The blueprint of the Air Jordan statement shoe is sketched at least 20 months before product launch. Working from his homeland on Oregon’s Gearhart Beach, Tinker Hatfield dipped his pen in company ink in November of 2005 to conceive this early mock up of the Air Jordan XX3:
The Air Jordan XX3 (23) was unveiled to the public last Tuesday at Nike’s New York headquarters. A rousing presentation of branded Michael Jordan video and anecdotal homage was cast by a panel of Tier-0 staff.
(L:R- Tinker Hatfield, Gentry Humphrey, Hannah Jones, Roman Vega)
Most attendees at the Air Jordan XX3 unveiling represented mainstream media outlets who covered the event for what it was. Sneaker Files would have done the same, but a live Q’ and A’ forum emerged in the room following the Jordan XX3 presentation. Questions were posed by representatives from media powerhouses such as CNN and Market Watch. Mainstream media outlets relay sneaker information in Layman’s terms for the world to comprehend, as the masses are not likely to read about a “hypothetical” concept discussion about the emerging Air Jordan XX4.
A few hours following the event, Sneaker Files published a news break that the Air Jordan XX4 (24) had been “conceived.” Perhaps we ignorantly overshadowed the Air Jordan XX3 launch by publishing the Air Jordan XX4 “conceived” buzz item. Our Jordan XX4 story from last week was not a lead of misinformation or unnecessary hype. The leaders of Brand Jordan confirmed that work towards the Air Jordan XX4 is progressing in a form other than the imaginary.
Meet Gentry Humphrey (right), Footwear Business Director for the Jordan Brand, and Tinker Hatfield (left) Vice President of Nike Innovation, Design, and Special Projects:
Speaking about the Air Jordan XX4 last Tuesday at the unveiling of the Air Jordan XX3, Gentry repeated and rebutted his previous statement, “If I’m around, it’s going to end at (Jordan shoe, number) 23.” Gentry conceded, stating “I said that thinking that I would be doing something else… Now that I’m here, I think that because of the legacy we created, it’s incumbent upon us to continue to set the benchmark for the industry.”
And so my friends, this is why we open our Sneaker Files…
Tinker Hatfield candidly elaborated on Gentry’s words:
“It’s true that we’ve been working on a statement basketball shoe for the Jordan line, and we have a team on it. But we don’t really know (and Michael doesn’t know…) how it’s going to materialize.”
Tinker continued, “There’s ongoing design work, you bet there is!” Adding, “Personally, I’m not so sure there should be a XX4.”
Finally, Tinker mentioned how it’s up to our reader reactions to determine the future of Brand Jordan. Believe it or not, your comments right here on Sneaker Files and other forums of new media are being read, tracked, and considered by Nike and the Jordan Brand.
I agree with V-dub,CharlesW(jordan fan for life), Jaycee,Jay_unit & Sneakerfiend. You can keep making team J's just dont put a number on it like its for jordan. and you can drop retros…………………. until Feb. 2030 make it real special for the number 45 a.k.a (the comeback). Have Tinker da great in the mix even if he is 90. Jordans to me are more than a shoe and when i buy them its like a high. So come fly with me.
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ive been a fan of the shoes and the man for as long as i can remember. stop at 23 because u cant do any better than you already have with the line. also could you drop the air jordan 3's in the original black/cement colorway? please!
i believe they should stop @ 23. I have to say Jordan is a LEGACY!!! the greatest of the great. The Mohammad Ali of basketball! Yet i believe re-releasing is the way to go. especially the OG color ways so that other generations can learn about him and why he is one of many greatest icons of all time. yeah 45 is his number he came back out of retirement, but how will the rest of 22 pairs of shoes reflect on him by that? he wasnt playing for the wizards for that long you feel me?
The harsh truth is that it should stop at XX3, its fitting and its time. Honestly people, JB (and by extension Nike) ran out of good ideas years ago, otherwise they wouldnt have kept retroing for damn near a decade. Yeah yeah, its a cash cow, younger kids get what they missed out on, but c'mon now. I loved growing up watching MJ play, his shoes defined years in my childhood and early teens, thats why to see the brand where it is now compared to how it was in the 1990s, ESPECIALLY from 1990-1994, is just really disappointing. Since MJ retired from the Bulls, only the black XVI, stealth XX and stealth XX3 have been noteworthy. And this "fusion" stuff… the designs are REALLY bad, let alone the color schemes. Dont worry Michael, your legacy is secure. The XX3 should definitely be the last shoe in the line. Let the new guys like Chris Paul carry the JB name. Yep…
MJ ONCE WORE THE @ 45 I THINK HE SHOULD MAKE A COMMEMORATIVE SHOE TO REMEMBER THOSE DAYS
I think XX3 is a nice way to finish this Air Jordan era. But it would be sad to see such legacy and dominance in the industry to end.
So, as one of the readers mentioned above, we should keep the legacy flowing but perhaps not by making Air Jordan XX4, XX5, etc, but by making special edition Air Jordans like 25th, 30th anniversaries and retros as well as CPs, Melos, etc. In addition creating a brand new MJ Signature shoe line may not be a bad idea also.
I am (32) years old and have bought almost every pair of AJ’S. My wife just surprised me with the new black 23′s. They are tight. Besides the IV, V, VIII, and the XI’s…these are the best shoe ever. I should say…these are the sexiest shoe ever. They should not stop at 24. I want my kids to grow up with the same legacy as I did. I still am. I still wait til’ every February to see Mike’s new kicks. If I have extra cash…I get them. Sometimes I don’t. I will never outgrow the Jordan Brand. Mike is my alltime hero. I stopped watching the NBA after he finally retired. Just isn’t the same without him. So Michael…Please don’t stop. I can’t wait to see what the new 24 looks like. I’m sure it will be hot. There will never a lost legacy.
I think they should stop at 23, if not they might as well just go all the way to 45, why the hell not? screw it, but in my opinion they should stop and make new Jordan brand shoes like for new players like the Jordan Melos Or Lebrons and have jordan still get money from that cuz its jordan brand. BTW the 23's are the best shoes ever, i dunno how they can improve on that.
i say go up to 23,000,000
and yall need to make some red; mostly red and black viiis
What comes to mind when you hear or see the number 23 . . . Michael Jordan
23 is an icon and I think it is truly symbolic to stop the Air Jordan Line at 23. Honestly, I feel that they should stop here because its gotten to the point where Michael isnt playing (in games) in them anymore. Plus, 24 is my number
Michael Jordan should pass the torch, Build a new Legacy in one of the new members of Team Jordan.
Keep up with the retro's though, they are awesome and I love seeing the new colorways that come out with them.
23 is symbolic but at least stop at 25 were it will be more symbolic knowing that 25 air jordans weir made and thats just a good number
I think JB should stop and I think they should not stop as well its all depending on your staff and JORDAN him self what do u want to MR.Jordan? and tinker and Gent? its all up to you guys. Wether it's somehting u want to continue doing or not with the problem of copying shoes and bootleg Nike's going around do u want to continue with that and all other conflicts that u might run into over the future? The reason why you should stop because its 23 thats why its the number u build and show us for the many times u show USA how a champion survie, but never the less there will be no more hype or shoe like the 23 because its u. Now this is my personal opinion I think Jordan Brand should star over to Jordan 1 remake them all over and make very detail stiching and all reamake Jordan 1- 22 over and for Jordan 23 retro make it Jordan 45 the end of your carrer shoe for the shoes and fans Let The Legacy live on U ARE A Legend MJ And during that year Make out the 23 over again redeisgn it and retro it as well then for the final shoe of the career Jordan 45. Or may you can continue on with Jordan 2k4 like that ? that might be a good way to do that and make each edition shoe 2K5, 2K6 and so on and when u get to 45 let it end with the JORDAN BRAND 45 u can bring back the 23 shoes 22 years later and make it 22+23=45 and sell the countdown package like that 23/45 i know i will buy it a retail store for 450.00 no higher and u will get customers I gurantee it . And for stoping 23 just says it all, NOw continue with the Jordan players I do not know about that JB that will take a major hit to your company just because in my opinion your other players have not gotten allof our respect yet May be accept for Chris Paul but the other guys trust me I will not by there shoes and other customers might not buy there shoes as well, I think the Cpaul sold very well and he and Anthony are the only 1's that are stepping up to the plate Why have u all not release RIP hamilton with his own JORDAN BRAND Shoe yet?? he have been in the game longer than CP AND CA , and alos he is with Billups as the second best back court dueo in the leaguge besides AI and C.ATHONY as I have said JB its all up to you and the company but do not think CP and C. Anthony is going to carry the whole entire JORDAN BRAND SHOE company for a next 22 OR 23 Years i just do not see it happen just because I do not think there are selling like they should
I THINK U SHOULD PUT DWADE on Jordan BraND because he still can ball and plus he have A NBA RING! one that neither nor Cp3 have or C,Anthony have one yet and I do not think no time soon that Chris Paul or CAnthony is going to get one while LA still have Kobe and Boston got RAY RAY, Paul, KG for 3 more years I think DWADE can help JORDAN BRAND CARRY IT OVER
i think you should stop at 23 and start all over at 1 and make even more colorways. ecspecially jordan's 1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12.
dont stop at XXIII keep going j's are the number i brand shoe in the world and if they stop at XXIII they could lose business
u must come 2 understand that jordan brand is an immortal brand so 2 speak it never stops cause its d best of all time it must not stop but rather giving us a great sense of anxiety leading up to february wen d new j's are 2 be unveiled its a feeling thats unexplainable wen u throw on a pair of j's trust me!
Hay if you keep making more jordan shoes the price of the og's will go up and they will be worth more
Hay if you keep making more jordan shoes the price of the og's will go up and they will be worth more and i hope if you do make a jordan 24 it must be different from any other jordan shoe
Well I really think outtta the respect of mj they should stop at 23 cus that's what the jb represents (23) I mean like some shoes have the number 23 ingraved in them not 24 so why even think of going on? I mean don't stop makinf j's but don't pass 23 shitt I love j's mom than my life….. lol so you gotts step up ur game jb cus the 21's and up are ugly but I still rock them simply for the fact there j's ! You should also think about releaseing more retros and you should realese a special edition of the 5's in a fresh prince of bel-air theme? Cus I mean that show was the reason why I love j's now lol think about it they'll see quick 4 sure pz!
Stop the jordans at xx3 i bhought a pair of black stealths this past summer and they are a fitting end to a great and uncomparable shoe legacy endorsed by the greatest player in the history of basketball kobe cant make shoes that appeal neither does Lebron or Anthony
no 24s. they should just reretro shoes lik the 6s 11s 12s 18s
alright ima keep it real…
DONT MAKE 24'S to keep it tru..
people only like the 1-18's
u dont **** it up.
newest jb is ugly
Sign Kobe and let him take over at "24" and on since he's the next greatest b-ball player. Air Kobe sounds alright to me!
I personally think that the numbering of Jordan's should end @ XX3. The should just stay with the concept of calling them "AIR JORDAN 2009'S" or something else. from the 1's all the way til maybe the 18's and xx3's, these we pure original classics. Maybe its time to bring those styles back. none of those remix or remakes stuff.
On another note regarding my previous comment, it would also be cool if they also had the NIKE AND JORDAN logos on the shoes, just like in the beginning.
Personally I think the 23's are ok but I didnt like the limited edition($300)thing cause he should have given more of us a chance to purchase them in more cities some of us couldnt get to these stores like that cause we have jobs and families, but its cool and I understand what he was doing I just wish i could atleast stood in line for them. But you guys are counting MJ out and you guys know damn well MJ dont quit anything, but that comes to show how much of a MJ fan some of u really are.MJ if you were thinking of wraping it up only do aneversiary editiond like ther XX5th silver anniver., XXXth, the XXXXth and last but not least the 50th anniver. gold edition now this is how it should be done.
i'd be fine with if they didn't stop at 23
But they should change the name…
I dont think it would sound right if i said
"i wanna cop some 24s's"
*24's
I understand the concept of stopping at 23 so I think instead of the 24 make a 23.5 edition Jordan Im a big MJ fan an a J shoe collecter I wonder what the big guy thinks about a 24?
also some of these bootleggers sites have 24's check out hoodexclusivefits.com they have a 24 as they say 4 sale
you have to keep retroing jordans everyyear. the brand will die if you don't.
I think they should stop at XX3… maybe even at 18 cause thats when he stopped… the xx3's were cool and all but isnt it going to be weird to have xx4, xx5 etc… they should keep making jordan products of course but stop the numbered series…
STOP CUZ MICHEAL FOR GETTING HOW TO MAKE TIGHT JORDANS AGAIN……..BUT KEEP THE FUSIONS GOING
I aint gone lie. I'm a hard core jordan fanatic. But, these last couple of releases(besides the packages)have been garbage. Stop at 23, and just keep bringing out the retro's. They will sell out everytime. And keep bringing out the packages, despite what the broke people say. Just switch to colorways up when u bring them out.
I seen the af1+aj25.
they go hard.
Hey Nike and Jordan brand. You really shouldn't stop at 23 I mean remember that after Michael came back to play for the Wizards he wore 45. Maybe you shouldn't go up to 45 but don't stop pleasing the people and make another Air Jordan signature shoe. You had a lot of success with the shoes so why stop now? Just because a number is in your way doesn't mean you should stop.
cos kobe is the one who gona release 24
OK for all you folks who think jordans should stop at number XX3 look on tonyhardman.com and tell me those shoes ain't clean
yo i think that they needa stop at XX3 but needa make a special release of 45 to remember the days when he came back from retirement, feel me? and then like maybe re release the retro kicks and modernize them some.. and na i dont mean like the fusions, i mean like straight up remake them and a few new flavas but keep da original, na mean? but yo if ya do go remake em be sure they go hard.
i have a jordan collection i designed to celebrate his achievements(Forever 23) collection un seen to the world yet. like the name of the collection why stop@23. to a basket ball player who was timeless and reinvented game i say Jordan forever.