A Closer Look At The Air Jordan XXX

After today’s Air Jordan XXX presentation wrapped, a closer look of the shoe’s details and explanations of its design were offered by Jordan Brand via its website.

The explanations were provided by Tinker Hatfield, VP for design and special projects for Nike, who also offered insight on the contributions of Mark Smith, senior creative director of innovation for Nike. Hatfield also divulged Michael Jordan’s one request for the shoe: to make it “look fast.”

One noticeable characteristic of the Air Jordan XXX is its height, with an asymmetrical top line similar to the Air Jordan XII. The shoe also boasts a knit collar, atypical of Air Jordan releases.

“I remember thinking about how silhouettes are important in the world of basketball, not just for performance – whether it’s a mid-cut or high- or low- or something in-between – but as a hallmark of that year,” Hatfield said in a statement. “We kept marveling at how we were able to keep the dimensions down and make it look slick.”

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The shoe’s knit collar.

CREDIT: Courtesy of Nike

Another trait that stands out is the toe cap, which features a new printing technique by Smith — a dotted process that produces a durable and breathable product. Hatfield explained in the statement that Jordan is obsessed with the “toe-down look of a shoe,” which was previously a standout element of the Air Jordan XI, where the patent leather extends up the vamp.

The Mark Smith-designed toe cap.

CREDIT: Courtesy of Nike

The shoe’s traction, though not a visible element when worn, received a significant upgrade in the Air Jordan XXX, via the FlightSpeed technology from the Air Jordan XX9. Hatfield stated that the Air Jordan XXX is “probably the best-performing Jordan chassis we’d ever done,” but he changed the traction pattern from a typical herringbone configuration to a pattern of a Jordan quote: “Excellence is never second place.” The quote pattern also appears on the heel counter.

Material updates also stand out on the Air Jordan XXX, Featuring a woven, knit and printed material mix. The upper is predominantly a woven material for strength, and knit encompasses the ankle and interior to keep it soft and breathable.

The use of knit, according to Nike, also allowed the designers to look at the shoe’s fit from the inside out. The Air Jordan XXX features a knitted cradle to keep the heel in place and reduce the amount of glue needed to make the shoe.