Air Jordan

Air Jordans are a brand of shoes originally worn by legendary basketball player, Michael Jordan. Since the its first release in 1985, there have been new ones released each year, even after Jordan retired from basketball. Jordan shoes are made by the Jordan Company, which is a part of Nike.

Air Jordans are extremely expensive and are collectors items. Collectors classify Air Jordans by release year and model: Originals (OG), Retros, Retro+'s, and Samples.

Air Jordan I

Designed by Peter Moore and released in 1985, the Air Jordan I is considered a watershed in basketball shoe design, although its design was improved upon later with the Nike Dunk. The shoe gained much initial publicity and interest when the National Basketball Association banned it, saying that its vibrant black and red color violated the league's design rules. Michael Jordan is also said to have not cared much for the first Air Jordan, saying the red and black colorway looked like "devil shoes". None the less, other shoe companies scrambled to emulate the design, with some even introducing direct knock-offs.

In 1994, the white/black-red and black/red colorways were retroed and sold very poorly. Many went on sale for as low as $20 in stores. When the I's were retroed again in 2001, they sold out instantly.

In 2007 new re-retro I's will release, one of which will be a "Beginning Moments Package" that will include a re-retro of the extremely rare white/black-red black-toe colorway.

The first sightings of the Air Jordan I occurred on November 17, 1984 in a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Philadelphia 76ers. The first colors unveiled were the banned black/red design. It was announced later that Nike would release them to the public the following spring.

Air Jordan II

Designed by Bruce Kilgore the Air Jordan II debuted in 1986 to limited popularity because of it's expensive 100 dollar price tag. But the shoe was still unique because it sported Italian leather and faux lizard skin on the side of the shoe. Unfortunatly, in a game against Golden State Micheal Jordan broke his ankle while wearing the Air Jordan II's, this led many to think the II's were the cause of the accident. In addition, the soft midsole would crack easily and the shoes would be thrown out.

This was the last Air Jordan to feature the Wings logo on it. Intrestingly, this was the only Air Jordan not to be originally made in all black.

The II also had poor sales when retroed in 1994-1995,but when the white/black-red colorway was re-retroed in 2001 the demand was much greater. Since then more re-retros have released including a black suede colorway.

Air Jordan III

Designed by Tinker Hatfield the Air Jordan III was truly revolutionary. It was the first Air Jordan to feature a visible air unit on the heel, the new Jumpman logo, an elephant print trim, and tumble leather for a luxury look. The III's are also famous for the humorus ad's depicting Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon.

The III's had poor sales when first retroed in 1994. However when they were re-retroed they sold out instantly. A pair of these online can go for sale for prices over 300 dollars. In 2007 the long awaited "Fire Red" III's will release along with the "Cool Grays", "Pure", "Black Cat", "Carolina", "Blue Elephant", and reportedly the black/cement colorway.

Michael Jordan has reportedly said the III's were and still are his favorite Air Jordans to date.

Air Jordan IV

The Air Jordan IV shoe was first released in 1989, designed once again by Tinker Hatfield. It wasn't as revolutionary as the first three models, but it still became the first released Jordan shoe on the world market, with some exceptions. Its cushioning sole and design made it an international bestseller.

Spike Lee, the director/actor who helped in the ad campaign for the Air Jordan III, created the famous Can/Can't TV commercial. He also gave them promotion in his movie Do The Right Thing. A classic scene in the movie for Jordan fans has a person who has his new AJ IVs scuffed by a bicycle rider and goes crazy about it. He places his shoe on a fire hydrant and cleans it with a toothbrush.

The shoe was retroed in 1999 in a white/black colorway and a black/cement colorway. Stores were sold out of IVs within hours of release. However, when Nike (or Jordan Brand) released the first Retro+ model of the IVs, many claimed that they "destroyed a classic" by removing the nets on the shoe, among some other subtle changes. The real Jordan IV has the "NIKE AIR" logo on the back. Nike replaced it with the Jumpman logo. Rapper Slick Rick has stated that he will purchase the entire retro line released this year.

In 2006 Nike released many Retro packages of the IV, including "Mars Blackmons" ("Laser Red" IV's with Spike Lee's alter ego on the heel), "Military Blues", and the $500 "Thunder and Lightning" package.

Air Jordan V

The original Air Jordan V was released in February 1990. Again designed by Hatfield, and like his other designs, this was again truly revolutionary. Some elements were the same from the Air Jordan IV, but the V's most distinctive feature is arguably its reflective tongue. There was also another innovation: clear rubber soles. The soles gave the shoe a whole new and unique look, but it quickly turned yellow in reaction to water. Collectors' responses to this was storing the shoes in a cool, dry place with a desiccant at the soles, most commonly silica packs. The Jordan V also came with lacelocks, making strapping on easy.

Hatfield is rumored to have drawn inspiration for the AJV from the World War II Mustang fighter plane; easily seen in the shark teeth shapes on the midsole. The V was retroed in 2000 to great demand, including a new colorway featuring Michael Jordan's high school (Laney High) colors. In 2006 several re-retro V's had released including the very popular "Grape" V's, and the "Fire-Red" V's. Along with the latter, a very limited laser design and the black/metallic/fire red colorways were released in early 2007.

The Air Jordan V's can also be seen in The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, when Will Smith is spinning in the chair in the opening credits and he is also wearing the White/Fire Red V's during the Banks family's dinner party in the first episode.

Air Jordan VI

The Air Jordan VI was made in 1990 and later released in 1991 selling for $125. The Retro pair of the Air Jordan VI was released in 2000. If the Air Jordan V was inspired by the Mustang Fighter Airplane, the Air Jordan VI was inspired by the Stealth Fighter F-117 used during Desert Storm. This was the shoe MJ was wearing when he won his first of six championships. It featured a clear sole similar to the AJ V and also had the same yellowing attributes when exposed to water. Also of note was the pull-tab on the shoe tongue. This shoe was combined with the AJ 11 in a package called DMP (Defining Moments Package) which was released in 2006.

The VI's design is unique in the fact that it incorporates Michael's #23 into the design of the shoe itself. When viewed from the medial side, the back upper forms a two while the upper area of the shoe near the laces shows the three.

Air Jordan VII

The Air Jordan VII was released in late 1991 early 1992.

Hatfield created a shoe with lots of similarities with the previous model. What was unique with the VII's was that they used some of the Nike Huarache technology to create a shoe that really stuck to your foot. The visible air sole, the Nike Air logo, and the yellowing soles all were gone.

When Jordan went to the Olympics with the Dream Team, Nike released a special Olympic color combo of the VII's. This model also featured Jordan's Olympic jersey number, 9 which made it very special since all of the previous models that featured his jersey number had always been either stitched or printed with the number 23.

Various retros of the Air Jordan VII were released in 2002, again in 2004, and again in different colors in 2006.

Air Jordan VIII

The Air Jordan VIII was released in 1992/93.

The eighth model of the Air Jordan was one heavy shoe. Its base was clearly close to its predecessor but it had a lot more details, and some collectors came to call this the flower-power Air Jordan. This shoe was only made in three different color combinations. The shoes were produced in less quantity than the VI. The Air Jordan VIII is to be re-retroed again in the fall of 2007 in its aqua color.

Air Jordan IX

Originally released in November 1993, the IX was the first Jordan release after his retirement. It was also made as a baseball cleat that MJ used during his post-Bulls baseball days.

The white/red/black version was worn by MJ for one scene in the 1995 movie Space Jam.

Like the Air Jordan VIIs, and VIIIs, the IXs feature an inner sock sleeve and nubuck accents. The sole features different symbols and languages of different countries.

The Air Jordan IX has been immortalized as the shoe chosen to adorn Jordan's feet for his statue outside of the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Air Jordan X

Made to honor the return of MJ in 1995, the Xs included a full grain leather upper, with a solid rubber outsole. They also sported a quick lacing system with Michael Jordan's previous accomplishments on the outsole. There were multiple colorways released for different large cities across the United States. Jordan wore the X when he returned to the Chicago Bulls at the end of the 1995 season. The original colorway, white/steel grey/black featured an extra piece of leather on the toe for more durability. MJ however did not like this so Nike removed it on future colorways.This was the one sneaker that Michael did not fully approve of, this is probably Tinker designed it and had it made while Michael was still playing baseball.

Air Jordan XI

The Air Jordan XI is one of the most popular Air Jordans of all time and one of the most sought after sneakers of all time. These were the shoes Jordan wore during his first return to basketball during the 1995-1996 season. They revolutionized all basketball shoes with the use of a carbon-fiber shank; no one had ever seen so much technology in a basketball shoe prior to the XI. In fall of 2000, Nike had re-released the retro version of the Air Jordan XI (officially dubbed Air Jordan XI Retro) but had made them slightly different from the previous release.

First, the retro's toe was far less likely to crease and was much stiffer. The patent leather was glossier and the arch on the shoe was more inclined and less flat. Many argue that the retro version is superior to the original. Additionally, the Retro had unique colors that were never released originally including the Space Jam version of the shoe which sold out in a matter of hours at most stores.

They are also the most illegally copied shoes in the market, with as much as 1/3 of all Air Jordan XI's sold on eBay being fakes, many of them coming from China. Fakes of the Air Jordan XI usually have a hard mid-sole (it is supposed to be soft or at least semi-firm), a low or barely visible arch on the mid-foot, and a disfigured checkered pattern on the bottom of the shoe. Many of these fakes lack cushioning and can be quite uncomfortable to walk in. A first sign to tell that the shoes are fake is to look for the box that it came in. The box should match the shoe exactly with the ID number on the box matching the ID number on the shoe. Often the box is not even a Jordan box or one that is too big or too small for the shoe with no barcode.

The 11's are schedueled to retro once again in the summer of 2007, but only low's.

Air Jordan XII

This sleek edition was issued in several colors: red and black, white and gray, and in low top style, dark blue and cream white. These are the first Air Jordans not to feature the Nike logo and the first to use Zoom Air cushioning. The Air Jordan XII was the shoe that Jordan wore through the 1996-97 season including his renowned performance in the fifth game of the 1997 NBA Finals. With the flu, Jordan scored 38 points including a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left to put away the game, after which he was carried off the court by teammate Scottie Pippen.

Air Jordan XIII

The Air Jordan XIII's, from 1997/1998, are some of Michael Jordan's favorite shoes. They have very good cushioning along with breathability. This was the same time MJ announced his retirement from the NBA for the second time. They were designed again by Hatfield. Also they were re-released in 2005 at about the same time the XX came out.

The shoes were inspired by a black panther, which is known for its stealth and swiftness. The shoe itself somewhat resembles the paw of a panther with pods that represent the paws of a panther. This provided more coverage and support on the basketball court. A hologram is features on the outer heel of the shoe which changes color as the viewer moves around the shoe. The hologram is known to fog up after many years. This represents the eyes of the panther in the dark.

Air Jordan XIV

This shoe was a revolutionary part of his career blending in 1-13. The XIV was modeled after the Ferrari with its sleek design, and Jordan logo. It is still worn by his fans and people all over the world. There are over 9 colors of the XIV including his Bulls color white, and black.

According to solecollector.com's shoe expert Professor K, the Air Jordan XIV is the most comfortable Jordan ever, even as a retro shoe.

The Air Jordan XIV is also one of the most comfortable and supportive Air Jordans (SOLE Magazine).

As an added extra, there are seven Jumpman logos on each shoe, 7 + 7= 14.

The black/varsity red - black version is sometimes referred to as the last shots because Jordan was wearing them during the last game he played as a Bulls which he finished with a game-winning shot over Bryon Russell.

Air Jordan XV

As the first Air Jordans released that Jordan had not played professionally in, there was some skepticism as to their comfort. The tongue of the shoe stuck out to mimic Jordan's well known habit of sticking his tongue out while playing. The woven kevlar Jordan 15 was modeled after the fighter jet plane let his royal airness take flight as one of the greatest to play the game.

Air Jordan XVI

The first Air Jordan to have the removable shroud concept. The shroud, or gaiter, was said to be a pre/post game accessory to dress the shoe up. The shroud was not recommended to be worn during gameplay. It also featured a patent leather toe with the toe being more square that a traditional shoe toe. This concept has been reused in many of the later Air Jordans. This was the first shoe since the Air Jordan VI to feature visible Air. It also was the first to feature a clear rubber sole since the Air Jordan XI.

This was the Air Jordan shoe Michael used in his first game (pre-season) in his 2nd comeback.

Air Jordan XVII

This shoe comes equipped with a silver suitcase,which held the shoes and a CD containing the AJ XVII song. As well as a steep price of $200 when first released. Known as the most expensive Jordans ever produced. They were made in 4 mid top colors.

Air Jordan XVIII

The last shoe Michael Jordan ever played a professional game in. The first release was Black/Royal followed by the White/Royal colorway and finished off with a White/Red colorway. All colorways released came with embroidered towels reading "Air Jordan" and the famous Jumpman logo, but the Black/Royal colorway was the only one that came with a suede brush for easy cleaning. The upper was suede and had a cover over the laces and was very nice. The XVIII featured double-stacked Zoom Air in the heel and had Zoom Air throughout the rest of the shoe. It also had a carbon fiber spring plate. The inspiration of this shoe was from the aggressive and elegant styling of European sports cars, which is reflected in this magnificent shoe.

Air Jordan XIX

Released in 2004 and modeled after the black mamba snake, this is the first Jordan release after his third, and final, retirement. Three special editions were released. They consisted of the East, West, and Olympic edition. The Air Jordan XIX uses innovative materials. The upper was developed in collaboration with Material ConneXion Inc. from a sleeving normally used in architectural applications for protecting PVC pipes from bursting. In theory, this allowed for a lace-less shoe because the sleeving does not stretch, however the XIX did include a set of laces behind the sleeve to better secure the shoe. While the sleeve is an interesting design concept, its functionality is questionable.

Air Jordan XX

Air Jordan XX feature a leather strap which contains icons representing the history of Jordan. Inspired by motor-cycling shoes, it was the first design involving Tinker Hatfield since the XVI.

The shoe is low cut, but has an adjustable 'floating' ankle strap or 'leash' the strap can be anchored to the front of the ankle area, or left detached from it. Even when detached from the anchor point at the front, the strap remains attached at the back, and still provides ankle support.

Air Jordan XXI

The Air Jordan XXI was released on February 18, 2006 during the NBA All-Star Weekend in a white/black/red colorway, with the red/black color way released on February 25, 2006. It retailed for $175 a pair, with the suede colorway being $5 extra. This model Air Jordan took its designs from the highest and lowest cut Jordans, and also a Bentley inspired grill for the side vents. It also has replaceable pods in the heel that you can switch out: from a Zoom Air pod to a Air-Sole pod, to personalize the cushioning to your liking.

External links

• "Jumpman" official site
• The Jordan Collection at NikeStore.com
• History of Air Jordans