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Just as NBA trade rumors spark the possibility of super teams, sneaker release leaks lend themselves to footwear fantasies. This past week, the Internet was set ablaze by internal line sheets at Jordan Brand becoming public (as they often do) as divulged through Photoshop previews of the Summer 2023 launch lineup.
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Back to basketball but moonlighting as a movie star, MJ spent the summer of 1995 in what’s now known as the Jordan Dome: the basketball court and weightlifting facility Warner Bros. built on the Bt21 Shoes set of Space Jam.
Hosting famous friends like Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, Juwan Howard, Reggie Miller, and more, the GOAT looked to get back in game shape between shoots with the rabbit, reeling for revenge after an Orlando upset in the 1995 NBA Playoffs.
Putting in work with Tim Grover and the game’s greatest competition, Mike channeled his Chapel Hill days by wear-testing his new signature shoe with matching North Carolina game shorts.
Though first seen on Mike’s feet in black and white shots from the Space Jam set, the Columbia 11s actually made their NBA debut on Nov. 14, 1995, on Orlando’s Nick Anderson. With Mike in the “Concords,” the Bulls took their first loss of the season — one of only 10 losses during that historic season.
Days after their UNC christening and retail arrival, Michael made them his own again by wearing them in the 1996 NBA All-Star Game — his first appearance in the showcase since ending his baseball sabbatical. Fittingly, Mike won game MVP honors, and fans of all ages would follow in his patent leather footsteps.
Since their inception, the Columbia 11s have cultivated somewhat subtle fanfare compared to their counterparts, but their folklore is utterly unique. The quiet color blocking and UNC nuances of the Columbia colorway make them more of a niche fascination than their “Concord” cousin and less durable than their “Playoff” partner, but when it comes to sheer relevance, they hit hoops history and the pop culture pantheon in all the right corners.
Superfans will recall a high schooler named Kobe Bryant breaking out pairs as a standout at Lower Merion. Famously, Will Smith wore Jordan 11 Columbia kicks in the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. All this adds to the legend.
However, it’s just the first chapter of the storied shoe.
Back for the First Time
The retail release of the Air Jordan 11 in 1995 and ’96 threw gasoline on glowing embers.
While Tinker Hatfield crafted the “Jordan Beyond” behind the scenes, his teammates at Nike like Eric Avar, Wilson Smith, and Aaron Cooper went absolutely HAM in their attempts to save the basketball brand in what was thought to be a post-MJ world.
Releasing regarded signature shoes for the likes of Penny Hardaway, Sheryl Swoopes, Scottie Pippen, Jason Kidd, and more, the creative explosive was only magnified by Mike’s return and the release of the AJ11. In following seasons, Mike’s swan song in Chicago played exactly to script, winning three more NBA titles and debuting four more made-for-MJ models. In his final season, Nike granted the best baller ever with his own subsidiary, the Jordan Brand.
Exiting the game on top in ’98 and looking to create a cache for his company away from the court, the brand released team shoes tied to Eddie Jones and Vin Baker, as well as modern models made in Mile’s image. To add more momentum, they began bringing back coveted colorways of Air Jordans from the past while also introducing new takes on old favorites.
But rather than wait a decade to return the Air Jordan 11 — a somewhat standard protocol for retro releases at the time — Jumpman cut the cycle in half by bringing back the patent leather classic only five years after its debut.
With the internet in its infancy, however, this sort of news would often arrive under the radar. First looks were often found in the back pages of SLAM Magazine or on the feet of the newly signed Jordan Brand elite.
“[In 2000] people don’t even know it’s coming because there’s no social media telling you about the Jordan Brand lineup for the fall,” 13-year NBA veteran Quentin Richardson told Boardroom in December 2021. “A lot of times, they just saw it on us. People knew who we were at this point so they knew it was legit. They’d lose their shit and ask to take pictures with us and we’d just bask in the glory.”
As a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers, Q-Rich and running mates Darius Miles and LaMar Odom rocked retro Jordans early and often. Weeks before fans even knew the “Columbia” 11s were coming back, the Chicago-born sharpshooter was putting on pairs for NBA action.
“When you get the Elite Package from Jordan Brand, those weren’t shoes they sent you to play in,” Richardson said, “so I immediately called and ordered two to three more backup pairs for the crib.”
Originally, retro releases from Jordan Brand were intended to transition old classics on-court to new favorites in fashion. Even still, the temperature around the AJ11 was so hot that fans from generations past and present had to lace up pairs on the hardwood and in the hallway.
“I always felt like the best shoes are the ones that work on and off the court,” former Jordan Brand Vice President Gentry Humphrey told Boardroom last December. “You’ve got generations that have grown to fall in love with that shoe. The fever today is probably hotter because of sheer numbers.”
On Jan. 17, 2001, the Air Jordan 11 Columbia sneaker returned to retail to rave reviews. The enduring heat surrounding the silhouette gave life to the retro products and even created an early climate for resale, with fans often paying over box price on drop date just to make sure they had a piece of history.
In many ways, releasing an almost all-white sneaker in the middle of December was an odd spot for sneakerheads as was the change of the guard in quality control. Oddly enough, this made many Legend Blue 11s an easy transition from status symbol off the court back to a ball shoe on the court. From the pro game to the college game and every level down, the AJ11 was back as a basketball shoe even if that wasn’t necessarily Nike, Inc.’s intended marketing angle at the time.
Since the release of the Legend Blue 11, Jordan Brand has brought back revered colorways of the patent leather classic like the “Concord,” “Space Jam,” “Playoff,” and “Cool Grey” styles with the cut and craftsmanship seen on the same BLACKPINK Sweater styles Mike once wore in the Jordan Dome.
Related articles:
http://jordan13hologram.weebly.com/
http://retrojordan13barons.weebly.com/
http://cheaphologram13s.weebly.com/
http://barons13shoes.weebly.com/
https://tinyurl.com/44vvy2hy
Hosting famous friends like Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, Juwan Howard, Reggie Miller, and more, the GOAT looked to get back in game shape between shoots with the rabbit, reeling for revenge after an Orlando upset in the 1995 NBA Playoffs.
Putting in work with Tim Grover and the game’s greatest competition, Mike channeled his Chapel Hill days by wear-testing his new signature shoe with matching North Carolina game shorts.
Though first seen on Mike’s feet in black and white shots from the Space Jam set, the Columbia 11s actually made their NBA debut on Nov. 14, 1995, on Orlando’s Nick Anderson. With Mike in the “Concords,” the Bulls took their first loss of the season — one of only 10 losses during that historic season.
Days after their UNC christening and retail arrival, Michael made them his own again by wearing them in the 1996 NBA All-Star Game — his first appearance in the showcase since ending his baseball sabbatical. Fittingly, Mike won game MVP honors, and fans of all ages would follow in his patent leather footsteps.
Since their inception, the Columbia 11s have cultivated somewhat subtle fanfare compared to their counterparts, but their folklore is utterly unique. The quiet color blocking and UNC nuances of the Columbia colorway make them more of a niche fascination than their “Concord” cousin and less durable than their “Playoff” partner, but when it comes to sheer relevance, they hit hoops history and the pop culture pantheon in all the right corners.
Superfans will recall a high schooler named Kobe Bryant breaking out pairs as a standout at Lower Merion. Famously, Will Smith wore Jordan 11 Columbia kicks in the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. All this adds to the legend.
However, it’s just the first chapter of the storied shoe.
Back for the First Time
The retail release of the Air Jordan 11 in 1995 and ’96 threw gasoline on glowing embers.
While Tinker Hatfield crafted the “Jordan Beyond” behind the scenes, his teammates at Nike like Eric Avar, Wilson Smith, and Aaron Cooper went absolutely HAM in their attempts to save the basketball brand in what was thought to be a post-MJ world.
Releasing regarded signature shoes for the likes of Penny Hardaway, Sheryl Swoopes, Scottie Pippen, Jason Kidd, and more, the creative explosive was only magnified by Mike’s return and the release of the AJ11. In following seasons, Mike’s swan song in Chicago played exactly to script, winning three more NBA titles and debuting four more made-for-MJ models. In his final season, Nike granted the best baller ever with his own subsidiary, the Jordan Brand.
Exiting the game on top in ’98 and looking to create a cache for his company away from the court, the brand released team shoes tied to Eddie Jones and Vin Baker, as well as modern models made in Mile’s image. To add more momentum, they began bringing back coveted colorways of Air Jordans from the past while also introducing new takes on old favorites.
But rather than wait a decade to return the Air Jordan 11 — a somewhat standard protocol for retro releases at the time — Jumpman cut the cycle in half by bringing back the patent leather classic only five years after its debut.
With the internet in its infancy, however, this sort of news would often arrive under the radar. First looks were often found in the back pages of SLAM Magazine or on the feet of the newly signed Jordan Brand elite.
“[In 2000] people don’t even know it’s coming because there’s no social media telling you about the Jordan Brand lineup for the fall,” 13-year NBA veteran Quentin Richardson told Boardroom in December 2021. “A lot of times, they just saw it on us. People knew who we were at this point so they knew it was legit. They’d lose their shit and ask to take pictures with us and we’d just bask in the glory.”
As a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers, Q-Rich and running mates Darius Miles and LaMar Odom rocked retro Jordans early and often. Weeks before fans even knew the “Columbia” 11s were coming back, the Chicago-born sharpshooter was putting on pairs for NBA action.
“When you get the Elite Package from Jordan Brand, those weren’t shoes they sent you to play in,” Richardson said, “so I immediately called and ordered two to three more backup pairs for the crib.”
Originally, retro releases from Jordan Brand were intended to transition old classics on-court to new favorites in fashion. Even still, the temperature around the AJ11 was so hot that fans from generations past and present had to lace up pairs on the hardwood and in the hallway.
“I always felt like the best shoes are the ones that work on and off the court,” former Jordan Brand Vice President Gentry Humphrey told Boardroom last December. “You’ve got generations that have grown to fall in love with that shoe. The fever today is probably hotter because of sheer numbers.”
On Jan. 17, 2001, the Air Jordan 11 Columbia sneaker returned to retail to rave reviews. The enduring heat surrounding the silhouette gave life to the retro products and even created an early climate for resale, with fans often paying over box price on drop date just to make sure they had a piece of history.
In many ways, releasing an almost all-white sneaker in the middle of December was an odd spot for sneakerheads as was the change of the guard in quality control. Oddly enough, this made many Legend Blue 11s an easy transition from status symbol off the court back to a ball shoe on the court. From the pro game to the college game and every level down, the AJ11 was back as a basketball shoe even if that wasn’t necessarily Nike, Inc.’s intended marketing angle at the time.
Since the release of the Legend Blue 11, Jordan Brand has brought back revered colorways of the patent leather classic like the “Concord,” “Space Jam,” “Playoff,” and “Cool Grey” styles with the cut and craftsmanship seen on the same BLACKPINK Sweater styles Mike once wore in the Jordan Dome.
Related articles:
http://jordan13hologram.weebly.com/
http://retrojordan13barons.weebly.com/
http://cheaphologram13s.weebly.com/
http://barons13shoes.weebly.com/
https://tinyurl.com/44vvy2hy