Air Jordan XXI

About

Released in February 2006 at $175, the Air Jordan XXI marked a deliberate shift from the radical Air Jordan XX toward what Michael Jordan himself requested as a 'simple and clean' silhouette. Designed by D'Wayne Edwards, the shoe drew its aesthetic from the Bentley Continental GT, translating the car's signature grille into mesh ventilation panels across the upper. Beneath the clean exterior sat Independent Podular Suspension (I.P.S.), a modular cushioning system with an interchangeable heel pod that let wearers switch between Zoom Air and standard Air cushioning. A carbon fiber shank plate reinforced a low-profile Phylon midsole, while premium Italian suede and full-grain leather gave the shoe a luxury feel uncommon in performance basketball footwear at the time. An anti-counterfeiting detail spelling 'authentic' appeared under blacklight on the medial ankle of the launch colorway. The XXI released in multiple standard colorways, including White/Varsity Red-Metallic Silver and Black/Flint Grey-White, plus a low-top version and Player Exclusive iterations worn by NBA players including Ray Allen. Arriving three years after Michael Jordan's final NBA retirement, the XXI signaled Jordan Brand's continued evolution independent of its namesake's on-court career.