SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

Jordan XIII

The Jordan XIII was the last model that Michael played in as a member of the Chicago Bulls, other than his last games of the finals against the Utah Jazz – where he chose to break out the XIV. Tinker Hatfield took lead role in the design of the Jordan XIII, which some have said is one of the better performing shoes of the line. This was the season in which Jordan would bring home his sixth ring as a Chicago Bull, and a dynasty would come to an end, thus giving this shoe historical significance in the eyes of many.

As the story goes, when Tinker sat down to start the process of piecing the XIII together, he had yet to meet with MJ to discuss the shoe. Tinker noticed the similarities between Michael’s game and a panther. Michael would lay back, wait for his chance and then pounce upon the opportunity at hand—much like a panther in the wild. Eventually, when Tinker did meet with Jordan and discussed the similarities between him and the panther, MJ let Tinker in on a secret—his friends often referred to him as the “black cat.”

On the shoe, the most obvious connection to the panther was the paw-like outsole. Another feature of the XIII is located on the upper of the shoe. This is where a hologram was placed which, depending how you looked at it, displayed either a basketball, the number 23 or the Jumpman logo. In a few colorways, such as the Navy/Carolina Blue/Flint Grey/White, the upper incorporated a 3M material, which made them especially eye catching.

Five colorways of Mids were released during the 1997-1998 season. The initial White/Black/True Red/Pearl Grey and the White/True Red/Black colorways were what Jordan would wear while at home at the United Center in Chicago. The Black/True Red colorway was used on road games throughout the league. Then, to pay homage to the University of North Carolina, the Navy/Carolina Blue/Flint Grey/White colorway was released and proved to be a success. Finally, during the playoffs, the Black/Varsity Red version was released. The hype around MJ wearing the XIII showed that there was no greater advertisement for Jordan Brand.

When the shoe originally debuted, MJ was the only one wearing them, aside from a few Bulls teammates. However, many of the Jordan Brand team players wore them upon their 2004 retro. One particularly notable colorway of this run was the Grey Toes—a long sought-after original, unreleased, sample style. The Altitude Green version was also notable—especially for the long lines and long drives that went along with its limited release. Whether he was carrying his Bulls to the NBA finals, or breaking one of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring records by scoring in double digits for the 788th consecutive game, MJ’s accomplishments were great in this shoe. It is still held in high regard today.