The Air Jordan 14 'Laney' Reintroduces An OG Colorway. In Depth Review!
The Air Jordan 14 'Laney' first appeared in 1999 as a low cut version of the shoe. One of eight original Jordan 14 colorways the shoe returned in 2015, however, on May 27 in 2023 Jordan Brand has reintroduced this colorway, this time on the mid-cut version of the shoe.
Colorway (3/5):
The Laney colorway is based on Michael Jordan’s high school (Laney High School). This was arguably where Michael Jordan began his legendary competitive streak as he was cut from the varsity high school basketball team. He returned the next year and made the team and the rest is history. The Laney colorway is a common sighting now for sneakerheads, coming in that familiar blue, yellow and black combination.
I generally like the Laney colorway, however, unlike most people I prefer the ‘reverse Laney’ colorway where the yellow is used as the prominent color.
Materials (4/5):
The upper sole is predominantly blue nubuck, and the nubuck feels very nice and seems to be genuine nubuck and not synthetic. The black suede on the toe box is a different story. It doesn’t feel like the best suede but at least it’s not the main material used on the shoe.
The Air Jordan 14 comes with a phylon midsole and phylon is essentially Nike’s version of EVA foam, offering weight savings and improved responsiveness over rubber and polyurethane. The midfoot shank plate is made of solid TPU, but I would’ve liked to see it come with a carbon fiber shank plate. Sidenote: The only OG Air Jordan 14 that came with a carbon fiber shank plate was the White and Varsity Red colorway.
This shoe has a Zoom Air unit in the heel and forefoot, offering decent cushioning especially compared to earlier Jordans.
Size and Comfort (5/5):
I’m a size 9.5 true to size but I do have wide feet. I stuck with a 9.5 for this shoe and it fits almost perfectly. There’s no part of the shoe where it feels overly tight or snug, even the midfoot area where the TPU shank is most prominent, it still feels comfortable despite my flatter and wider feet. The padding around the ankle collar is very plush and soft and despite a flatter feel than many of today’s popular soft, foam like shoes, I could wear the Jordan 14s all day with no complaints. Remember, Michael Jordan preferred his shoes to be flatter and closer to the ground. The Jordan 14 has always been regarded as one of the more comfortable Jordan shoes from the ‘golden era’. I don’t know if I would put it above the Jordan 13 but it’s definitely close.
Versatility (2/5):
The Jordan 14 was inspired by Michael Jordan’s Ferrari at the time, emphasizing a very sleek shape and you can see references to the sports car in multiple places on the shoe: the Jumpman logo enclosed by the same shield that the Ferrari logo uses and the tire tread pattern on the heel of the shoe. Despite the creativity, I’ve never LOVED the Jordan 14 silhouette. It’s a clean looking shoe but it' looks a little too basketball centric to be wearing casually for me. In terms of versatility of the Laney colorway, I think all that royal blue on the upper sole is a bit overpowering. I prefer a more muted color (probably explains why the UNC blue is my favorite color on a sneaker), but definitely no complaints as this colorway is a reference to Laney High School.
Storytelling (2/5):
I’ve been saying for a long time that Jordan Brand should do something special for every Laney-inspired shoe. Change the box to tell the incredible story of Michael Jordan’s time at Laney High School, give us a little pamphlet or card or SOMETHING to play into that story. The opportunity is right there for the taking but Jordan Brand refuses to take it.
Laces and Box:
This shoe doesn’t come with any extra laces despite the hefty price of $210. However, I’m not complaining too much as I’d opt for the default black laces regardless. The box of the shoe is a standard Jordan Brand box with a red Jumpman. As mentioned above, very disappointing.