Air Jordan XXX

About

The Air Jordan XXX marked Jordan Brand's 30th anniversary shoe, designed by Tinker Hatfield alongside Mark Smith and released February 12, 2016. The design was inspired by an iconic photograph of Michael Jordan rising for a dunk during the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest. The roman numeral 'XXX' is woven into the design language, appearing as a heel graphic and on the outsole, meant to evoke the weave of a basketball net. The shoe evolved from the Air Jordan XX9, carrying forward a single-piece woven upper construction while adding printed and knit materials for a lighter, more supportive build. An asymmetrical collar, similar to the Air Jordan XII, blends ankle support with mobility. The outsole uses FlightSpeed traction architecture inherited from the XX9, updated with a new herringbone pattern rendered in 3D, inspired by Jordan's quote 'Excellence is never second place.' A knit heel cradle locks the foot in place while reducing reliance on glue. The tongues feature continent maps as a design detail.