KO Classic : Air Jordan XIV Original
Better than any Hollywood script, MJ’s last game in the NBA was a storybook ending to a legendary career. On his feet were the last shoes he’d wear in the league, the Air Jordan XIV, and a fitting last shoe it was.
by Professor K, posted June 13, 2001
Before the Audi TT inspired adidas The Kobe, there was the Ferrari 550 Maranello inspired Air Jordan XIV. Several elements link the shoe with the car, including the Ferrari-esque Jumpman logo, the perforated full-grain leather upper (not on all colorways), the tire tread-like pattern at the heel, and the air-intake vent at the medial side of the midsole (see figure 2). But apart from the visual cues, what truly links the shoe and the car is a shared spirit of sheer, unbridled, uncompromising performance. So it’s fitting that, while the Air Jordan XIV may not be considered the most visually appealling shoe in the Air Jordan line it is, in my opinion, the best from the perspective of pure, on-court performance. But before I get into the meat of the review, a little background…
The Nike Air Jordan XIV was released to the public in early 1998 and it was the shoe that Jordan wore through the NBA Playoffs and Finals that year. As some may remember, Jordan was wearing the XIVs when he hit the game winning shot against the Utah Jazz in the Finals. As we all know, that was Jordan’s last year in the league and thus the XIVs are, barring another comeback, the last shoe that Jordan wore as a professional basketball player. That’s something of a distinction in and of itself, but the Air Jordan XIV doesn’t need historical context to distinguish itself on the court.
figure 1. As is visible above, these shoes have seen some outdoor abuse. The Air Jordan XIV is not only an excellent shoe, it’s also surprisingly durable. Using the XIV exclusively indoors will certainly extend its useful life, but the shoe is durable enough for use outdoors. Traction provided by the traditional herringbone-patterned outsole is excellent.
First of all, the Air Jordan XIV is an extremely comfortable shoe. The inner is actually quite simple. There’s no bootie system as in many of Nike’s higher-end shoes, just a well lined and nearly seamless inner. What makes the shoe so comfortable is that this simple inner is combined with a smart use of materials and very clever design.
Starting with the materials, the use of very dense memory foam to pad the ankle contributes greatly to the overall comfort and fit of the shoe. Also, as is visible in some of the photos (see figures 2 & 3), the design of the ankle area is asymmetrical — the inner or medial side runs much higher than the lateral side. The increased ankle coverage on the medial side of the shoe helps to prevent ankle inversion, while the lower coverage on the lateral side, where it’s not necessary, makes the shoe more comfortable and helps to keep overall weight down.
Another big factor contributing to the comfort and fit of the Air Jordan XIV is the design of its midsole. The large and very stiff midfoot support shank does a great job of providing support at the midfoot and makes the shoe extremely stable. The stubby “fingers” that protrude at the forefoot of the midsole provide an added measure of support for quick lateral cuts. And finally, the unique air-intake vent on the medial side of the midsole (see figure 2) makes the XIV the best venilated shoe in the Air Jordan line. The air flow felt a bit strange at first, almost as though that area of my foot was wet because it was so much cooler, but after a couple of hours of playing it was something that I really appreciated.
Given the effectiveness of these unique design elements, namely the asymmetrical ankle, high wrapping midfoot support shank, and prominent venting, it’s unfortunate that none have found their way into subsequent Jordan Brand products, but I digress.
figure 2. Visible at the lower right of this shot is the large air-intake vent on the medial side of the Air Jordan XIV. Also visible is the difference in height of ankle coverage, which is a clever and highly effective design element.
In addition to being a wonderfully comfortable and well-fitting shoe, the Air Jordan XIV also provides an awesome level of cushioning. It, along with the Nike Air Flightposite II, has the best implementation of Zoom Air that I’ve had the pleasure to test in a hoops shoe. The cushioning is very responsive, meaning that it noticeably compresses with weight and bounces right back once that weight is removed, but still manages to be firm enough to absorb the impact of big landings. The Zoom Air units are encased in a Phylon midsole that provides additional impact protection at a very light weight. The only downside to Phylon is that it doesn’t last as long as more dense materials such as polyurethane, but in the XIV the Phylon midsole, in tandem with the forefoot and heel Zoom Air units, provides what I think is the perfect level of cushioning. It might not be enough for a really big and heavy center, but for everyone from guards through power forwards and even lighter centers, the level of cushioning in the XIV should feel great.
Another benefit of Zoom Air is that the midsole can be thinner than in most hoops shoes, bringing the wearer’s foot closer to the ground and thereby providing superior court feel. With a better feel for the court it’s easier to make quick stops and sharp cuts. Essentially, a lower profile midsole allows you to feel and be more agile on the court. The Air Jordan XIV does not, in any way, suffer from the clunky midsole feel that all too many hoops shoes are afflicted with. This enhanced court feel wouldn’t be very useful, though, if the XIV didn’t provide excellent traction and thankfully it does. All this is a very good thing and it makes the XIV a great choice for people who do a lot of cutting and slashing and who like to take the ball to the basket with regularity.
figure 3. The Air Jordan XIV is unique within the Air Jordan line. It’s very much its own shoe, not really drawing anything from previous shoes in the Air Jordan line and not drawn from in subsequent Air Jordan releases. Given it’s excellence on the court, my hope is that Jordan Brand does take some of the more effective design and materials ideas from the XIV and applies them to future releases.
To sum up, the Air Jordan XIV is the closest thing to perfect that I’ve tested to date. It’s extremely comfortable, provides an excellent fit, excellent cushioning, and very good ankle support, and it does it all in a fairly lightweight package. All of this makes the XIV a great choice for a wide range of players, excluding only the largest and heaviest. Really the only downside is that the shoe is no longer in production and, since it is not very old, will probably not be re-released as a retro for quite some time. But from a performance perspective, the Air Jordan XIV, like the Ferrari 550 Maranello and Jordan himself, is essentially flawless.
Who’s Worn It
Michael Jordan (G- Chicago Bulls)
[Ed. Note: since posting this review we've learned that the Air Jordan XIV was actually released in late 1998, not early 1998 as stated in the review. Jordan actually also only wore the XIVs in the Finals, not through the Playoffs as stated in the review. Thanks to our readers for sending in these corrections!]
Tags: air jordan xiv, jordan, jordan xiv, ko classic, professor K
16 Responses to “KO Classic : Air Jordan XIV Original”
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Sported my retros last shot today. Great shoes. probably the best to ball in with the XI and XVI and up. I had my best game in college with 30pts 15rbs 7asts rockin them!!! Really great!
great shoes
I love these and they are my favorites! comfortable and everything. probably why I like the AJ23 so much because they look similar.
i need the black toe retroes.
these are the hottest 14s in my opinion
i love this deff
these are my least fave. jordans
I COPPED THE ORIGINALS AND THE RETROS AND I LUV EM !
I hated these kicks these shits was wack!
I still remember watching the 1998 NBA Finals, wondering what Mike had on his feet. Though I didn’t know, I just had to have them. I didn’t get the black/red but the white/black/gray instead and ignored all the other colors. Good shoe though. I still have mine — original that is.
I have yet to cop a pair of retro 14’s so I cant comment on performence,comfort, or fitting, but I do like the design of the sneaker. I especially like the visible holes on the side of the shoe and the two side skirts coming up on the side
wow i got a pair and i did nt no that hole towards the inside of the shoe was supposed to be there
LOVEtheXIV!
ahhh great memories one of the best on court performance j’s did alot of work on the nyc summer basketball circuit with these 99 was a very good year
Loved these shoes, absolutely loved them. Had the OG Green for my last trimester of my Junior year of High School. The fact that the article forgot what to me was the first thing I noticed when I first put them on, dont even know what to call it, but the “tongue bar” at the top of the shoe made the tongue super easy to adjust on court. The tongue bar was great and original and something I dont remember seeing b4 or after on any shoe.
Wasn’t this shoe based on the Ferrari F355 F1 in stead of the mentioned 550? The detailling of the shoe and the F355 also fits better…