SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

Jordan XII

For most fans, the Jordan XII, as well as the entire 1996-1997 Bulls season, were admittedly up for quite a daunting standard set by the previous season’s record-setting 72-10 Chicago run as well as perhaps the most innovative shoe our industry has ever seen in the Air Jordan XI. Internally, Tinker Hatfield and the rest of the team set out to take on a starkly different aesthetic in the XII, relying on rich, premium leathers and a more traditional look in knowing that replicating the XI in any way would be the worst approach possible.

What ensued was a simple-minded shoe actually inspired by a women’s high heel as well as the flag of the Japanese Army and Navy. The sunset appearance of the flag influenced the radiused stitch pattern along the upper, and to add just another touch of quality to the XII, the top two eyelets were made of metal, a touch of durability and resilience that defined the shoe’s overall longevity. At the heel debuted the tagline that Jordan Brand would use as its brand identity as it launched itself under as a subdivision of Nike Inc. in 1997, “Quality Inspired By The Greatest Player Ever.”

Aside from the rich, full-grain leather upper featured on each colorway, the overall holistic nature of the shoe took on a much more subdued tone than its predecessor, relying on classic color blocking, whereas the XI was more flashy and in-your-face. The first colorway released was in White/Black/Taxi—a subtle initial offering. To follow, a string of Bulls-themed colorways as well as the stylish Obsidian/White/French Blue would come to retail. The Black/White/Varsity Red colorway would be worn by Jordan to end the regular season, as well as at home during the playoffs, and also introduced Zoom Air in the Jordan line. Both the White/Varsity Red/Black and Black/Varsity Red launches would feature similar, low-translucent tinted red outsoles, and the Black/Varsity Red model is maybe the most famous XII, as it was worn by MJ in the “Flu Game.”

It was during the middle of the night between Games 4 and 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals when Michael felt intensely ill, nauseated and in pain. It was ruled by team doctors that he had suffered from food poisoning, and he would lay in bed over the next day and a half, missing two practices, rising at 3 p.m., just hours before the Bulls were set to face the Utah Jazz in the potentially series-swinging game. What would ensue is perhaps one of the most storied of Jordan’s heroics, as he would go on to score 38 points, 17 of which occurred in the second quarter. He would play 44 excruciating minutes and would eventually need to be helped off the floor in the arms of Scottie Pippen.

The XII would go on to see even more clean and subtle Retro colorways released in 2003 and 2004, as well as the first online Jordan release by way of the Nubuck XII Pack. It is probably best remembered though for what Michael created while wearing it, inspiring under-the-weather efforts for decades to come.