Patrick Johnson 
The Air Jordan 9 was never destined to be worn by Jordan on-court (“well actually he wore them as a Wizard” aside). The Jordan signature line was on the verge of dissolving until Tinker demanded that he continue production with this design.
Jordan’s statue ‘The Spirit‘ outside of the United Center donned the sneaker prominently as a larger-than-life MJ flew through the air in his iconic Jumpman pose. The selection doesn’t have any kind of hidden meaning though. Instead, the Bulls and the creators of the statue, Omri and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany, thought it best to feature Mike in his most current silhouette at the time of his first retirement.
Now Jordan Brand is honoring the statue that honors the Air Jordan 9 (all new Air Jordan retro colorways are a bit meta at this point). Unlike the Lady Liberty 10s that replicated a skyscraper’s steel throughout a brushed metallic upper, the Air Jordan 9 “Statue” keeps things simple with a white leather dominating most of the silhouette. The references to the copper tone of The Spirit statue are a bit on the military green side throughout the midsole, eyelets and lining, but it makes for a decidedly unique lifestyle approach to the Air Jordan signature once trapped in retirement purgatory. Currently rumored for an August 22nd release, you can check out more photos of the latest Air Jordan 9 colorway below.
Source: Marquee Sole
