The 11 Most Grailworthy Air Jordan 11 Colorways of All Time with Stadium Goods

“I’m back”. With these two words, Michael Jordan announced his return to basketball after almost 18 months away from the sport that had catapulted him to ‘The Beatles’ levels of stardom not reached by any sportsman prior. After an agonisingly long hiatus fulfilling his childhood, and his late father's dream of playing Major League Baseball, the rumours and the uncertainty of ‘will he, won’t he’ had all been put aside, the city of Chicago and basketball had their mercurial superstar back. But, for the rapidly growing market of sneaker obsessives, a market that Michael along with Nike and his eponymous Jordan brand were almost solely responsible for creating, MJ’s return meant something else too, something altogether more tangible, a piece of MJ you could call your own – new Jordan’s. The wait was over, the Air Jordan XI was on the horizon.Get more news about air jordan shoes for youth,you can vist ajsize.com!

In the months prior to His Airness’s return, Nike were still wondering how they’d survive without their superstar. The Air Jordan X was the end of the line for their wildly successful Jordan brand footwear. But designer Tinker Hatfield had not lost hope. So confident was he that Jordan would return to the sport that made him, he’d already begun to design what would become the original Jordan 11. While the Jordan 11 project was deemed by most Nike execs as a waste of time, Hatfield’s dedication to it was vindicated when upon Jordan’s surprise return, he could immediately present the NBA MVP with his next shoe. And it was love at first sight. The only problem now was kickstarting production for the Air Jordan that was never meant to exist. Annoyingly for the general public, while MJ debuted the Air Jordan XI’s in May of 1995 it would take another five months before anyone could get their hands on them. The big gap in supply and demand lead to the first ever lineups for a basketball sneaker, something that’s become commonplace in sneaker culture today. With the sheer volume of students who bunked school to try and get their hands on the latest colorways, Nike even had to move Air Jordan 11 release dates from midweek to Saturday. But other than limited supplies, what else made the Air Jordan 11 such an icon?

The design of the Air Jordan 11 was the perfect marriage of performance technology and aesthetic design. The patent leather mudguard – a material Jordan had been pushed for on his shoes since the AJ IX – not only made the sneaker look more formal, it also helped stop MJ’s foot from rolling over the footbed when making quick stops or cuts as it stretched less than regular leather. It was lighter too, especially when combined with a lightweight yet durable ballistic nylon mesh to create the upper. There was technology hidden within it too. The futuristic translucent ‘icy’ sole concealed a carbon fiber spring plate that was stiffer and lighter than ever before meaning it generated more torque when moving on-court, alongside a full-length Nike Air sole unit for maximum cushioning. Basically, the Jordan 11 was a shoe that looked as good as it felt to play in. Although every one of MJ’s signature sneakers has its claim to be the best Air Jordan ever released, the AJ XI is one that most often tops the list and with good reason too.

The Air Jordan XI is the most popular Air Jordan of all time. Nike’s tradition of releasing new editions of the AJ11 every December since 2008 has made it the most important date of the year, beating both New Year’s Eve and Christmas. It’s MJ’s favorite Jordan. And Tinker’s too. And while every one of his sneakers has its fair share of Jordan’s greatest moments and most legendary stories attached to it, the Air Jordan 11 is special in that it charts the beginning of the final act in Michael Jordan’s heroes story – his return from retirement which ending in the second three-peat with the legendary Pippen–Rodman axis at his side. So if you’ve finished ‘The Last Dance’ and are looking for the next best thing, join us and Zack Schlemmer, Content Manager at Stadium Goods as we take a look back at the best Air Jordan 11 colorways of all time.