Air Jordan IX
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Michael Jordan never actually wore the Air Jordan 9s for a full NBA season. A large part to that truth is the fact that Mike had retired on October 6th, 1993. He was finally seen wearing the Cool Grey 9s but later in his career as a member of the Washington Wizards. When the shoes released, it paid homage to the superstar as he took time off to pursue his baseball career. Jordan was often seen wearing the 9s in the cleat version as a member of the Birmingham Barons.
- First Look
- Release Information
- Review
History
Michael had shocked the world as he walked away from basketball. The global influence is seen the most on the soles. On the bottom, the shoes have keywords that describe Jordan in different languages. Tinker had decided to make the 9s a tribute shoe. According to legendary designer Tinker Hatfield:
“The Air Jordan IX represented the globalization of the Air Jordan brand name. Everybody around the world wanted to be like Mike. Take a close look at the soles of the shoes, we designed the different languages around the world that describes the sporting spirit of Michael Jordan and what he has done for the world of sports.”
Right Shoe
Intenso (Italian) – “Intense”
Liberté (French) – “Freedom”
Anmutig (German) – “Graceful”
Fuerza (Spanish) – “Force”
Dédié (French) – “Dedicated”
Left Shoe
Uhuru (Swahili) – “Independence”
Cвобода (Russian) – “Freedom”
Cпорт (Russian) – “Sport”
Athletisch (German) – “Athletic”
Muundaji (Swahili) – “Hope”
There is also two Japanese words that mean “world” and “sport” seen on the soles. The heel usually features an embroidered number, most commonly the number 23. Player Editions, Doernbechers, Barons, or the Johnny Kilroys are the few exceptions that feature a different number. Not many fans know this, the Jordan Jumpman statue outside of the United Center wears the 9s. Like the Air Jordan VII and VIII, the IXs also feature the Neoprene sock liner. The retro card displays a young Michael wearing the home set of the UNC basketball uniform and the Powder Blue 9s.
Colorways:
“Powder Blue” White/Dark Powder Blue
“Chicago” White/Black/True Red
“Olive” Black/Light Olive/True Red
“Charcoal” Black/Charcoal-True Red
“Flint” Flint White/French Blue/Flint Grey
“Cool Grey” Medium Grey/White/Cool Grey
“Countdown Pack” Black/White-True Red
“All White Low” White/White-Chrome
“Pearl Blue” White/Midnight Navy
“Powder Blue Retro” White/Black-University Blue
“Bin23 Premio ” White/Metallic Gold
“Cirtrus” Black/Citrus-White
“For The Love Of The Game” University Blue/White-Black
“Quai 54” White/Varsity Maize-Black
“Doernbecher” White/Metallic Gold-Black
“Baron” White/Black-Wolf Grey
“Johnny Kilroy” Black/Gym Red-Metallic Platinum
“Fontay Montana” Pure Platinum/Game Royal-Mandarin
“Slim Jenkins” Black/Matte Silver-University Blue
“Motorboat Jones” Challenge Red/White-Black
“Calvin Bailey” Deep Royal/University Gold-White
“Bentley Crawfish Ellis” White/Dark Cayenne-University Gold