Air Jordan 12

About

The Air Jordan 12 was released in 1996 and carries one of the most storied histories in the entire Air Jordan line. The design features a "Rising Sun" motif inspired by the Flag of Japan, giving it a distinctly global aesthetic unlike earlier models in the series. During the 1996–97 NBA season, Michael Jordan wore four different colourways depending on the game context: the "Taxi" (white and black) and "Chicago" (white and red) for regular season play; the "Playoffs" (black and white) for home playoff games and the All-Star Game; and the "Flu Game" (black and red) for road playoff games. The Flu Game colorway earned its name from Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, when Jordan — reportedly ill with food poisoning the night before — scored 38 points while visibly exhausted, winning the game. The shoe he wore that night became one of the most recognised sneakers in basketball history. Like the Jordan 6, the Jordan 12 also appeared in the manga series Slam Dunk, with Nike releasing special-edition artwork versions of the shoe in 2014.