About the Jordan 13 Retro Chicago 2017
Few shoes in the history of sneakers are as iconic as Air Jordans, and few Jordans are as iconic as the 13, which released in 1997. Like all but two of the Air Jordan models worn on court by MJ himself, the 13 was designed by Tinker Hatfield. The AJ 13 represents a close collaboration between the designer and the athlete: Hatfield came to Jordan with an idea, but Jordan offered feedback that would shape the final result.
Jordan 13 History and Design: The Black Cat
After designing ten other iterations of the Air Jordan—one each year starting with the 3—Hatfield needed fresh inspiration for the new model. He found that one day while he watched Michael play—suddenly, it all clicked. Jordan’s grace, power, the audacity of his offense, the way he conserved his energy only to spring at the perfect moment: he looked like a panther. Hatfield got to work right away. When he showed the design to Jordan, the story goes, Hatfield referred to his concept as the “Black Cat” and Jordan was floored – Black Cat was his nickname among his closest friends. And so, the 13 was born.
The Black Cat or panther concept was worked into nearly every aspect of the final product by the time of release. It represented not only a big step forward for the brand aesthetically, but technologically as well. The first Nike shoe ever designed on a computer, it includes a number of high-tech features such as a carbon fiber footplate, a holographic logo, and reflective mesh side panels.
Early sketches called for a strap so that Michael could easily adjust the tightness of the shoe on the fly during a game, but after trying on different prototypes, Jordan nixed the idea. He said that the shoe shouldn’t have anything on it that wasn’t necessary. He wanted simplicity and performance—the result was a streamlined, stylish sneaker that was also the lightest Air Jordan Nike had ever produced.
Jordan 13 Retro Chicago 2017
As a throwback to the classic red-and-white look that started it all, the Jordan 13 Retro Chicago shoes feature the Chicago Bulls' team colors. In full Jordan 13 style, it includes rounded edges on the outsole in black and a quilted effect on the white upper. Team red decorate the back and bottom of the upper as well as the rubber weaving on the sole. The Jumpman can be seen in black on the outside of the tongue as well as in the hologram circles on the outside of the high-top area and on the center and slightly outward area of the sole. Pops of white and dotted gray are also visible in zig-zag textures on the sole.
