Air Jordan VI | Designer : Tinker Hatfield | Released : 1991

The Air Jordan VI is a fixture in basketball history. Released in February 1991, Michael Jordan wore it to the Chicago Bulls’ first championship just a few months later.

While the sports world focused its attention on MJ’s emotional first embrace of the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy, with his father looking on proudly, the sneaker world was trying to catch glimpses of what was on his feet.

Most apparent on the AJ VI was the leather overlays, which upon careful inspection reveal a “2” and a “3” to honor MJ’s uniform number.

Carrying over from the AJ V were the sculpted midsole, Vis-Air heel cushioning, and translucent (“frosty”) outsole. And while the original releases consisted of leather, the Black/Infrared colorway included rich suede.

But largely, the AJ VI included a clean toe cap, a rubber tongue with finger loops, lace locks, a molded heel tab, and an inner booty sleeve designed for comfort.

Years later, Ray Allen and Vin Baker would wear the White/Navy/Red colorway at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. But the shoe’s popularity reached well beyond the hardwood, as comedian Jerry Seinfeld wore it on early episodes of his eponymous sit-com, “Seinfeld”.

While MJ wore the shoe, he averaged 31.5 points per game on his way to a fifth straight scoring title. He also earned first-team All-NBA, first-team All-Defense, and a seventh straight All Star appearance to go along with the league MVP honor. And to cap it off, MJ earned Finals MVP, all of which likely paled in comparison to clutching that trophy.

Link: Air Jordan VI