The Air Jordan XI: The Sneaker Retrospective Series

Many people remember NBA legend Michael Jordan's comeback being based on the second 1995-1998 stint with his Chicago Bulls. For sneaker lovers and Jordan aficionados, they remember his grand entrance in the 1995 playoffs against the Orlando Magic - in those shoes.

The shoes of which are spoken are the equally legendary Air Jordan XI. Constructed by Nike and then-head designer of the Air Jordan series, Tinker Hatfield, the AJ XI was a beautiful combination of elegance and utility.

With an upper made of ballistic mesh and a wraparound rand made entirely of patent leather, the AJ XI enabled the wearer's foot to breathe, while giving support to the whole perimeter of the foot. The shoe itself resembled dress shoes that were fitted with spats, from the styles of the early 20^th century. Jordan himself was said that he wanted a shoe that looked as if he could wear it with a tuxedo (which is what many a high school student did when heading to their respective prom galas).

The AJ XI also featured two other features that were the first of their kind on a sneaker, not unlike the patent leather and ballistic mesh features aforementioned: full-length clear rubber outsoles and carbon fiber plates.

The clear rubber outsoles were featured partially on previous models like the Air Jordan V, and gum outsoles were dated to sneakers decades before 1995, but no basketball sneaker dared to feature such an attribute. Allowing for superior grip on the hardwood floor, the outsole itself made for better court feel, making quick maneuvers a less maniacal task. The carbon fiber plates which sat between the foam midsole and the clear outsole was a first. With carbon fiber under the entire foot, there meant two things. First, the support given to the arch of the foot would mean less injury to the plantar fascia ligament, running from the toes to the heel (a common injury that many athletes of all sports face in the form of its medical name of plantar fasciitis). Since Jordan himself is flat-footed, which means the arch of the foot is more prone to the injurious nature of basketball, the plate was an instant answer to discomfort. Secondly, as carbon fiber is nearly indestructible yet very flexible, the plate could move with the foot's nature motions while allows for the stress of running and jumping to be equally distributed across the entire foot; this would also decrease injury and foot fatigue.

With subtle logos of the number 23 and the famous Jumpman logo, the Air Jordan XI is forever remembered as a true shoe of form and function. Originally released from late 1995 to the spring of 1996, the shoe was released on various occasions in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2007 in many forms beyond its traditional mid-cut model.

While the Air Jordan may not be the No. 1 sneaker in total performance (as later models have built tremendously upon the features that the Jordan XI offered) and while there could have been modifications made to the shoe (the hypothetical addition of Nike's internal ankle inversion "monkey paw" wings, full-length Zoom Air), the AJ XI is timeless in the hearts of Jordan fans all across the world.