Jordan Retro 9

And that’s if we could comprehend what we’d just witnessed.

It was early October 1993 when MJ called a press conference to announce his retirement from basketball. And it was just a month later that the Air Jordan IX would hit the shelves. It would earn the distinction of becoming the only shoe Jordan would not wear during a pro game, yet it will live forever as the shoe depicted on the statue of His Airness that resides in the lobby at the United Center in Chicago.

Internationally known

Designer Tinker Hatfield got an assist from fellow designer Mark Smith for the AJ IX, which re-released as the Jordan Retro 9 beginning in 2002. Their goal was to tell the story of how impactful MJ had been worldwide.

So they turned the outsole into a storyboard of sorts. That’s where you can find a unique look between the left and right outsoles. Note the “1994” embossment, as well as words in various languages that describe aspects of MJ’s persona:

Right shoe – Dedicated (in French), Force (Spanish), Intense (Italian), Freedom (French), Graceful (German).

Left shoe – Sport (Russian), Independence (Swahili), Freedom (Russian), Athletic (German), Hope (Swahili).

To that, a concept rendering from nearly two years prior would have added an ankle-to-heel strap that would’ve featured an Asian script.

Collect ’em all

Whether it’s the Retro 9 or any other Jordan Retro that grabs your attention, there are elements you can add to complete your look. You don’t need to be told that details matter, so look for the Retro 9 backpack and T-shirts to add just the right accent.