordan is the lightest? Most Jordannettes would say the Air Jordan XI. Well, WAMS weighed several pairs of Air Jordans for comparison. We selected what we thought were light Air Jordans that could challenge the XI and they were the Air Jordan XIV, XIX and XX. The common feature amongst these lightweight Js are PHYLON™ midsoles and composite/carbon shank plates.

For Jordanettes who do not know what PHYLON™ is, it is simply microcellular polyurethane that is manufactured by heating and aerating standard polyurethane. Microcellular polyurethane have greater compression resistance compared to non-microcellular polyurethane and is also lighter (because of lower density). In this weight test, Jordans with solid rubber and/or EVA midsoles were excluded because they were just too heavy.

All shoes are size US13 and all have had paper-stuffing and packaging material removed prior to weighing. The electronic scales were made by Master Class and it has an error deviation of ±1 gram.

Read on and you'll be surprised by the results...

			Air Jordan XX2 Key features : Titanium-plated "Tensegrity" composite shank plate, interchangeable I.P.S™ cushioning with a pair double-stacked zoom air and a pair of encapsulated air pods. New lace-locking toggle. Weight : 545 grams (19.20oz)			The XX2 is 42 grams (1.5 ounces) lighter than the XXI! This remarkable weight reduction comes from replacing carbon fibre with a composite shank plate. Also simplifying the lines of the shoes and using perforations for ventilation and removing unnecessary midsole PHYLON™ for weight reduction.
			Air Jordan XXI Key features : Full-grain leather uppers. Tightly woven carbon fibre shank plate, interchangeable I.P.S™ cushioning with a pair zoom air and a pair of encapsulated air pods. Weight : 587 grams (20.70oz)			The XXI were heavy because of complex mono-mesh design and the use of tightly woven carbon fiber shank plate.
			Air Jordan XXI Key features : Full-grain Italian suede uppers. Tightly woven full-length carbon fibre shank plate, interchangeable I.P.S™ cushioning with a pair zoom air and a pair of encapsulated air pods. Weight : 596 grams (21.00oz)			The suede versions of the XXI were even heavier than the leather versions because of the extra-thickness needed to prevent stitch lines being stretched. Suede stretch more than leather because of its softness.
			Air Jordan XIX Key features : Techflex vamp, speed-lace toggle, full-length zoom air, second zoom air unit in the heel, 3/4 length carbon fibre shank plate and PHYLON™ midsole. Weight : 549 grams (19.35oz)			The XIX would be lighter if the lace cover and velcro strap weren't there. Possibly reduce the weight by 25-30 grams.
			Air Jordan XX Key features : Leather upper, lasered midfoot strap, ankle leash, Independent Podular Suspension System, internal shank plate and PHYLON™ midsole. Weight : 539 grams (19.00oz)			The XX's massive PHYLON™ midsole gives it strength and lightness. Too bad for the ankle leash and midfoot strap. If it were cut-off, the shoe would probably be 20-25 grams lighter.
			Air Jordan XIV Key features : Leather and nubuck upper, Zoom Air units in forefoot and heel, medial air vents, PHYLON™ midsole and carbon fibre shank plate. Weight : 535 grams (18.85oz)			This original XIV has a beautifully exposed carbon fibre shank plate surrounded by PHYLON™. Looks much better than the retros. The medial air vent helped the XIV to lose more weight. However, metal-tipped laces may have increased its weight 1-2 grams over the XI.
			Air Jordan XI Retro Key features : Ballistic mesh upper, patent leather, full-length Air sole and full-length carbon fibre plate. Weight : 534 grams (18.85oz)			The XI has a PHYLON™ midsole and full-length carbon fibre shank plate. It's weight savings comes from ultra-light ballistic mesh uppers.
			Air Jordan XIV Key features : Leather and nubuck upper, Zoom Air units in forefoot and heel, medial air vent, PHYLON™ midsole and composite shank plate. Weight : 497 grams (17.55oz)			The lightweight champion of all Air Jordans. The magic ingredient here is a composite shank plate! Plus plenty of PHYLON™...
			Air Jordan XIV Retro+ Key features : Suede upper, Zoom Air units in forefoot and air-sole heel, medial air vents, PHYLON™ midsole and carbon fibre shank plate. Weight : 520 grams (18.35oz)			This Light-Graphite/Chartreuse-Black Air Jordans XIV Retro+ quality is mediocre. Large glue stains are visible on the suede (take a look at the toebox, I went back to Footlocker to exchange it later). Before buying, please check the suede uppers carefully. Nothing beats the originals. Nevertheless, the retros is still a great shoe to play and rock in.
			Air Jordan XIV Retro Key features : Leather and nubuck upper, Zoom Air units in forefoot and air-sole in the heel, medial air vent, PHYLON™ midsole and composite shank plate. Weight : 535 grams (18.50oz)			Air Jordans XIV Black/Varsity Red-Black is one nice shoe. It's slightly different from the originals, eg. the Jumpman on the toebox is bigger and not as well shaped, the red colour is deeper and crimson-like, the black gun-metal finish of the midsole is blacker and shinier. The OGs are more metallic. Overall a beautiful pair of Jordans!!!
			Air Jordan VII Key features : Huarache inner bootie. air-sole, solid rubber outsole. Weight : 565 grams (19.95oz)			Air Jordans VII White/Cardinal Red are originals from 1991. Quality is ok. I think current shoes are made of better materials in terms of foam padding material and midsole. The VII were purposefully built for lightness with its Huarache technology. But it doesn't cut it now because of its poor midfoot and ankle support. Current Air Jordans are better than the VII.

And the winner is the Air Jordan XIV Black/Black-Varsity Red "Final Shot" !! At a measly 497 grams, it trashed the XI by a massive 37 grams (1.30oz). But its twin sibling, the Air Jordan XIV White/Black-Varsity Red weighed 535 grams!! Why the discrepancy between the XIVs? The difference lies in the material used to construct the shank plate. The Black/Red has a composite shank plate whereas the White/Red has a carbon fibre shank plate. It seems from this simple comparison, one can conclude that composite is lighter than carbon fibre.

Composite shank materials are a typically a mixture of woven glass aramid fibres and advance polymers such as PEBAX™ (polyether block amide) or HYTREL™ (polybutylene terephthalate). PEBAX™ and HYTREL™ have high flex modulus and low hysteresis during alternative flexure. We do not know if the AJ 14 Black/Red composite shank is made of this. It may very well be thermoplastic urethane (TPU). If it did have glass aramid (KEVLAR™), the woven structure ought to be visible, but it is not. Same situation for carbon fibre shank plate which is made from woven carbon fibres pressure cured/autoclaved in thermosetting resin. Again the woven structure is not visible on the AJ 14 White/Red, so we too can not be 100% sure if it has a carbon fibre shank plate. If any Jordanettes did "dissect" their old AJ 14, please tell us what you found.

Does lightness equate to better performance? No, not quite. There's always a trade-off between weight and durability. Too light, the shoes aren't supportive enough and wear-out quickly, and vice versa if too heavy. The difficulty is finding the right balance between weight and performance. It is a challenge, producing a shoe that will suit a majority of players playing the 1, 2, 3 and (possibly) 4 position.

In our opinion, a high-performing Air Jordan should embody the following baseline qualities :

1) Excellent midfoot and ankle support
2) Moderate impact absorption/dispersion
3) Excellent traction
4) Excellent responsiveness
5) Moderate weight

This can be achieved through innovation and using the latest high-tech materials. Future Air Jordans should reflect the way Michael Jordan played the game. He played with explosive quickness, agility, quick cuts coupled with superb balance and body control. Air Jordans should reflect this and enhance it.

"It's amazing to watch the way some players find the creases and slash to the basket, and that's what amazes me the most about Michael. You can talk all you want about the way he jumps and dunks, but the people who know basketball are more impressed with the way he finds his way to the hoop - the way he can always get a shot off."
- Chicago Bulls Forward Dennis Rodman "Bad As I Wanna Be" pg 247