The Air Jordan XI - History, Design, and More of These Rare Air Jordans

The Air Jordan XI was meant to stand out with a perfect combination of form and function. The condura nylon material was inspired from high-end mountaineering backpacks and was used to give the upper of the rare Air Jordan XI model lightweight durability.

Further innovation came with the use of a carbon fiber plate on the sole of the shoe, that can be seen underneath the clear outsole, which gave the shoe exceptional torsional rigidity.

The most visually distinct aspect of the shoe was its shiny patent leather mid and toebox. A material long used in the fashion industry, patent leather was extremely lightweight, when compared to genuine leather, and also tended not to stretch - a very useful property to help keep the foot within the bounds of the shoebed during quick direction changes on the court.

The shiny leather gave the rare Air Jordan XI what many described as a "formal" look - a fact that many owners of the shoe took advantage of thereafter, pairing the shoe off the court with business suits in substitution for dress shoes.

courtesy: wikipedia

Bringing back to the old days, the Original Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords was worn by Michael Jordan back in 1995 in the semi finals. Sadly, each game Jordan wore the Original Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords he was fined $5,000.

Michael Jordan continued to wear the Original Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords for two more games, then switched shoes. Since the OG Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords was a Black and White shoe, and the whole Chicago Bulls team wore Black sneakers, this caused the fines.

courtesy: sneakerfiles.com

The Air Jordan 11 (XI) Original (OG) - Space Jams (Black / Varsity Royal - White) were created as exclusive pairs for Michael in his movie Space Jam, which was released in 1996.

Only five pairs were known to exist. As opposed to the ironed-on "23%u2033 at the back heel like the 2001 retros, these were stitched on, and the Jumpman logo was actually purple. This deadstock pair was auctioned by Platinumgold24k on eBay Feb 2004 for US$11,100.

Another pair that was auctioned by k_town_hu$tler on Feb 22, 2004 was apparently game-worn by MJ during the first part of filming for the movie. He actually obtained his pair in a trade with MJ's personal stylist from the movie, in exchange for a car (Honda Civic).

The Air Jordan 11 (XI) features specifications such as a carbon fiber spring plate, ballistic nylon uppers, a Huarache inner sleeve, quick lace system, carbon fiber sheath and air sole.

Originally released in 1995, the Air Jordan OG 11 (XI) Black / Red is a all time favorite. As you can see, the Patent Leather stitched to the side of the upper contains a White line, this is a way to distinguish a Original Air Jordan 11 (XI) Black / Red.

The Air Jordan 11 (XI) Black / Red took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to another Championship defeating the Seattle Supersonics. Another unique addition to the Air Jordan Original 11 (XI) Black / True Red is the Red translucent sole.

courtesy: sneakerfiles.com

The Air Jordan 11 (XI) Retro Cool Grey actually started riots in some places in the world, resulting in some property damages. But, for a first time release, the Air Jordan 11 Cool Grey had a lot of people wanting to purchase.

The Retro Air Jordan XI Cool Grey released March 3rd 2001 with a ticket price of $125. Nowadays, they go for much more, but the Air Jordan 11 (XI) Cool Grey is a great addition to ones collection.

courtesy: sneakerfiles.com

The Air Jordan 11 (XI) Retro Columbia was another classic from the 1996, but brought back and made available to the public once again. The Air Jordan XI Columbia Blue contains a dominate White upper, with Blue accents.

The Air Jordan 11 Retro Columbia released January 17th 2001, and at the time was a general release. Retail for the Air Jordan 11 (XI) White/Columbia Blue was $125.

courtesy: sneakerfiles.com