Air Jordan IX

Air Jordan IX

Designer: Tinker Hatfield

Released: 1993

After leading Chicago to a third straight championship in 1993, the maestro walked off the stage. Michael Jordan shocked the basketball world by retiring that October. He signed with the Class AA minor-league Birmingham Barons the following February, and as he worked his way through the bus leagues, Nike prepared the Air Jordan IX to hit the hardwood without him. Penny Hardaway, Kendall Gill, B.J. Armstrong, and Mitch Richmond each wore an exclusive version of the shoe during the 1993-94 season. And, a decade later, a high school senior named LeBron James wore the White/Green/Gold colorway to commemorate his school, St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio. The AJ IX became the first Air Jordan that the man himself would never wear in competition. Though, ironically, it's the AJ IX that's depicted on the statue of MJ outside the United Center in Chicago. Nike built the AJ IX's upper with leather, nubuck, and mesh. The nubuck area wrapped around the toe and included reflective sparkles in three of the four original colorways. The inner booty sockliner carried over from the previous two Air Jordans. A one-pull lacing system debuted with the AJ IX. A polyurethane midsole sat atop the rubber outsole in a tooth-like design. The back of the shoe featured a molded plastic globe graphic with a Jumpman logo. The sole of the shoes featured words in different languages, symbolizing MJ's popularity expanding globally. He retired from baseball on March 10, 1995, and returned to the hardwood on March 19. He wore number 45 for the remainder of that season - his 23 had been retired, though he defiantly put it back on for game 2 of that year’s Eastern Conference semifinals - and wore the next shoe in his signature line, the Air Jordan X.