Jordan CP3 12 REVIEW – Worth a Look?
This is the year where you shouldn’t ignore them… The Jordan CP3 12 performance review is here. Let’s get this rolling!
MAIN SPECS
WEIGHT: 381 g. / 13.44 oz
TECH: ZOOM AIR, FLYKNIT
TYPE: LOW-TOP
COLORWAYS: 4+
FIT: TRUE TO SIZE
RETAIL PRICE: $100
BD RATING: 8.5/10
BEST PLACE TO BUY: FINISH LINE [20% OFF]
PERFORMANCE
MATERIALS
Nope, you didn’t guess that right… No regular mesh upper on the CP3 12, instead, it’s a freaking Flyknit combination with a pretty large panel of synthetic suede leather that covers all of the heel and inner side of the shoe. Yep, all of this can be fitted into a package worth $100. Is this a fake performance review?
Talking about how it did perform on the hardwood, you already know what Flyknit is bringing to the table: straight out of the box adaptive fit that follows your natural foot movements, but gives you containment in high-pressure areas if done right, and they definitely do fall into that list. Plus, breathability is just another great feature about it – a cherry on top if you say so. Whereas that suede leather is there to add some style point, maybe a bit of rigidity to the whole upper, and definitely some Jordan 13 vibes.
CUSHION
That value for the money theme cares over on the cushion department as well, therefore, you’re getting a forefoot Zoom Air unit combined with a thin layer of what it seems to feel like an injected Phylon. So even the lightest players out there are going to have a chance to feel and enjoy that Air goodness. You know, rapid responsiveness, some pep in your step & premium court feel, all of that good stuff.
Now the heel portion of the midsole is a bit boring, no Air in that region. Well, yeah, you have to keep in mind that this is a $100 performer, can’t gripe about that. That being said, you will be dealing with the same injected phylon found in the forefoot, which did not let me down. It did absorb the impact really nicely while producing some adequate amount of bounce & plushness. The only real issue with this looking into the feature is that foam tends to bottom out, especially when it’s softer like this one.
TRACTION
The CP3 12 features a two-type herringbone traction pattern which stays in its true nature right in that colored section of the forefoot, but gradually starts to wave up as you go down the heel area. It’s a bit of an unusual version of herringbone but, damn, that bite was as strong as Thanos’ snap, except it doesn’t kill anyone. Well… Maybe your opponent’s ankles.
I did experience pretty much the same beastly performance as in the Kyrie Low 2’s – these things just literally eat up everything you throw at it, no short-cuts whatsoever. They do pick up some dust, I would say, more in the heel section where the grooves are tighter. But that didn’t do much damage in terms of performance. Just a quick wipe here and there to refresh that bite from 95% with dust, to that killer 100%.
Unlike on the Kyrie Low 2, the rubber compound does feel to be way more ready to be thrown on an outdoor court. So if you love balling outside, they got you covered.
FIT
The shoe does fit true to size for the most part. Only the toe box is on a narrower side which can cause some pinching or other fit issues if you’re a true wide footer. So for that reason, I recommend trying them out in-store, as always, or going half a size up. As for the rest of you – true to size is what you want.
I already did a quick run-through about the on-foot experience in the material section so, again, the Flyknit has welcomed me with a pretty much second-skin-like fit straight out of the box. Had no pinching or unwanted pressure points in any part of my foot, nor slipping problems due to tight fit (tight in a good way) and supportive materials. To sum it up, the upper on the CP3 12 had a lot in common with the BattleKnit 2.0 featured on the LeBron 16 which is a true compliment for this shoe.
SUPPORT
The Jordan brand kept the CP3 12 pretty bold on support tech. No real lateral caging, no midsole extension on the upper – everything seems to rely on the upper when it comes to lateral support, which is pretty scary when you remember that what you got is only Flyknit. However, there’s no point in being scared. Did the LeBron 15 or 16 were lacking support in the upper? No. Same deal with this particular Flyknit set-up, actually, it’s pretty similar to the BattleKnit since both of the set-ups do feature a thicker & more rigid version of knit on top of the regular one to eliminate unneeded stretch out zones. So for that reason, I didn’t experience any lateral issues. It’s not going to be the best lateral lockdown, but it was enough to keep me on to the footbed, and I’m definitely on a heavier side.
Same goes for the platform and heel counter – it’s not the widest of them all nor the most rigid. Yet again, I didn’t have any problems with any of those areas. They didn’t feel tippy. The heel was nicely secured too. Overall, the support was solid without trying to be the best one in this department.
OVERALL
If you ain’t about that three-stripe or swoosh life, but you still want to rock that Jumpman logo without breaking your bank – the Jordan CP3 12 is exactly IT. They have all of the boxes checked going from a great all-around performance that any type of player will find something to enjoy, to premium materials & tech within a budget-friendly price tag. You can actually grab them right now for $70/80 on the finish line site, which is basically like legally stealing.
This is the first Jordan sneaker I would really like to cop, especially Black/Red/White colorway. Fortunately for my footwear locker and my bank account, they are hard to get by here.
Same situation here… The main retailer had them only in limited quantity, so I was lucky enough to snatch a pair.