Basketball Shoes – Air Jordan XX

When talking about basketball shoes, Nike’s Air Jordan shoes have no equal. They are an inherent part of basketball culture and symbolize things that no other athletic shoe company could dare hope for. This year marks the twentieth Air Jordan model released in twenty years. Even though Michael Jordan no longer plays professionally, the shoes are as popular as even and show no sign of becoming a thing of the past.

Everything about Air Jordan’s is unusual. Michael was given the sneaker endorsement deal in 1985 during his rookie season. Twenty years on, the shoes not only chronicle the technological developments in athletic shoe manufacture but also are a sort of growth chart of Jordan’s illustrious career.

So Much More Than an Athletic Shoe

Michael famously wore a new pair of Air Jordan’s for every game he played. This endorsement made the shoes incredibly popular with younger players and ensured steady stream of sales. This security allowed Jordan and his collaborator to experiment with shoe design. One model was designed to resemble Michael’s Ferrari, another a fighter jet. Still another had a removable gaiter that resembled the spats on a Scotsman’s traditional shoe.

The latest Air Jordan, the XX, is a fine example of technology and design working together to make art. The sole features a revolutionary pod system that helps to absorb the shock and support your ankles and feet feel on the basketball court. There are 10 pods on each shoe and each one is printed with a different model of Air Jordan, thus forming a retrospective of 20 years of shoe making on the soles of your feet.

The front of the shoe features another fascinating design element. The large Velcro band that goes over your instep has a very intricate collage of icons that represent Michael’s career in baseball and basketball. The Air Jordan XX is as much a historical document as it is an athletic shoe and is surely on of the most original designs of all time.