Wednesday's P.M. Hot Clicks: A History of Air Jordans

Author:
Andy Gray
Publish date:
Dec 3, 2014

History of Air Jordans

Air Jordans Over the Years

Air Jordan I

An aesthetic-forward design and the latest in basketball shoe technology has signified the signature shoe of Michael Jordan since its inception during MJ's rookie year. The Jordan XX9, the latest in the long line of Jordans, continues that focus. Walk through the 29 Jordan shoes -- from the original Air Jordan I that was outside NBA regulation and incurred a fine every time MJ wore it to the introduction of the Jumpman logo in the Jordan III and the patent leather of the Jordan XI to the carbon plate in the XX9 -- in this Jordan-centric gallery.

Air Jordan II

Following the success of the Air Jordan I, Nike released the Air Jordan II, a stylish kick with faux lizard skin that Jordan wore as he averaged 37.1 points during the 1986-87 season.

Air Jordan III

The first sneaker to bear the 'Jumpman' logo, the Air Jordan III was reportedly Jordan's favorite sneaker. While wearing them, he won his second straight dunk contest and his first NBA MVP.

Air Jordan IV

The Air Jordan IV was the first Jordan shoe released on the global market, where it became an international bestseller. Jordan had the shoes on for "The Shot" in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Air Jordan V

Designer Tinker Hatfield said he drew inspiration for the Air Jordan V from WWII fighter planes. While in the shoes, Jordan won his fourth scoring title and went for a career-high 69 points against the Cavaliers.

Air Jordan VI

Released in 1991, the Air Jordan VIs were on Jordan's feet when he won his first NBA title.

Air Jordan VII

Jordan won his second straight title with the Jordan VIIs on his feet and, later that summer, brought an Olympic-themed version with him to the Barcelona Games.

Air Jordan VIII

The Air Jordan VIII was noticeably heavier than previous versions, featuring enhanced ankle support and a unique fuzzy tongue.

Air Jordan IX

The first model released after Jordan's retirement from the NBA in 1993, the Air Jordan IXs were fitted with cleats so Jordan could wear them on the baseball diamond. The shoes adorn Jordan's feet in his statue outside of the United Center in Chicago.

Air Jordan X

The 10th Air Jordan model celebrated Jordan with a unique outsole that featured all of his major achievements in the NBA.

Air Jordan XI

In his first full NBA season since retiring in 1993, Jordan wore the Air Jordan XI, a timeless model featuring a patent leather design.

Air Jordan XII

Jordan wore the Air Jordan XIIs, a model inspired by a 19th century dress boot, during the infamous "Flu Game" in 1997.

Air Jordan XIII

The Air Jordan XIII, nicknamed the "Black Cat", mirrors the padding on a panther's paw and features a hologram panther's eye. Jordan wore the shoes as he completed his record 10th scoring title and his second three-peat.

Air Jordan XIV

The aerodynamic lines and mesh vents of the Air Jordan XIV drew inspiration from Jordan's Ferrari.

Air Jordan XV

The first shoe released after Jordan's second retirement, the Air Jordan XV was worn by Reggie Miller in the 2000 Finals.

Air Jordan XVI

With Jordan transitioning to a role in the front office, Nike added a distinctive off-court shroud to the Air Jordan XVI.

Air Jordan XVII

The jazz-themed Air Jordan XVII paid tribute to Jordan's love of golf with a sole design based on a golf course.

Air Jordan XVIII

Jordan wore the Air Jordan XVIIIs, which came with a towel, brush and "Driver's Manual", during his last game in the NBA on April 16, 2003.

Air Jordan XIX

The lightest Air Jordans ever made, the Air Jordan XIXs were the first shoe released after Jordan's third and final retirement in 2003.

Air Jordan XX

Nike celebrated the 20th anniversary of Air Jordan with the Air Jordan XX, a shoe featuring a laser-etched upper panel celebrating Jordan's life.

Air Jordan XX1

Released in 2006, the Air Jordan XXI was inspired by the Bentley Continental GT Coupe, featuring lower-foot air grilles and a carbon fiber shank plate.

Air Jordan XX2

The aggressive "radar" stitching and camouflage patterns of the Air Joran XX2 pay homage to the F22 Raptor jet fighter.

Air Jordan XX3

The Air Jordan XX3 bears a unique hand-stitched exterior, a full-length bootie and articulated chassis.

Jordan 2009

Inspired by Jordan's defensive focus, the Air Jordan 2009 uses unique technology to give players "unfair" responsiveness.

Air Jordan 2010

For Air Jordan's 25th anniversary Nike released the Air Jordan 2010, a shoe with a unique translucent window that reflected Jordan's ability to "see through opponents".

Air Jordan 2011

The Air Jordan 2011 featured interchangeable soles inspired by Jordan's versatile skill set.

Air Jordan 2012

"Zoot suit" details set the Air Jordan 2012 apart, reflecting a young Jordan's brash and confident game.

Air Jordan XX8

The Air Jordan XX8 features an all-black sleeve that conceals an inner neon green bootie. Inspired by stealth technology, it surpasses the XIX as the lightest Air Jordan ever made.

Air Jordan XX9

Michael Jordan worked with legendary shoe designer Tinker Hatfield to come up with the highly technical XX9, featuring everything from carbon plating and specialized air configurations to a woven upper made in Italy to give us a distinctive 23 and Jumpman-inspired aesthetic. The lightest Jordan yet goes black and red to add a little Jordan nostalgia to the mix.

Air Jordan XXX

The new Air Jordan XXX is out and possesses the “XXX” branding on the heel and sole and features the Jumpman logo on the toe region. The midsole is similar to 2014’s Jordan XX9, while the upper part of the shoe has a Flyweave look.

Big day at SI.com as we launched our Sneaker Hub, a new blog following the latest news and trends in basketball shoes. There's all kinds of good stuff - NBA Stars and Their Signature Shoe, The History of NBA Sneakers, The New Technology Behind the Air Jordan XX9 - so I suggest you check it out (after you look at this History of Air Jordans gallery, of course).

Anger at UAB

The University of Alabama-Birmingham announced Tuesday that it is shutting down its football program due to "financial realities" that make the program unsustainable. This led to anger from many of the players, including 26-year-old tight end Tristan Henderson, who is seen admonishing school president Ray Watts in this video. Students marched in protest and a #FreeUAB hashtag campaign was launched, though it seems as if the decision is final. I am upset because UAB had one of my favorite college football helmets (despite what this tweet says).

When Mailing Lists Happen

Penn State sent out its annual season ticket renewal letters this week, one of which was sent to Jerry Sandusky. Whoops.

P.M. Lovely Lady of the Day

The Victoria's Secret show took place in London earlier this week, giving me 30 solid LLOD options. I'm going with Maria Borges today because she's never been featured and I can't stop looking at her (click here for full-size gallery) ... Lily Aldridge was featured in Day 2 of LOVE Magazine's Advent Calendar ... Terann Hilow should be on your radar.

Hot Clicks Giveaway: Photo Mosaics

Not sure what to do with those 400 photos taking up all the space in your phone? I do. It's called a Mosaic Photo Book and it's an app that takes 20 pictures from your iPhone or Android smartphone and makes a sleek and unique 20-page photo book in just a few minutes. Mosaic arrives at your door in 4 days. It’s one of the most thoughtful (and affordable -- $25) gifts you can get your significant other and family members for the holidays. And if that's not enough, they are offering free shipping through the end of today, so jump on this while you can. In the meantime, I've got five coupons for free Mosaic books and I'll send them to the 25th, 50th, 100th, 150th and 200th person to email me (andy_gray@simail.com) the NFL team for which today's A.M. Hot Clicks Lovely Lady of the Day used to cheer. Please make the subject line "Mosaic."

Update (6:21 a.m.): Contest is closed. Winners will be notified.

Concession Food Item of the Week

Learn all about the Polish Hill Pretzel

NFL's Top 10 Selling Jerseys

Jordan vs. Jordan

Random Joe Namath Pic of the Day

Blake Griffin's Mancave

Odds & Ends

Julius Erving is now being paid to endorse fantasy sports even though he doesn't participate ... I can't stop watching this GIF of Derek Fisher trying to call a timeout (and being ignored) in the closing seconds of last night's Knicks-Nets game ... A former member of the Bucs said the team injected him with truth serum ... Was the ACC the best college football conference this year? ... Mike Lupica has some suggestions for SI Sportsman of the Year ... Caroline Wozniacki (who is now reportedly dating a member of the Redskins) wrote a great essay nominating Serena Williams ... The worst Mall Santa of all time turned away a girl with autism because of her pit bull service dog ... This guy's hacked hearing aids let him listen to Wi-Fi networks ... Eleven fictional places that have appeared in multiple movies.

Steph Curry Does Drake

The Warriors guard and wife Ayesha posted a new video with a food-related twist on Drake's single 0 to 100.

J.J. Watt Mic'd Up

The "touchdown scoring machine" (as Greg Gumbel called him) is always entertaining.

Tom Brady: Expert Telemarketer

The Patriots QB works the phone in this ad for DailyMVP.

[youtube:http://youtu.be/bhI1GumsXEg]

Pug Video of the Day

Barry loves his bath.

Click here for previous versions of Hot Clicksand here to stay abreast of the latest breaking news via video.