Air Jordan XII | Designer : Tinker Hatfield | Released : November 1996

Tinker Hatfield drew from a very different area in designing the Air Jordan XII, taking inspiration from the Japanese flag.

The AJ XII was clean and simple. The rich leather upper was stitched to resemble a rising sun, while faux reptile leather comprised the toe and accent overlays. The AJ XII featured the slogan “TWO 3” down the tongue, metal lace loops with Jumpman logos, and a pull tab that ran up the entire heel that read, “QUALITY INSPIRED BY THE GREATEST PLAYER EVER.”

This was the first Air Jordan to feature an ultra-responsive Zoom Air unit, as well as lateral and medial support panels designed to work together to create one of the most durable shoes in the signature series. The shoe also had a full-length carbon fiber shank like its predecessor.

Originally released in five colorways, the AJ XII’s offerings included the Black/Red that MJ wore during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, a game that came to be known as “The Flu Game.” Michael had fallen ill in the middle of the night prior to that game, and his appearance was questionable as he lay on a table in the locker room right up until game time. But he dragged himself up and onto the court. Not only did he play, he created a performance for the ages as he led all scorers with 38 points, including a big 3-pointer that put Chicago up for good with 25 seconds to play. The shoe he wore during that game is known among collectors as “Flu Game XII.”

Other colors of the AJ XII saw the floor during that season as well. Jordan wore the Black/White shoe during 1997 playoffs. With the AJ XII on his feet, MJ made his 11th All-Star game, won his ninth NBA scoring title, and was named first-team All-NBA and first-team All-Defense. He won his fifth NBA title and NBA Finals MVP while wearing the XII.

Beginning in 2003, the Air Jordan XII was re-released in several additional colors.

Link: Air Jordan XII