Air Jordan 9

The Air Jordan IX or Air Jordan 9 was designed by designer Tinker Hatfield and his team in 1994. During this period, Michael played baseball for the Barons and wore the spiked version. This Jordan was inspired by the Japanese culture during Michael Jordan's stay in Asia and gives it a minimalist design. To date, the Air Jordan 9 has been available in many colours, some of which have become classics such as "Black-Olive", "Cool Grey" and "Doernbecher Pollito".

While Michael Jordan's basketball career took a short hiatus after his third win over Charles Barkley's Phoenix Suns, his line of basketball shoes did not follow the same fate.
Indeed, the Air Jordan 9 was the very first shoe of the young basketball player wearing the legendary number 23 to be launched after Michael Jordan expressed in a statement that he was retiring from the court. Let's find out the history and origin of the Air Jordan 9.

In 1992, when the basketball star travelled to Asia to promote his line, renowned designer Tinker Hatfield and Nike began to think about what would be the ninth version of the Michael Jordan sneaker! A sneaker that aspired to be international and that dreamed of highlighting MJ and the Jumpman brand around the world. A world and a population completely fanatical about basketball that had only one wish, to identify with its idol. The most unusual feature of this Air Jordan 9 is its sole. Indeed, this sole, which was the very first to be affixed to a basketball sneaker, tells a story.

In order to make his idea a reality, Tinker Hatfield called on the ingenuity of Mark Smith (Nike's current creative and new products director). He drew on various discussions with the star player to reveal his mindset both on and off the court!

The sneaker is inscribed with the basketball player's number, the year 1994 (the launch of this ninth iteration), the globe on the back of the heel and the Jumpman logo. The look will be based on the various features needed for better traction, so that this sole will be as good as it is attractive: 

Ironically, this pair of Jordan shoes was never worn by the No. 23 during his contract with the Chicago Bulls (although players like Penny Hardaway and Mitch Richmond wore PE colours) but will be reinterpreted in a baseball iteration during his run with the White Sox and Barons.

Among the many products in this remarkable collection, Jordan Brand has been quick to revisit the Air Jordan 9, a legendary sneaker that has made history. It was first seen on Michael Jordan's feet in the film/documentary "The Last Dance" during his first practice with the Looney Tunes.

As mentioned above, the Air Jordan 9 was the first sneaker that the King of Basketball did not wear on the court. Created by designer Tinket Hatfield in 1993, the 9th version of the Air Jordan range was launched while the player was in his first sporting retirement. However, even though the AJ9 never made it onto the court, the pair will be found at the feet of the Michael Jordan statue in front of the United Center in Chicago.

The history of the Air Jordan 9 has many anecdotes, but its uniqueness, as a reminder, can be seen in its outsole. Hatfield and his team redesigned the Air Jordan 9 while Jordan was on a promotional tour with the renowned Nike brand in Asia. The designer felt that the Air Jordan 9 would be the pair that best exemplified the brand's "worldwide" aspect. Air Jordan would not only be an American brand, it would be known and recognized worldwide. And it's all thanks to the talent of Michael Jordan, a true global icon. When Tinker Hatfield called on designer Mark Smith to come up with an unusual innovative sole, Smith immediately improvised a story that would be told on the sole. "He said, 'Let's make a sole that tells a story. The story of a sport that has become international," recalls Tinker Hatfield.

And so, words in different languages will be engraved on the outsole, such as: "Uhuru" (independence in Swahili), "Muundaji" (hope in Swahili), "Intenso" (intense in Italian), "Freedom", "Anmutig" (grace in German), "Fuerza" (strength in Spanish), etc. We wanted to talk about competition, about winning, about the approach of basketball... And these terms were more than just basketball. It was a way of thinking, a way of living...", explains designer Mark Smith.

As for the rest of this unusual sole, it is also very graphic but above all very world-oriented, with Chinese symbols, a globe and much more.