Jordan Luka 1 review

Who should buy the Jordan Luka 1

The Jordan Luka 1 is going to be a nice match for the following:

• nimble athletes and guards who play very much like Luka Doncic himself
• athletes who play mostly indoors
• players looking for a more affordable basketball shoe

Who should NOT buy this basketball shoe from the Jordan brand

The Jordan Luka 1 is not for you if you are a fan of the fanciest and flashiest. With the materials being not premium, this shoe has no leg to stand especially against the heavy favourite Nike LeBron 20. 

Outdoor hoopers are not going to have fun in this shoe either. They are better off with the Nike Cosmic Unity 3, which has outdoor playability that we find amazing and looks that's really nice.

A grip that you can trust

We found that Jordan Luka 1 has freaking amazing traction. We do not have problems with quicks cuts and turns. Plus, we are really able to stop on a sixpence on a clean court.

The outsole's performance is also tremendous for getting a tonne of grip on courts. We can attest that it has the best traction on the hardwood.

The Luka 1 is sensitive to dust

However, we noticed that the outsole really attracts quite a lot of dust. Wiping is really necessary if we are to consistently have a nice grip all throughout the game.

Heat it as you ride it

Another important thing to note is the outsole's seeming sensitivity to heat. We observed that the sole bites much more effectively in higher temperatures. You can liken it to an engine that needs some warming up.

Once warmed up, the shoe becomes more nimble and agile, and we are able to move freely in it.

It works the other way around too. The colder the temperature outside, the stiffer and more slippery the shoe becomes.

After being exposed to cold temperatures for 20 minutes in our freezer, the Luka 1 got 41% stiffer.

Speaking of heat, it is a breathable shoe

Even though ventilation is primarily concentrated in the tongue area of the shoe, we can confirm that it doesn't skimp on breathability.

In the transparency test below, you can see large ventilation holes throughout the tongue as well as some light passing through the upper material near the ankle bone.

Just do NOT take the shoe outdoors

To the touch, the outsole rubber feels malleable and the pattern is not that deeply engraved. Because of this, we do not vouch for this shoe for outdoor basketball sessions.

Indeed, the Luka 1 won't be your best bet on an outdoor court, as we found that the rubber outsole is only 3 mm, which is 0.5 mm thinner than the average.

In addition, the rubber is a bit softer than average too. This typically translates to less abrasion-resistant.

Feel some nice cushioning in the Luka 1

Right off the bat, we perceived the nice cushioning that feels quite soft and contributes greatly to the whole experience of comfort. While it is not as prominent as other shoes like the Nike LeBrons, we found that the compression is really there, especially in the rear area where heel strikes hit the hardest obviously.

Our experiences can be backed up by our durometer measurements. The Luka 1 turns out to be 18% softer than the average across basketball shoes.

Disclaimer: We take the durometer measurements 5 times to ensure accuracy. The photo shows one of the takes.

Jordan Luka 1 means energy return

Luka Doncic is a guard, so it should not be surprising that his signature is biased toward the guard's movements.

We discovered that it's not really that foam that does most of the trick, it's actually the shank inserted in the midsole. This shank simply gives so much diving board effect, making us jump higher and our runs much more energised. We really believe that this shoe is a valuable pick, mainly because of its delivered efficient push-offs combined with its beastly traction. 

The stiffness of the shank can also be traced in our flexibility measurements. The shoe is not the most flexible. It is rigid both longitudinally and torsionally.

After subjecting it to manual twist tests, we conclude that the shoe is very stiff so twists can be safely avoided. 

The Jordan Luka 1 receives 5 out of 5 (where 5 is the stiffest) on our subjective flexibility assessment too.

The Luka 1 wraps around the foot comfortably

The materials are nothing premium, and we actually found the thin but they sure get the job done. This shoe feels comfortable straight out of the box and it feels already broken in on our first wear! The good news is conforms to our feet extremely well. 

This one's true to size

There is not much to worry about when it comes to fit because the Jordan Luka 1 is true to size. We experienced a really secure snug fit in this shoe.

Don't worry about support and lockdown

Support and lockdown are not sources of problems as far as the Jordan Luka 1 is concerned. Aside from the responsive upper material that allows it to have tremendous containment side-to-side, we discovered that the shoe also has a fairly wide base that helps keep the foot in place, especially during more aggressive movements.

We found that the heel counter is also very substantial and stiff, helping to keep the ankle in place.

Complete lab-specs overview