Air Jordan
XVI (16)
Head Designer: Wilson Smith III
Following the success of the XV's there
was no doubt that Nike/JB would continue
to release Air Jordan's. The XVI's were
the next shoe to hit the shelfs.
Hatfield moves on
The XVI's were designed by Nike's Senior
Footwear Designer Wilson Smith. This meaning
it was the first design since the III's
that Tinker Hatfield wasn't behind. Hatfield
was said to have moved up and he left
Smith with the hard task in creating a
revolutionary new design.
Smith decided to bring in a few design
elements/fabrics from earlier releases.
For instance we saw the return of the
clear rubber sole (V, VI, XI) and they
also featured patent leather (XI).
Gaiter on - gaiter off
But what made the XVI's unique was the
brand new gaiter/shroud that covered the
shoe and that could be removed to give
the shoe a brand new look. Not only was
this for stylish purposes, it also had
a thermal functionality.
The shoe was a little stiff and to wear
the shroud/gaiter when playing basketball
really wasn't a good idea, as it pretty
easily could fall off. The black/red and
white/mn navy both featured patent leather
which very easily got creased and cracked.
Best for playing in were the one's without
patent leater, for sure...
The overall design was great and it's
great to see a new designer put his foot
forward. Hopefully we'll see Wilson Smith
involved in the work with coming designs.
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