Now, nearly 30 years in the making, the newest Jordan shoes were revealed Thursday in New York City. And these shoes have a goal to not only transcend style, but comfort and performance as well.
A few years ago, the Air Jordan design team flew to Italy, looking for inspiration. They came back with the lightest Air Jordan ever.
On-stage in an undisclosed location in New York City with ESPN’s Michael Smith and Michael Jordan himself, designer Tinker Hatfield debuted the Air Jordan XX9, which will drop in September in two distinct styles, something the brand has never done before. The first design features elephant print woven into the upper, and the second showcases an all-gray upper with a jumbo Jumpman logo on the heel. What binds the two designs together, and what makes the XX9 unlike any basketball shoe on the market, is its one-piece, woven upper, created by high tech weaving machines in Italy…
…“The shell is very thin and very much shaped like a human foot. It’s way trimmer, much more sleek and lightweight and less traditional than any shoe that I’ve ever worked on,” Hatfield said.
Like its predecessor, the XX9 sits atop the popular Flight Plate technology, except this time, the sole and forefoot are connected. This gives the athlete a smoother transition from the back to the front of his foot as he moves around the court.
‘Jordan’ athlete, Russell Westbrook is expected to debut the Jordan XX9 during the NBA Playoffs, which start this weekend. If they hold up — and they hopefully should if you’re going to shell out $225 for them (retail price) — the shoes will be a testament to the style-performance combo we have been waiting a long time for. After all, I’ve worn Larry Johnsons, Scottie Pippens, Air Jordans circa 2009… all left my feet bloodied with outer-soles torn to shreds… after local church pickup games.
Then again, you know how nasty things can get in a church league.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports. @JHelmuth – “Like” On Facebook.
