The latest shoe in the Air Jordan signature line was officially unveiled earlier today in New York. Michael Jordan’s 29th signature sneaker, the Air Jordan XX9, is the first performance-based shoe to feature a woven-constructed upper.
“This shoe (the Air Jordan XX9) fits the foot better than any other shoe we’ve created,” said Mark Smith, Jordan Brand’s Global Creative Director, who was on hand along with other notables of the brand, such as Tinker Hatfield (Vice President of Creative Concepts), Larry Miller (Jordan Brand President) and Michael Jordan himself.
Following Miller’s presentation of the event, the Air Jordan XX9 was revealed on stage by Michael Jordan before a crowd of media members. Both Jordan and Hatfield discussed a range of topics, including the XX9’s performance attributes and their competitive relationship when it comes to designing a new product. “We’ve been working on the Air Jordan XX9 for well over two years,” said Hatfield. “We wanted to stick with the Flight Plate, but evolve it in a way to give it better heel-to-toe transition.”
Details about the actual design were explained in the Craftsmanship Room following the unveiling. Mark Smith and Tiffany Beers shared info about the woven upper being one with your foot and displayed deconstructed models and sample colorways of the XX9, including a paisley-patterned pair.
The Air Jordan XX9 will release this September in two colorways— Black/White-Gym Red and Black/Team Orange-Dark Grey. For now, view detailed photos of the Air Jordan XX9 Launch event below, and then give us your thoughts on the design in the comments.
