Jordan Brand Takes Flight with New Flex Trainer

Flexible both for the foot and the environment. That was a goal of Jordan Brand’s newest offering—the Flight Flex Trainer.

As Jordan Brand moves beyond just hardwood shoes and apparel and into the world of training—check out the brand’s first-ever running shoe as part of this Edge roundup—designers created a new sparkling yellow (or black or gray, if you rather) shoe with multidimensional flex.

Designed with natural motion in mind for use during training, layers of mesh and lightweight synthetic skin fuse together on the upper using no-sew construction and a compression-molded foam bootie conforms to the foot and eliminates the need for a heel counter. Nike’s Flywire technology helps wrap the foot to the EVA footbed. The combination of the technology creates a comfortable, flexible construction, but still with performance in mind.

A detailed look at the Flight Flex Trainer.

Jordan/Mark Hooper

A new “flight flex” midsole pattern with a three-pronged design lets the midsole move in every direction. The Flight Flex also has additional rubber on high-wear areas on the outsole and perforated sides for extra ventilation.

Along with the Flight Flex, Jordan Brand’s Dominate line of apparel for training includes Dri-Fit fabric, flat seams to eliminate chafing and mesh in high-heat areas of the body to help with ventilation. In the end, Jordan Brand wants to offer athletes the flexibility to use their product in areas well beyond the hardwood.

Tim Newcomb covers stadiums, design and gear for Sports Illustrated. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.