Hatfield moves on

The Air Jordan 16 (XVI) were designed by Nike’s Senior Footwear Designer Wilson Smith. This meant it was the first design since the Air Jordan 3 (III) that Tinker Hatfield wasn’t behind. Hatfield was said to have moved up and he left Smith with the hard task in creating a revolutionary new design.

Smith decided to bring in a few design elements/fabrics from earlier releases. For instance we saw the return of the clear rubber sole (Air Jordan 5 (V), Air Jordan 6 (VI), Air Jordan 11 (XI)) and they also featured patent leather (Air Jordan 11 (XI)).

Gaiter on – gaiter off

But what made the Air Jordan 16 (XVI) unique was the brand new gaiter/shroud that covered the shoe and that could be removed to give the shoe a brand new look. Not only was this for stylish purposes, it also had a thermal functionality.

The shoe was a little stiff and to wear the shroud/gaiter when playing basketball really wasn’t a good idea, as it pretty easily could fall off. The black/red and white/mn navy both featured patent leather which very easily got creased and cracked. Best for playing in were the one’s without patent leather, for sure…

The overall design was great and it’s great to see a new designer put his foot forward. Hopefully we’ll see Wilson Smith involved in the work with coming designs.

New head designer
Creator of the design of the Air Jordan 18 (XVIII) was Tate Kuerbis (Jordan Senior Footwear Designer). A person that had been part of the Jordan footwear design team since 1999 and with Nike since 1995. The inspiration of the design is a combination fo a number of things; Sleek racing lines of the auto world, Carbon fiber-based monocoque of F1 race cars, Race car driving shoes (rubber heel wrap) and Fine Italian dress shoes (bold stitching on the soles).

What’s next?!?
With the Air Jordan 17 (XVII) having had a briefcase and a CD-rom the big question was how the Air Jordan 18 (XVIII) could possibly match this. “What is next?” was the big question for all the sneakerfreaks out there…

Well the Air Jordan 18 (XVIII) was no disappointment. With a new Jordan box with a nice cut out 18 with foil behind it and a new pull-out opening the box itself was just SUPER! Ok, it wasn’t a briefcase, but c’mon I’d rather pay $175 than $200 for AJ’s.

The Black Mamba
The design of the Air Jordan 19 (XIX)was inspired by Inspired by the most dangerous snake on earth, the Black Mamba. Again Tate Kuerbis (Jordan Senior Footwear Designer) was the driving force of the model but he was highly supported by persons such as Jason Mayden, Wilson Smith, Josh Heard and Suzette Henri, so maybe one could say that this was the largest joint effort within Air Jordan design ever.

High-tech flex
The joint effort was needed. In Air Jordan 19 (XIX), a material was used that had never been associated with shoewear design ever before. The industrial braided sleeving (also called tech-flex) that was the main ingredient of the design is a material used in the automotive industry. A superb material that stretches comfortably but has enormous support capabilities.

Double stack air
The Air Jordan 19 (XIX) were equipped with a double stack Air Sole unit in the heel combined with a full length zoom air bag. This made the shoe one of the most comfortable AJ’s ever released. As the shoe was also put together in a very unique way very few seems were felt on the inside – another feature that made them extremely comfortable.

Divided box
The Air Jordan 19 (XIX) box was not nearly as nice as the one for the Air Jordan 18 (XVIII), but the cool feature was that it was divided into two slots. In the slots you found your shoes neatly packaged in net shoe-bags.

SE
As Air Jordan 16 (XVI) and Air Jordan 17 (XVII) had the +’s and the Air Jordan 18 (XVIII) had the .5, the Air Jordan 19 (XIX) would also have a modified version released on the market. Again a simplier design, but just as high a price tag.

Tinker’s back
Tinker Hatfield returned to the driver seat when it came to the design of the Air Jordan 20 (XX). Finding inspiration from cycling shoes and motorcycle tires he created a shoe that celebrated the 20 year history of Air Jordan’s. On the heel you would find the figures 85 and 05 embedded in the mesh and the lace covers were laser etched with a massive amount of symbols representing different stages in MJ’s and AJ’s life.

I.P.S.
I.P.S. (Independent Podular Suspension) was a brand new suspension technology developed for the Air Jordan 20 (XX). A solution where individual pods supported the foot in key areas – yep, pretty similar to the Shox.

The full specs
Here’s what Jordan Brand had to say about the Air Jordan 20 (XX):
“Celebrate the past and anticipate the future with the Air Jordan XX basketball shoe. Full-grain leather and nubuck upper with detailed laser etching to celebrate the history of Air Jordan footwear. Integrated midfoot performance strap combined with hidden lacing system offers lockdown performance fit. Heel ankle support system adds customizable support while memory foam-backed collar lining cushions the foot. Asymmetrical toe-cap provides durability in key areas, protecting against toe drag. Fabric-wrapped Phylon™ midsole with new I.P.S. (Independent Podular Suspension) technology. Individual pods support the foot in key areas. Internal shank plate brings midfoot and arch upport. Rubber cupsole with traction grooves inspired by motorcycle tires. Twenty herringbone pods celebrate the heritage of the Air Jordan franchise. Wt. 14.8 oz.”

Midsole:Fully-double lasted Air Jordan XXIphylon midsole provides a low-profile stance. Evolution of the I.P.S (Independent Podular Suspension) now includes interchangeable cushioning technology with a customizable heel zoom pillar or heel encapsulated pillar. Carbon Fiber shake plate offers midfoot and arch support.Air Jordan XXI

Outsole: I.P.S. (Independent Podular Suspension) technology is integrated with the outsole through raised herringbone pods for traction in strategic performance areas. Air Jordan XXINew innovative outsole pattern offers multi-directional traction.

Profile: The future is now. The next generation of the greatest performance basketball shoe, designed for the greatest player to ever play the game. The Air Jordan XXI shoe embodies all the elements: The man, the style, the legend…Michael Jordan.

Jordan Brand has used the Independent Podular Suspension (IPS) on the Air Jordan XX1 and with the success they have also
used it on the Air Jordan XX2. Unlike the past model using IPS the pods were a little difficult to remove, so on the Air Jordan XX2 the pods are square with a little tongue to pull them out. Also the interchangeable Zoom Air pod is double stacked, which reduces the cushioning hardness.

Early samples of the Air Jordan XX2 had vents on the heel with stitching starting at the heel running almost through the toe box. Samples also had a removable strap, but Michael did not like the look of the strap so this was dropped. The shank plate is made from thermoplastic urethane which is also coated with paint containing metallic titanium.

Performance wise, the Air Jordan 23 (XX3 or XXIII) is said to be above and beyond that of any other Air Jordan. For the third straight year, the Air Jordan 23 (XX3 or XXIII) uses IPS (Independent Podular Suspension) Cushioning. For support, a carbon fiber plate extends along the bottom the of sole that modeled of Michael Jordan�s thumb print.

Cosmetically, the shoe is as unique as any other Jordan model relative to the rest of the field. Starting at the toe, the toe cap has Michael Jordan�s signature embossed. The side of the shoe features a stitched pattern that gives the shoes strength in addition to cosmetic effect. The tongue of the left and right are different for a first time with a Jumpman on the right shoe and “23″ on the left. Lastly what starts at the front of the shoe and extends the full length is a glittery glossy panel that covers the midsole body of the sneaker.

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Now, thanks to SlamOnline, we get some new pics and info confirming the info. According to Slam, the Hyperdunk 2010 will be better than ever thanks to a nice blend of familiar and updated technology. The heavily Flywired upper and Dynamic Innersleeve will be a nice link to the original Hyperdunk, but the 2010 will lose the LunarLite in favor of a two-tiered Phylon midsole with a full-length Zoom Air bag providing the cushioning. Here we have a look at four upcoming colorways, including one with a full carbon fiber upper and an unmistakable Lakers color scheme. These are expected to hit stores in the first half of next year, so stay tuned for more soon.

Air Jordan : air jordan I air jordan II air jordan III air jordan IV air jordan V air jordan VI

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And when Team USA wore them to win gold at the 2008 summer games, they let the world know that the Hyperdunk is the future of basketball footwear.