John Kim 
A quick glimpse at your sneaker release calendar and you’ll quickly note that 2012 is the year to break the bank for some sick Air Jordans. Already heralded as the 23rd Anniversary of the Air Jordan IV, which denotes a number of Retro releases, Jordan Brand is also keying into the 2012 Summer Olympic Games while celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Dream Team. Among all of Michael Jordan’s career achievements, he’s actually played in the Olympics as an NBA Pro just once, anchoring that ’92 squad with his scoring ability and defense, and did so while wearing the Air Jordan VII in the ‘Olympic’ colorway. Later, in 2000, Ray Allen was selected as a member of the U.S. Olympic Mens Basketball Team, and continued the legacy of Air Jordans at the Summer Games by wearing the sick Air Jordan VI PE in a patriotic Navy, White, and Varsity Red. That particular Player Exclusive (which featured Ray’s name stitched on the heel), would later release at select Jordan retailers, and has since become one of the most sought-after and hard-to-find Air Jordan gems.
It’s one of the very few Retro Air Jordans that carries as much weight as the Originals, and some have appointed it as the best Air Jordan confirmed release of 2012 – more so than the Air Jordan IV ‘White/Cement’. However, Jordan Brand’s decision to alter the 2012 Retro by ‘flipping’ the forefoot of the midsole has garnered nods of approval from those who have prized and polished their 2000’s and fits of disapproval from those who have been waiting patiently for the stars to align and make this highly-anticipated re-release a reality. With the 2012 Retro being a trending topic here on Sneaker News, here’s a look at the original 2000 version below, so take a look and if you choose to go with the original, cop one of the available 2000 Retros like this one from gustadaninja on eBay.
