Derek Anderson Says He Convinced Michael Jordan to Make Air Jordan 11 Lows

Derek Anderson convinced Michael Jordan to make low top Air Jordan 11s.

Air Jordan 11 Low "Concord"
Image via Nike
Air Jordan 11 Low "Concord"

Low tops have been a part of Michael Jordan's sneaker lineage since the original Air Jordan 1 and still, to this day, numerous Air Jordan models release in low top variations. The Air Jordan 11 Low is easily the most popular low top, and while they're primarily for comfort and style these days, it was retired NBA player Derek Anderson who made the silhouette a possibility. 

This past weekend, the original Team Jordan athlete appeared at the A&M Sports Academy March Madness Fundraiser, where Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson of the Scoop B Radio Overtime Podcast asked him about designing his own sneakers while at Jordan Brand.

“I was sitting in the office with Michael Jordan. We were all sitting at the table," said Anderson. "I was used to playing in low cuts, so I told him, ‘Can’t we cut these shoes off?' He looked at me and was like, ‘What?’ And I was like, ‘I just wanna cut that shoe off, I like these in a low cut. He said, ‘Let’s try it.’ We tried it and we came up with a low cut shoe and I’ve been wearing low cuts ever since.”

Watch as he recalls the meeting with Michael Jordan that made the Air Jordan 11 Low a reality.

While they aren't PEs, the 11 Low returns in several colorways as part of the Air Jordan Summer 2017 Collection.