SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

Jordan XI

If ever a sneaker were to become almost cliché in its use for dances, proms or anywhere a suit or tux may be appropriate, it most definitely would have to be the Air Jordan XI. MJ was fully into his first comeback when the XI landed, and the courts, as well as the dance floors, have never been the same.

If the striking style of the Air Jordan XI weren’t enough, it stepped up the technology in a major way. While possibly being used for the first time ever in a performance shoe, the patent leather wasn’t just for looks. The material also provided an added level of support, unavailable through traditional leathers or suede. The ballistic mesh-used upper added an element of weight reduction, and also aided in breathability. What may have been the XI’s crowning achievement, though, has to be its use of a full-length carbon fiber shank plate. As one of the first hoop shoes to use this technology, the XI offered an increased midfoot support, greater impact distribution and a level of energy return. The midfoot support is especially important as it greatly aided against the occurrence of plantar fasciitis. Let’s be honest though – even with all that technology, it has always been about the looks. From the initial scrutiny, to the long-term love affair, the Air Jordan XI is easily one of the most visually striking pairs of kicks that the sports and fashion worlds have ever seen.

When the White/Black/Dark Concord colorway landed in late ’95, sneaker fans may or may not have been ready for the patent leather craze it would set off, but it has remained one of the single, most well-known models in sneaker history. The White/Columbia Blue/Black and Black/True Red/White colorways followed soon thereafter, and there has been no looking back. Fans were ready and waiting for the Retro 11s when they landed, just a few years after the original release. The 2000 Retro 11s included the White/Black/Dark Concord and Black/Varsity Royal/White “Space Jam” colorways. The Space Jams released with the number 23 on the heel, but the 45 sample versions remain one of the most coveted collectors items in the entire sneaker world. The Retro+ Medium Grey/White/Cool Grey colorway was instantly a hit with fans, and remains so to this day. The most recent Retro 11, the White/Metallic Gold/Black colorway, was included in 2006’s Defining Moments Pack, along with a similarly colored Retro 6. Demand for the DMP far out-paced the supply, and many fans were left out in the cold. The popularity of Retro 11s has been as strong as any Air Jordan to date. And while the notion of “imitation being the most sincere form of flattery” may be true, it certainly doesn’t apply to the mountain of Air Jordan XI knock-offs. The XI may be the most counterfeited of all Jordans.

Release after release, it seemed the line couldn’t get any hotter, but this sneaker did just that. The Air Jordan XI and its patent leather had, quite simply, changed the world of sneakers.