Piper2381: Air Jordan 23 XX3

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Air Jordan 23 XX3

The Air Jordan 23 was the last official Jordan signature sneaker I bought on release day. Jordan Brand did an excellent job building up to its release. Sneaker forums were still pretty new and the anticipation they provided for how great the sneakers would be made me interested in them from the beginning. Then the media press conference that featured both Michael Jordan and Tinker Hatfield was icing on the cake. The XX3’s felt important and the hype that surrounded it reminded me of the wonderful years I experienced with the first Air Jordan releases.

The shoes were designed by Tinker Hatfield, who wanted to make an eco-friendly sneaker that didn’t rely heavily on toxic and harmful glues. The result was a sneaker that merged utilitarian stitching with elegant embroidered design in its construction. Tinker, who is known for hidden details even added Michael Jordan’s initials in the stitching pattern. To finish off the shoes Tinker added Jordan’s thumb print to the bottom soles, a feature that not only is creative but is also practical as it provides traction on the floor.

The version I own is the black, varsity red “stealth” colorway released in 2008. The toe box and tongue use a superior quality suede that makes it luxurious. A simple yet aesthetically pleasing feature that I like, is the bright red thread that mergers the uppers with the sole. Although the shoes are beautifully designed, my only complaint about them is that the toe box is too tight. The shoes fit like a glove causing people with wide feet (such as myself), to have pain on their pinky toes. I prefer comfort over style, so unfortunately I can’t recommend these Jordan’s if you have wide feet.