SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

Jordan VI

Loved by many, the Air Jordan VI holds a special place in the heart of Michael Jordan as well, as he led the Chicago Bulls to their first franchise championship in out battling the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers during the 1991 NBA Finals. In doing so, not only did he capture the limelight away from Johnson and the Showtime Lakers, but he also set the stage to dominate the next decade as the sport’s premier showman. The VI was quite the complement to Jordan’s masterful season in which he took home league MVP honors and was named to the first teams of both the All-NBA and All-Defense lists. Once again featuring two insets of clear rubber as well as visible heel Air, as the V did a year prior, the VI also took on a more dramatic look, featuring a mostly base-colored upper with a main accent color along the midsole.

Most noted on the VI is its sky-high tongue height, which Tinker Hatfield implemented to allow for easier entry into the narrow collar. The rubberized tongue also became a usual suspect as a fashion icon, just as the previous three models had done, as it was often worn casually with jeans tucked just behind it. As Michael’s first title helped quiet his critics as his game continued to progress, Hatfield also rose to the challenge once again, creating an iconic silhouette with minimal branding. The last shoe to visually feature “Nike Air” in plain text along the shoe, the VI is most loved in the Black/Infrared colorway, as Michael could be seen pulling off ridiculous change-of-hands layups against LA while wearing them.

The VI was also treated to a fifth colorway when originally launched, as the previous three models consisted of four original colorways each. While MJ could be seen on court wearing the White/Infrared/Black and Black/Infrared colorways during the majority of the season, it’s the legend of the White/Carmine/Black colorway that has emerged as the most sought-after version. Released originally in more limited numbers and only worn sporadically by MJ, the “Carmines” to this day can fetch four figures online. Two other colorways rounded out the launch calendar of the VI, as the White/September Blue/Black and Off White/Maroon also were released. While Jordan drew attention on court, it was sitcom newbie Jerry Seinfeld who became known among fans for his sneaker love shown on screen, as he was often seen wearing the September Blue VIs during the series’ second season.

The VI has been relatively untouched by the Jordan Brand as far as Retros go, as we saw re-releases of the Black/Infrared VI as well as Retro+ colorways such as the White/Midnight Navy and Olympic-inspired Midnight Navy/Varsity Red/White launch in 2000. Aside from a few low-top versions, the only other Retro colorway has been the Black/Metallic Gold Retro 6 released in the Defining Moments Package to commemorate Jordan’s first championship. The mystique of the VI is certainly aided by the career-shifting dominance MJ displayed on the hardwood that season, and it still stands as a definite favorite on many collectors’ lists.