subject: Overview of Air Jordan 11 [print this page] The Air Jordan 11 model was designed by Tinker Hatfield. While Jordan was still pursuing a career in baseball, Hatfield designed the shoe in hopes that Michael would eventually wear it if he returned to the NBA. The Jordan 11 was meant to stand out with a fusion of performance and style. Taken from the world of high-end mountaineering backpacks, the condura nylon upper gave the Air Jordan 11 model lightweight durability.
Further innovation came with the use of a carbon fiber plate on the sole of the shoe, that can be seen underneath the clear outsole, which gave the shoe exceptional torsional rigidity. The most visually distinct aspect of the shoe was its shiny patent leather mid and toebox. A material long used in the fashion industry, patent leather was extremely lightweight, when compared to genuine leather, and also tended not to stretch - a very useful property to help keep the foot within the bounds of the shoebed during quick direction changes on the court. The shiny leather gave the 11 what many described as a "formal" look - a fact that many owners of the shoe took advantage of thereafter, pairing the shoe off the court with business suits in substitution for dress shoes. Boyz II Men wore black and white Air Jordan 11 shoes with white suits at one of their concerts.
The most interesting part of these sneakers is that they were "sampled" during the playoffs of the year of Jordan's first return (1995). Designer Tinker Hatfield and Nike did not want Michael Jordan playing in them, however, when the sample was completed, Jordan saw it, took it, and said he wanted to wear the shoe. Nike and Hatfield prayed and prayed that he would not wear it during the playoffs against Orlando, however, as soon as they turn on the TV for the game, Ahmad Rashad is holding the shoe for the cameras explaining that this is the "newest" Air Jordan. Hatfield and Nike had a fit as the shoe wasn't even in production, and now they would be forced to produce it for the masses. Good thing they did as it can be considered one of the most valuable, sought after, and loved Air Jordans of the line. Also to note, MJ was violating league dress code as his teammates wore all black sneakers, so Nike made him a couple of "space jams" for the series against Orlando, before the space jams were to release to the public at the end of 2000.
Jordan wore the Air Jordan 11 model to help the Chicago Bulls claim the 1995-1996 NBA championship. The legacy of the shoe was transferred to the silver screen as Jordan wore a black/white/royal blue colorway of the Air Jordan 11 model in the 1996 Warner Bros. animated movie "Space Jam" (these shoes were eventually released in 2001 and re-retro'd in 2009 with the tag name "Space Jams") which was then fined for $5,000 for not respecting the Bulls colorway policy.
