Air Jordan XV

Air Jordan XV

Designer: Tinker Hatfield

Released: 1999

Michael Jordan announced his retirement on Jan. 13, 1999, prior to the beginning of the lockout-shortened season. So designer Tinker Hatfield was once again challenged to design a shoe that MJ would never wear on the court. Hatfield again tapped an aspect of MJ's playing style, this time drawing inspiration from the X-15 fighter plane, which set speed and altitude records through the 1960s. Like its inspiration, the AJ XV had an aggressive, sharp-edged silhouette. The upper was built with a woven Kevlar material, it had a fully molded Pebax reinforced heel counter, and it incorporated a large mesh tongue that stuck out (mimicking MJ himself). The heel counter featured numbers significant to MJ's career: 23.6.15 represented his jersey number, the number of titles he won, and the shoe model. The heel counter extended to the outsole and read 2.17, Jordan's birthday. The XV featured a hidden speed-lacing system, a seamless dynamic-fit sleeve, rubber herringbone traction pods, an injected thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) external heel counter and a breathable leather pattern. The XV also featured a full Zoom Air for low-profile cushioning. The original was released in four colorways in 1999-2000. The XV was also released in player-exclusive colors including White/Green, White/Carolina Blue, White/Red and White/Purple. Several Team Jordan athletes sported the Air Jordan XV: Mike Bibby, Michael Finley, Ray Allen, Derek Anderson, and Reggie Miller.