The XXX was obviously a milestone release for Jordan Brand. 30 years of Air Jordan sneakers is a big deal. Read on to learn how Jordan Brand celebrated three decades.
2016
Jordan Brand took three decades of innovation at put it into the Air Jordan 30. The Cosmos played a major part in the shoe’s design and inspiration. Tinker Hatfield, who designed the 30, felt Michael Jordan’s talent was out of this world. The Cosmos inspiration was tied to MJ’s talent. An iconic photo of Michael Jordan dunking in 1988 is said to have played a role in the shoe’s design. Mark Smith assisted Tinker with the design. The 30 originally had a retail price of $185.
The XXX had a performance driven, woven upper. This allowed the shoe to have an elevated level of wearability. The woven upper allowed the shoe to be incredibly lightweight and comfortable. The XXX also provided a high level of traction. The 30 has a triple “X” design on the heel and a dot printed Jumpman on the toe.
Air Jordan and Tinker Hatfield have always done an excellent job of honoring the past of Air Jordan, while pushing the limits for the future. The retro Air Jordan models honor the past, while the latest from Jordan Brand always pushes into the future.
Jordan Brand
There are few logos more identifiable than Jordan Brand’s Jumpman silhouette. One of the rare logos that could rival the Jumpman in recognition is Nike’s Swoosh symbol. Prior to 1997, you could find the two logos together on an Air Jordan sneaker. Michael Jordan’s signature shoe was created with the help of Nike, but the Air Jordan line became so popular that it eventually did not need the Swoosh to back it. The Nike and Jordan partnership achieved a level of success that allowed Jordan Brand to become its own company in 1997, and it has never looked backed.
- Adam C. Better
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