Though only two low top Air Jordan IX’s were released when retroed in 2002, many colorways were made. This being one of them. A player exclusive for Mike Bibby, this color was made to go with Bibby’s then team the Sacramento Kings. These feature a nice all black upper with a white sole and purple found on the Jumpman and the logo on the back. His uniforum number “10″ is found on the back as well, stitched in white. We all know Bibby prefer’s to play in lows so it’s no suprise that these PE’s came that way. Too bad for us who are not in the “know,” these were made exclusively for Mike Bibby and were never available to the public.

Keys: Jordan shoes, Jordan Player Exclusive, Jordan PE’s, Mike Bibby, Jordan Retro shoes, Jordan 9, Jordan IX

The youngest son of Michael Jordan, Marcus, has to have a pretty sweet set up. Take your pick of model to match your team uniforms, which it seems he does. These images were taken at the Chicago DunkXchange this past weekend. Thought you would like to see them.

First a couple action shots.

Notice what he is wearing here:

These pairs were made for Marcus to match his Rising Stars AAU uniforms.

Now onto the shoes:

It must be nice to call Michael your “Dad,” as young Marcus Jordan has learned over the years. A promising player on the Rising Stars Gold AAU team, Marcus was recently given his own matching Air Jordan IX player exclusives in a white base upper with navy patent leather and gold accents. As a recent addition to the GBOA Hoops blog team, Marcus shared a first look at his own custom IX’s on his journal page. While he doesn’t bear much resemblance to his famous father, Marcus is already packing gyms with curious scouts as he hopes to accomplish more on-court than his older brother Jeff. He was recently invited to the Paul Pierce Nike Skills Academy, which features the top 20 players high school players nationwide.

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Key Tech: Large volume Air-Sole unit (heel), encapsulated Air-Sole unit (forefoot), Dynamic-Fit inner bootie construction, “one-pull” lacing system

Use: Hoops, Indoor

Position: All

Colorway Tested: White/Black/True Red

Price: $125

Pros: Dynamic-Fit inner bootie delivers excellent comfort; feels very stable; combination of Air-Sole units encased within the fore and rearfoot and the IX’s dense, polyurethane midsole provide very good impact protection that will hold up very well over time; very good traction (so long as the outsole is kept clean); very good ankle support

Cons: Midsole starts out feeling very hard; allows too much side-to-side movement within the inner at the forefoot

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PACE

THE JORDAN THAT WASN’T

TO ANSWER MY OWN QUESTION, YES. When it was originally released in 1993, the Air Jordan IX bore the two hallmarks of every classic Air Jordan shoe: cutting edge design (it was modeled after European dress shoes long before this became a fashionable thing to do in the sneaker space) and leading edge technology. So, though MJ might not have worn the IX in O.G. form for an NBA game (though he would eventually go on to wear the IX in Retro form during his third, and final comeback), it is still every inch an Air Jordan shoe.

And more than just any Air Jordan, the IX also, in my opinion at least, marks an important turning point in the evolution of the Air Jordan line. Starting with the Air Jordan III, the first Jordan designed by Tinker Hatfield, J’s became increasingly “technical” in appearance. The culmination of this trend was the Air Jordan VIII, the design of which could be described in brief as “all straps, all the time.” Its upper was dominated by straps that crisscrossed over the front of the shoe and wrapped alongside and behind the ankle. Contrasting materials, colors and textures were also used in abundance.

With its dress shoe influences and almost minimalist design, the Air Jordan IX broke completely from this trend and set the tone that all subsequent Air Jordans-to this day-have followed. While I don’t recall the IX being particularly well received when it was originally released, it was the first high profile hoops shoe to embrace a more formal aesthetic and show the world that a hoops shoe doesn’t necessarily have to look like a sneaker. This break from tradition has since influenced footwear design in all categories of athletic footwear and so, though it’s not one of my personal favorite designs, I consider the Air Jordan IX to be one of the most important shoes in the rich history of the Air Jordan line.

Two last factoids before getting on to the performance of the shoe. First, though MJ never wore the original Air Jordan IX in an NBA game, he did wear a specially modified version of the shoe during his stint with the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball team. Second, the statue of MJ that stands in front of the United Center in Chicago depicts Jordan wearing-what else?-the Air Jordan IX! There’s a certain irony to MJ being immortalized as a Chicago Bull shod in a shoe that he never actually wore as a Bull.

Okay, so on to performance… the Air Jordan IX is still, over a decade after its original release, a very good hoops shoe. Its polyurethane midsole starts out feeling about as cushy as bedrock, but its upper feels great right out of the box, thanks in large part to the plush Dynamic-Fit inner bootie around which it’s built. Once the midsole is broken in, however (it takes two to three solid wearings), its two encapsulated Air-Sole units-a standard unit under the forefoot and a large volume unit under the heel-make their presence felt by way of unexpectedly good cushioning response. All the while, stability is top-notch thanks to the breadth and density of the shoe’s base.

The thing that most people will notice right off the bat about the IX is its cut, and that’s because it’s a good deal higher than all but a handful of its modern-day counterparts. Surprisingly, the high cut isn’t accompanied by an overly restrictive feel around the ankle, which is a good thing for players who are in a constant state of motion. This seeming contradiction stems from the IX’s near lack of padding alongside the big bones that protrude from each side of the ankle (i.e. the lateral and medial malleoli). But while this keeps the IX from feeling bulky and boot-like, it also means it doesn’t provide as much support around the ankle as its cut would lead one to expect. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, just not as good as I thought it would be.

The only real problem I experienced during my testing of the Air Jordan IX was side-to-side movement of my foot within the forefoot area of the inner. And this wasn’t just an issue of improper sizing as the IX fit properly for length (in other words, if I had gone a full or even a half size down to get a narrower fit, the shoe would have been too short). Thankfully, the molded “fingers” that extend up from both sides of the midsole kept my feet from sliding all the way off the footbed during hard cuts, but the side-to-side shifting led to some discomfort as the medial side of my big toe repeatedly rubbed up against the inner. It wasn’t so bad that a blister developed, but the rubbing did accelerate the growth of a callus on the medial side of my big toe.

In summary, though the Air Jordan IX is no longer cutting edge, it is still a solid all-around performer. If you demand locked-down fit at the forefoot, you won’t be happy. But if you want more coverage at the ankle than most modern-day hoops shoes provide or need long lasting impact protection, the Air Jordan IX may be the shoe you’ve been looking for. Teams will also like the IX’s all-position versatility and durability (so long as it’s worn indoors only), though $125 is a bit rich for a team buy. On that point, whether you’re a team or an individual, there’s no question that you can get better value for your dollar these days. But something the Air Jordan IX gives you that the shoes of today don’t is performance plus the opportunity to play in a shoe that marks an important turning point in the history of athletic footwear design. If you see value in that, you’ll see value in the Air Jordan IX.

—From Issue 7, article by Professor K

With the traditional Chicago Bulls colorways always being released, it’s nice to finally see a new North Carolina Tar Heels colorway. With the traditional light blue, this colorway was inspired by MJ’s college, UNC. These sneakers are also very unique with their words written in many different languages across the bottom of each sneaker. Along with the black and charcoal colorway, this original one has yet to be retroed.

With the 1993-1994 NBA season starting, it was time for a new Air Jordan. The Air Jordan IX made its debut, but unfortunately not on MJ this time. He announced his retirement for the first time at the tender age of 30. This colorway was very popular even back then, and celebrities such as rapper Tupac Shakur could be seen wearing these during a music video and in a photo shoot. These are also so popular now that they retroed this colorway first in 2002, and then again in 2008 in the Countdown Package.

Continuing on with MJ’s first retirement, here is another original colorway of the Air Jordan IX. Again, these were not worn on the court by MJ as he had stepped away from the game for the first time when these were initially released in 1994. They were later retroed in 2002 and unforunately did not do so well in sales. But as the years go by, and the retro became sought after, the more and more appreciative people became of the original.

The Air Jordan IX debuted in 1994 and was the first Air Jordan not worn on court by MJ due to his first retirement. He instead wore a cleated version while taking up the game of baseball. This colorway is very unique as it, along with the “Powder Blues” are the last of the original Air Jordan IX colorways still waiting to be retroed. They retailed for $125, and even though MJ was gone from the game, his legacy still lived on.

Here’s another Air Jordan 9 Retro Low colorway for Gary Payton. While these are white and green and match his team at the time’s uniform he did not wear these on the court. These were made specifically for GP. They also feature the number “20″ stitched on the back to represent his jersey number at the time and were done up in his Skyline High School colors. These PEs were never sold.

After jumping ship from Nike to Jordan Brand, the “Glove” gets some love too. Here is an exclusive Air Jordan IX Retro Low made especially for Gary Payton. This is a very sleek looking colorway as the white-based sneaker with the chrome accents and orange patent leather make it a great looking summer sneaker. This colorway was inspired by Oregon State University. GP did not wear these on the court and they were not sold in stores.

Continuing on with the slew of Air Jordan 9 Retro PEs, here’s one for Darius Miles. This colorway was inspired by Darius’ team at the time, the Cleveland Cavaliers. This colorway was made for “throwback night” as it went very well with the old-school Cavaliers uniforms. A unique feature of these is the ice blue sole as well as the number “21″ stitched on back which represented his jersey number at that time. Too bad for these as they were exclusive to Darius Miles and never for sale.

Along with Randy Moss and Marshall Faulk, here comes Warren Sapp with a football PE. This is a special rubber cleated turf makeup of the Air Jordan 9 Retro. These were worn while he was still playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They also have the number “99″ stitched on the back to represent his jersey number at the time. A unique feature of these is Swoosh featured on the midsole.

Randy Moss and Warren Sapp were not the only football players to wear Air Jordans, because Marshall Faulk is on that list as well. This colorway was inspired by his team at the time, the St.Louis Rams. As you can see, on the PE scene, many people favored the new look of the Air Jordan 9 Retro Lows over the traditional highs. These Air Jordan 9 Retro Lows were made specifically for Marshall Faulk were not available to the public.

Who said Air Jordans could only be for baseball and basketball? Well, they can be for football too! Here is a pair of Air Jordan 9 Retro’s altered to a turf shoe for Randy Moss. These are inspired by the colors of his team at the time, the Minnesota Vikings, to match their uniforms. Moss wore these while playing in turf stadiums. They also feature the number “84″ stitched on the back to represent Moss as that was his jersey number at that time as well. These player exclusives were not for sale.

With the introduction of the low-top model of the Air Jordan 9 Retro, it’s only fitting that Mike Bibby gets one. This is a PE colorway inspired by his Sacramento Kings’ team colors. They feature the number “10″ stitched on the back to represent Mike Bibby’s uniform number at the time. He wore this colorway during home games. Unfortunately again these were not released as they are exclusive for Mike Bibby.

As 2002 rolled on, and the Air Jordan IX continued to be retroed, we got one more colorway in a low-top form. Samples were originally seen of these in a high top, but the lows are the ones that ended up making the cut. These again sold pretty well, but did not sell out on their initial release. Nowadays, they have become pretty sought after and people would love to get a pair for their retail price of $115, because they regret not doing so when they had the chance in 2002.

Here is something you might not recognize from 1994: the Air Jordan IX in low-top form. As a retro, the Air Jordan IX was made into a low for the first time ever in 2002. This colorway, very similar to the “Bling, Bling” Air Jordan Retro IV+s of 2000, featured a white-based sneaker with chrome accents, which happen to be the laceholes on these. They retailed for $115 and also included the retro card. Even though this was a new concept, they went over very well with the fans.

As the year 2002 rolled in, so did the return of the Air Jordan IX. This was the first colorway retroed and is an original color at that. They retailed for the same price as the origials at $125, but came with no retro card. Well actually there is one but for some reason it wasn’t included with this colorway. The actual card did not debut with an Air Jordan 9 Retro release until the third colorway. Jordan Brand’s explanation for the first two not coming with a retro card was due to a delay in production on them.

As the Air Jordan 9 Retro continued on, the second colorway, just like the first, was an original one. While in 2002 the camouflage theme was big, these didn’t take off so well. They actually were one of the first retros in a while to sit on the shelves and go on sale. Much like the Retro+ Vs of 2000 though, many people that slept now regret it. These are a popular shoe to customize, because dying the upper all black gives it a totally different look.

As the series came to an end in 2002, we get one more Air Jordan 9 Retro. This time it contained a nubuck upper along with patent leather and a grey gum sole. It also was made in the now very popular “Cool Grey” color scheme. These also were the last Air Jordan IX to be retroed until 2008, when it was again retroed for it’s respected Countdown Package (although not in this colorway). These retailed for $125 like the other Air Jordan IX Retros and did contain the infamous retro card with them as well.