Earlier this morning Michael Jordan surprised the audience during Jordan Brands unveiling of the the next Air Jordan legacy sneaker, the Air Jordan 2009. Since retiring the first and second time from the game, the number 23 is still the number Michael Jordan is known by. For that reason he did not want to down play the importance of #23 to his legacy and the legacy of the Jordan Brand and so Jordan Legacy sneakers moving forward will be named after the year.
Also on hand for the announcement was Paralympian April Holmes who is the first female athlete on the Team Jordan roster. For those who don’t know April Holmes, she owns the world records (women’s T44 classification) in the 100m, 200m and 400m dashes, and her many accomplishments have earned her the title of “world’s fastest amputee.” Holmes’ career in Paralympics track and field began in 2002, after she was involved in a train accident that resulted in the loss of her left leg below the knee. While she lay in her hospital bed, a doctor told her about the Paralympic Games, and a new goal was firmly implanted in her mind. For her lost and incredible triumph, Michael Jordan select April Holmes to be the first female Jordan sponsored athlete.
To come up with the Air Jordan 2009, Senior Footwear Designer for Jordan Brand, Jason Mayden looked to the sport of Fencing for inspiration. In a session between Michael Jordan and Jason Mayden, both agree that the art of Fencing can be compared to the battle on the court where both types of athletes require quick moves, quick attacks and quick defense to win. The sneakers take note from the the uniform of Fencing while the technology is inspired by both the art of fencing and basketball.
More on the event and Air Jordan 2009 below…
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AIR JORDAN 2009
The all new AIR JORDAN 2009 shoe is born from the inspiration of Michael Jordan’s unstoppable will. When Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, he was driven to practice harder and longer and earned a spot on an All-American Team his senior year. When critics scoffed at his return from retirement in 1995, Jordan quieted his opponents by leading the Bulls to their second Championship three-peat. Jordan does not back down from challenges – he rises.
Pioneered from this philosophy, AIR JORDAN returns and presents the world with the answer to the Jordan Brand’s challenge of creating the most original basketball shoe on the planet. The AIR JORDAN 2009 honors the franchise’s tradition of innovation through its cutting-edge technology features. The shoe introduces Articulated Propulsion Technology (APT), a revolutionary heel system inspired by the carbon fiber prosthetics used by Paralympians and developed to allow an explosive forward movement. The heel is also split, which ensures superior responsiveness by keeping at least one half of the heel in contact with the ground at all times.
The polished design of the AIR JORDAN 2009 shoe complements its performance elements and overall engineering. The design technique of blown glass inspired the TPU (Thermo Plastic Urethane) chassis on the outsole. Using this method, each shoe is individually unique and guarantees the ultimate limited edition experience: a one-of-one collection. In addition, the AIR JORDAN 2009 flaunts polishable panache leather on the upper, a nod to the franchise’s trademark elegance. The AIR JORDAN 2009 continues Jordan Brand’s forward-thinking respect for the environment with the launch of its second Considered Design shoe. Designed under the Considered Design ethos of combining sustainability with performance and innovation, the shoe seeks to reduce waste and allow for the use of environmentally-preferred materials – without compromising athletic performance. The Considered Design ethos is one of several company-wide corporate responsibility targets that NIKE, Inc. has implemented to sustain long-term growth and innovation.
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Team Jordan athlete April Holmes
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