The Michael Jordan statue outside the United Center in Chicago was unveiled on Nov. 4, 1994. On Saturday, the Spirit, an Air Jordan 9 silhouette inspired by the statue – and featured on it – will hit stores.
The shoe uses militia green, a color meant to mimic the appearance of the bronze statue. It has a predominantly white upper, with militia green and a black-and-militia green tongue. The upper also boasts black-and-militia green highlights, including the eyelets, lining, the Jordan-branded heel tab and the 23 underneath it. The outsole is mostly militia green with black speckles, with a black Jumpman logo and white bottom.
It’s the details that pay homage to the statue and the globalization of the Air Jordan brand that make this sneaker special, including the date the statue was unveiled printed inside the tongue and the five words written in different languages on the bottom of the shoe, including the Spanish word for force, the German word for athletic and the Italian word for intense.
The Michael Jordan statue was unveiled following Jordan’s first retirement from basketball, when he announced that he would trade the hardwood court for the grassy outfield of baseball.
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The Air Jordan 9 Spirit will have a retail price of $190.
