SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

Jordan XIV

The XIV will live in infamy after Michael chose to wear them against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA finals. He had worn XIIIs up until the very last games of that season, but he chose to break out the XIVs for games 4 and 6 – the latter of which turned out to be the deciding game for that series. In that game, the “Last Shot” occurred, which many believed to be Jordan’s last game in a Bulls uniform. Shortly after that series, Jordan announced his retirement for the second time.

Two heavy hitters, design-wise, that played a role in the design of the Air Jordan XIV are none other than Tinker Hatfield and Mark Smith. The inspiration for this shoe would come from a place similar to other Jordan designs: a car. That car would be a Ferrari 550 M. Its sleek design and speed embodied MJ’s game. The sleek look of this shoe complimented the luxury present in it, and showed just how much insight went into the design of this model.

An interesting fact about the XIV is that it has seven Jumpman logos placed upon each shoe, which, when totaled, equals 14 logos on the pair. Sticking with the Ferrari theme, the most noticeable Jumpman logo was placed on a Ferrari-like shield. Also, it was the first Jordan to have metal-tipped laces, which has been an ongoing feature since then. The ghilley lacing set-up allowed for the eyelets to be placed along the inner part of the shoe, as opposed to the traditional loop holes, letting the XIV achieve an even greater fit.

Among the models released were the basic White/Black/Varsity Red colorway and the White/Varsity Red/Black colorway. Along with those, the Black/Black/Varsity Red “Last Shot” colorway was also released, which was the only XIV Jordan ever actually played a game in. On top of that, Jordan Brand began thinking outside of the box and seeing the Jordan game shoe as having more casual appeal as well. They released the White/Black/Oxidized Green and the Black/Black/White/Indiglo colorways, which were were not seen as typical “basketball-style” choices. Another standout release was the elusive White and Carolina Mid, which showed up in the Eastbay catalogue. Many people missed this release altogether, which has sparked countless online debates whenever they happen to pop up.

Even though Jordan was out of the game, this shoe remained in the public eye as Jordan Brand began to put them on some of their Team players. At the time, this was very rare to see outside of his Bulls Teammates. The most notable players wearing these shoes were Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, Mitch Richmond and Jordan’s close friend, Charles Barkley. At this point, Barkley was in Houston and able to wear the White/Red colorway. Also, Jordan Brand-sponsored colleges were wearing XIVs - the two biggest being the University of Cincinnati and Jordan’s alma mater, the University of North Carolina.

To some, the Jordan line ended with the XIV, mainly because Michael had stepped away at that time and appeared to be doing so for good. Even after his second return, he never donned a Bulls jersey again, making it difficult for some to see a Jordan shoe in a non-Bulls colorway.