Since the Oxy XIV retro just came out I thought I’d finally write about my love for the XIV. These would still be in my top 5 if they were wearable but being 18 years old (yikes!!), I can’t trust them to hold up. Please note that this is a review of the original 1998 release not the crappy retros. I tried the 2006 retros out and could tell they weren’t the same so I gave up on them and stuck to collecting and playing in only the originals. I have not tried any of the newer retros. I’ve probably trashed about 10 pair. I do not recommend buying them to play in due to the risk of watching them fall apart. I’ve had to Shoe Goo my current pair a few times. Shoo goo is awesome if you’ve never tried it.
This is the shoe that made me realize all shoes are not made equal. I actually fell in love with the looks of the shoe because of how it performed on court and all the great memories I had playing in them. Just simple and clean. Of course everyone else’s memory is MJ’s last shot. Photo courtesy of Solecollector
Pros: traction, perfect cushioning, fit, support and stability, containment
Cons: durability: forefoot midsole “teeth”‘come apart after heavy wear, sole and upper at toe box separate over time, metal bar in tongue can be painful, tongue likes to slide off to the side, Ferrari shield needs break in on some pairs.
Sizing: true to size
Best for: guards
Weight:
I never weighed these before and it weighs a whopping half ounce more than the Crazylight 2016. It doesn’t matter how much a shoe weighs if it feels like an extension of your foot.
Traction:
The late 90’s, early 2000’s were simpler times. Full length herringbone made out a soft pliable rubber that sticks to the floor like glue. Dirty floor ? No problem. If you like to hear squeaky traction, these are for you.
They could extend the herringbone up and around the forefoot like they do nowadays but not need really.
So simple yet effective. Just plain awesome.
Cushioning
Want to feel what Zoom is supposed to feel like and why it is so addictive ? Try the OG XIV. Low to the ground yet springy and responsive.
These actually have articulated forefoot Zoom like the Super Fly 4 and covers almost the full width of the forefoot. No tiny Met Bag like the Kobe V/VI. Picture courtesy of Weartesters
The heel features Zoom as well and back then, Zoom bags were big, not the quarter size things we see today. Notice the heel cut out? Very similar idea to the Kobe IV V VI “Y heel”.
Insoles these days are usually just a piece of Ortholite or thin cheap foam but these XIV (2006 retros included) feature these heel and forefoot inserts that feel almost like Adiprene. This gives the wearer a little more cushioning and step in comfort.
The end result is cushioning perfection. Responsive yet protective. If cushioning is a drug, this is the crack that got me hooked on Zoom.
Fit:
Back then, I wore a 10.5 but my feet have flattened out and lengthened in the past eighteen years so now I need an 11. However I can still wear the 10.5 but don’t have the toe box space I like.
I know I sound like a broken record but back in the 90’s, Jordans were really wear tested a lot so the fit on the XIV is like a glove. No straps or gimmicks, just an effective lacing system that kept your foot in.
There is zero heel slip with a 3/4 mid cut
The memory foam in the ankle collar is the perfect amount.
Just feels like true extension of the foot. Man I miss these. Maybe I’ll get the newer retros.
Support and stability
The AJ XIV features an assymetrical collar which allows freedom on movement on cuts but support on ankle ankle inversions. The higher medial side “slows the roll” if you turn your ankle.
Tons of real carbon fiber.. So sexy
Of course the base of the shoe is flat and stable with no tippiness.
Once again, simple yet effective use of design and technology.
Containment
Upon examining the XIV, Jordan Brand was way ahead of its time and is still designed better than a lot of shoes today that feature mesh or knit uppers **cough, melo m12, JC2, JC3, AJ XX9, Soldier X**
Almost the entire shoe features an extended midsole to keep the foot in place on cuts. Some of the extension was removed to allow more flexibility .
I have probably reglued the forefoot “teeth” about five times on this pair.
Regardless of durability, containment is excellent.
Flaws:
No actual performance flaws with the XIV but some irritants.
- Metal bar across the top of the tongue can jam into your ankle and be painful. Only certain pairs of mine did this.
- Tongue doesn’t sit straight up on some pairs and usually slides to a side
- The Ferrari Jordan shield is another hard spot but softens with time.
- Toe box and sole can separate but that’s due to the age of the shoe and use of leather. Shoe goo to the rescue!
Conclusion
In shoe collectors’ eyes, the AJ XIV is not a holy grail. Sure MJ hit one of his most famous shots in them but he only wore the Last Shots in the playoffs. Sales were lackluster since MJ retired and never wore these on court the next season. However, from a performance perspective, these were and still are the BEST PERFORMING AIR JORDAN OF ALL TIME. the AJ XI, XII, and XIII a get a lot of love and rightfully so but the XIV is just flawless from top to bottom (don’t get me started on anything post XIV because they all have their flaws especially XV to XVIII). These would still be in my top 5 rotation if they would hold up. Maybe I’ll try a newer retro pair for fun..
schwollo.com 
Damn.. you brought all the nostalgic feelings back…
LOOK AT THOSE ZOOM BAGS!!!
Kayne is right: “They don’t make em like these anymore!!!”
I agree with you.. 14s were my go-tos back then…
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Those zoom bags. And then you look at some of the Jordans today and Nike shoes, and be like *where they at doe???”
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Yep exactly
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Haha nope the sure don’t make like that anymore.
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Nice review. I love the OG XIVs. Just a great shoe top to bottom. I’ve probably gone through 10 pairs over the years too. I haven’t tried the newer retros, but I’m dubious they will play the same since the 2006 retros sucked and Nike continues to cut corners on the tech in recent retros.
Didn’t they use the same segmented forefoot zoom bag in the Kobe 2s?
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I’m not sure what the Kobe ii used but there was no midsole on the Kobe ii ST since the zoom was all in the insole. I’ll have to look into it for you.
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wow… I had no idea. I am not old enough to remember these when they released, but I used to think they were ugly. That white pair is pretty clean though. Good review.
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Haha youngster
I didn’t like them initially either but looking back they are very clean and simple compared to today’s stuff
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I had the same pair: white/red – they were turning heads when they came out and were simply amazing. Then had xv and you knew something has gone forever: that shoe was one of the most disappointing models ever for me
Back to xiv: the traction and support were fantastic. I remember that exhaust (bottom corner ) had steam coming out after 4-5 hours sessions 🙂
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Haha the retro xiv covered the vent with the insole ..that’s how lazy Jordan brand was with the retros . Crappy paint, cheap leather,
Less zoom and sorry retro plus colorways in 06. Actually all the xiv retros were bad except the past few but not for 190
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And most of the time i played outdoors !
On a separate note had xii for about 8 years: also used mostly outdoors. That was the quality back in the days 🙂
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The OG AJ xii was a tank. Retro XII’s are made pretty well too but doubt they’d outlast the OG
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Brings back a lot of memories of MJ. I was in grad school when the 14s came out and couldn’t afford Js. My only 14s are some Retro + Chartreuse colorway from a decade ago and you’re right the Zoom is crap. I played in them and besides the non-existent zoom, I remember my achilles being chafed by the collar. Anyway, looking forward to more nostagia.
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Haha yep I had those (reverse indiglos)
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Hi schwollo.
Love the reviews , been an avid visitor since I got into the “basketball shoe” game past few months.
May I ask for your opinion on my case.
AJ XXX, JC3, or Rev ’16. Was gonna cop the ether but sold out. Looking for support/containment/cushioning for worn knees and after two knee sprains/tears. I’m still fairly young (26) but I guess my knees aren’t anymore what they used to be. I like to run, and be a do-it-all draymond green type. Or should I just wait for XXXI/JC4? Thanks man. Oh and is the insole of the XXX removable?
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Thanks for reading Sean! AJ xxx is more of a tight lower to the ground shoe so I’d pass on those for your knees sake. JC 3 cushioning is great but containment is that good. Rev 16 Is a nice blend but you might want even more cushioning for your knees. Have you considered the Rose 6 or 7 or crazy explosive ? (Those two are coming up soon from me). KD 9 might work as well .
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I have the drose 6 and they felt a little heavy my first few games in them so I’m waiting to see how they feel after a few casual wears to break-in once I’m done rehabbing. I tried the crazy explosives on in store and they felt nice, not as good as my pure boost imo but worth a shot.
Kd9 I got turned off when you and NW reported instability issues with the side clips on the lateral iirc. Cause almost all my injuries happened to me from an awkward landing so it has made me hesitant to cop.
Thanks again.
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Drose 6 doesn’t feel too heavy once you get locked in. Will let you know about the crazy explosive though
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I’m not old enough to remember the OG’s, but I remember trying the retros on and thinking the fit was amazing. My first experience with Zoom was the Lebron II, and from that point on I was hooked. My favorite shoe ever was the Nike Zoom BB low. For me, it was a quick guard’s dream of perfect court feel, responsiveness, fit, and traction. I’ve been kicking myself for not stocking up on them. It’s still my favorite performance shoe and I’ve been looking for that feel ever since. The UA CFD low is the closest thing to it that I’ve experienced.
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Haha I’m about to write a tribute to the Zoom BB. It was so innovative yet simple and plain amazing
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Any recommendation on a low that plays similarly?
And any idea on why Nike doesn’t make shoes as low to the ground with zoom anymore? I think I’d love the kobe Xi if it wasn’t so damn narrow and I didn’t have to nike ID a pair to get full length zoom.
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Most likely cost saving measures. More foam equals less need for zoom I guess ? Zoom went downhill quickly around 2012
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Oh memories…..! I actually agree with your statement about the best performing Air Jordan shoe.
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Good review. Have you ever tried any of the original adidas FYW or first-gen puremotion shoes? They were all performance beasts IMO, just wondering what you think. Even the second-gen like the original Crazyquick with the full techfit upper was great.
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I actually skipped those for no good reason . Only thing I have remotely close is the Rose 1
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What do you think of the Rose 1s?
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It’s a nice shoe but I didn’t love it. Wanted more cushioning and better traction .
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Interested in that review of the retro XIVs if ever you do make one!
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Haha will let you know if I do!
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Clearly we share the same feeling about the AJXIV! STILL my favorite Jordan performance model and ONLY in OG form. All of your pros and cons are exactly how I felt about the performance.
On a side note the WearTesters pic you got there was a pic I sent to Chris when my OGs finally gave in. I was gonna re-glue them but the air bags were DONE. My guess is that Nike/Jordan moved away from that air bag cuz of price and over time the bag cracks in between the chambers when the plastic hardens.
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Yea way too pricey for JB to keep mass
Producing when nobody is really wearing them for performance anymore.. Of course the xiv retros still sit.. Maybe there is a chance the oxy and indiglos have the real forefoot Zoom. Thanks for sharing the story !
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came across this chinese website that dissected the most recent (2016) and the 2012 xiv retros. Both uses forefoot and heel zoom (forefoot zoom pads are only fan-shaped zoom pads like those used in soldier 6s, but not the OG 4 chamber pads)
http://www.fastpass.cn/review/6435
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Yea I saw that somewhere before with the 2012 and 2005’s. They just don’t have that same magic as the og
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Schwollo i can get a OG pair that looks in good condition off ebay but you said not recommended. Will they just fall apart after playing in them?
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/Air-Jordan-14-Og-Last-Shot-size-7-5-1999-original-black-red-Rare-Jumpman/183011851321?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
What do you think
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It’s hit or miss. I have a few pairs that are holding up and some are held up by shoe goo which btw works great. Zoom might be flat or go flat as well. It’s 20’years old so keep that in mind but man it’s a great shoe.
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Thx for reply. I thought about it and decided wasnt worth the risk but then i realized finding a pair in my size in my fav colorway in good condition in OG form may never happen again. One last question, is the traction top tier?
I have the curry 2 and its the holy grail. I know you said AJ14 is great, but how great in this department ?
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Right below. Better than the Clutchfit worse than the Kobe I which is below the Curry 2. Black soles worked better for me for some reason
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Hi schwollo! Sorry for late in jumping in on the good ol article. I just bought the oxy retro to ball with (my first old jordan model too) and I found out the strobel board is similar kind in drose7. And since you didn’t mention it in this review, what was the type of strobel board in your OG pairs? Thanks in advance man. Love your review in this one!
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Fiberboard. That was what was on the OG . But forefoot zoom was huge on the OG vs the rectangle forefoot zoom on the retro. Still pretty good but not as good
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I see. Did you bought the retro xiv? I’m gonna ball in this for 2 weeks and maybe we can compare notes lol
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Haven’t bought a retro xiv since 2005 although I’m thinking about it again
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Hey Schwollo in your experience with your pairs of OGs did you notice a difference in the feeling on foot or containment/flex between the pairs that had solid leather uppers like the white “race ready” and the black “indiglo” vs. the pairs that have those lateral ridges in the upper like the black/red “last shot” and the white/red “candy canes”? Thanks!
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Yes the non ribbed are more flexible. I personally prefer the feel of the ribbed
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