SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

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Key Tech: Zoom Air (full-length), carbon fiber midfoot support shank

Use: Hoops, Indoor and Outdoor

Position: All

Colorway Tested: White/Flint Grey/Metallic Silver

Price: $135

Pros: Generally comfortable; excellent support under and around the entire foot; top-notch impact protection with a wonderfully responsive feel; great stability; excellent traction; should hold up very well to wear both indoors and out

Cons: High cut ankle can be uncomfortable; allows some movement within the inner at the forefoot; a little bulky, particularly around the rearfoot

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THIS SUN STILL ARISES

It’s the NBA Finals and the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz are battling through a pivotal game five, tied at two games apiece. Running a temperature somewhere north of 100 degrees, Michael Jordan is battling a severe stomach virus. Though clearly suffering from the effects of the bug (which included a sleepless night leading up to the game), he somehow manages to not only play, but dominate-scoring a game-high 38 points (15 of which come in the fourth quarter) and hitting the game clinching 3-pointer with 25 ticks left on the clock.

After the game, Jordan crumples into Scottie Pippen’s arms and half walks/is half carried off the court.

The Flu Game. It’s the Jordan memory that lives on most strongly in my mind and in my heart. More so than His Airness’ 63-point, double-overtime performance against the Boston Celtics in the 1986 Eastern Conference playoffs. More than his “I hated him for doing it, but couldn’t help but love watching him do it” double nickel at the Garden against my beloved Knicks in only his fifth game back from his first retirement. And even more than his impossible jumper at the buzzer over Craig “This is What He’ll Always be Remembered For” Ehlo to win the fifth and final game of the 1989 Eastern Conference playoffs against Cleveland.

What elevates the flu game above those other incredible moments for me is that it revealed the extent to which Jordan’s greatness extends beyond the physical. He had every excuse to sit that game out and no one would have thought any less of him if he did. But he played, willing his body to perform at a level most of us will never come close to achieving-even when we’re 100% and having a good day-and carried his team to a crucial victory (as any Bulls fan will remember, the team went on to win game six in Chicago to lock up their fifth championship).

I know it sounds corny, but whenever I start to get down on myself or feel like I’m too tired to finish doing something that I know I need to finish, I think of that game; of MJ’s indomitable competitive spirit and his refusal to quit. To this day it inspires me.

So why have I gone into this spiel about my most special MJ moment? Well, it’s only tangentially related, but the shoe Jordan was wearing at the time was the shoe I’m reviewing here: the Air Jordan XII. I realize that he would have performed the same way no matter what he was wearing, but the fact that the XII was on his feet at the time won the shoe a special place in my heart. And yet, due to a variety of circumstances (including the availability of funds, or lack thereof, when the shoe was originally released), the XII was one of only a handful of Air Jordans that I hadn’t owned or worn until I started testing it for my Kicksology.net review in the summer of 2004.

You might assume that, given my emotional attachment to the shoe, I would have been eagerly anticipating my long belated opportunity to lace it up, but I wasn’t. For one, I’m not a big fan of retros; what made me love J’s in the first place was that they were always on the cutting edge of style and performance and, at least in my view, re-releasing old models tarnishes their luster by taking them out of the context of the eras in which they were originally released. I’m also a sucker for technically-advanced products and I wasn’t expecting much from the now over eight-year-old Jordan XII on this front. Finally, coming off my review of the Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4, the XII looked really big, bulky and heavy. I guess you could say I wasn’t expecting much from the XII, but my time with the shoe quickly swept away my reservations.

That’s because, though the Air Jordan XII was released back when the Macarena was the hottest thing going, it’s still a remarkable all-around performer and perhaps the best thing going if you’re in need of a shoe for both indoor and outdoor hoops. It provides generally good comfort, excellent impact protection with surprisingly good cushioning feel, excellent support around the base of the foot, excellent stability, tons of support at the ankle, excellent traction and an outer shell tougher than George Karl’s job in Denver through the remainder of this season (that’s pretty tough, in case you were wondering). The downsides are less than stellar fit at the forefoot, some discomfort around the top of the ankle and a rearfoot that feels a bit bulky.

Overall, I’d recommend the XII to active players who want the responsive feel of a guard shoe combined with the support (meaning overall support around the entire foot and ankle) of a big man’s shoe. It’s also a great choice if you’re looking for something that’s both responsive and durable-a rare combination these days. Avoid it if you’re a low-top kind of guy (note for low-top fans: the XII is offered as a low as well), a stickler for locked-down fit at the forefoot or a fan of ultra-light shoes. At 17.6 ounces in a U.S. men’s size 11 the Air Jordan XII is no Star Jones, but neither is it a feathery Kate Moss-it’s basically just about average. The big surprise for me was that, while the XII may be middle of the road in the weight department, in most other respects it’s still anything but. That’s a clear and, thanks to its retro re-release in the fall of 2003, tangible testament to the fundamental quality and innovativeness of the Air Jordan XII’s original design.

—From Issue 7, article by Professor K