Zack Schlemmer 
Michael Jordan on the NBA court but not in a Chicago Bulls uniform? You didn’t think it was possible. Until it happened. Coming out of retirement for the second time, Jordan joined up with the Washington Wizards—the team he was already part owner and President of Basketball Operations of—announcing his comeback for the 2001-02 season. On his feet for his triumphant return, there needed to be a great Air Jordan shoe, right? Well, there was: the Air Jordan XVII.
One of the favorite models of the “post-Bulls” Air Jordans, the smooth, jazzy, and sophisticated style of the Air Jordan XVII is what we’re here to learn about in this latest edition of Jordan 101. Continue reading to be briefed on the vital details of Michael’s seventeenth signature sneaker, a shoe with elegant looks and down-to-business performance.
The Basics
While Michael Jordan himself had them on his feet for the beginning of his comeback 2001-02 season, the Air Jordan XVII released at retail on NBA All-Star Weekend in February of ‘02. The shoe was released in only three colorways in its standard edition, including the most popular Wizards-friendly White/College Blue version. It also released in a slightly modified ‘XVII+’ iteration with copper accents and a croc-skin panel on the heel, as well as three colorways of the low-top build.
Jazzy Jordans
Designed by Jordan Brand designer Wilson Smith, the Air Jordan XVII was mainly inspired by the “smooth lines and flow of a jazz solo”. The jazz inspiration seemed fitting for the shoe, since with MJ getting up in years and losing some of his natural athletic ability, he’d have to improvise a little more on the court to remain the best. The jazz inspiration was found translated quite literally with music notes found on the lace cover. The XVII was also said to be inspired by the premium details of an Aston Martin luxury sports car. The outsole was finished off with inspiration from another one of MJ’s favorite endeavors: golf. It was designed to look like the aerial view of the fairways, greens, and sandtraps of a golf course.
Let’s Go To Work
Referencing Michael’s new position as a man in the front office and not only on the court, the XVII’s standard mid-top editions came packaged in a pretty extravagant shoe box: a brief case. Also packaged with a CD-Rom that included commercials and other marketing materials for the shoe, the briefcase raised the price of the XVII to a then-unheard of $200. The result was fewer initial sales, with more Jordan fans waiting to cop their pairs when they went on sale.
Packed With Technology
Even with the luxurious, streamlined design, the Air Jordan XVII managed to pack in plenty of technology to assure it as a formidable on-court performer. The XVII followed up the XVI with another optional lace cover shroud (not on the XVII+ or low-tops), although this one was smaller and a bit more practical. All standard and low-top XVII’s were constructed with a premium leather upper, “bumper” at the heel, and semi-transparent TPU heel stabilizer extending to the midfoot. The XVII was cushioned with both Zoom Air in the forefoot, and a standard blow-molded Air unit in the heel. Anchoring it all was a full-length carbon fiber shank plate. The Air Jordan XVII also featured a lacelock, not seen since the Air Jordan VI in 1991.
PE’s
Michael wasn’t the only one wearing the Air Jordan XVII on court in 2002. Jordan Brand athletes Mike Bibby and Ray Allen each received PE editions in their teams’ respective colors. Kobe Bryant was also spotted in the XVII+ later during his sneaker “free agency”.
Spell It Out
One of the lesser-known details of the Air Jordan XVII is that the lace-eyelets on the upper were strategically placed so that the shoelaces could be arranged to spell out XVII. Photo via wheninrome23
Mules
Gotta stay cozy at home, right? The Air Jordan XVII introduced the Mule, which is a bit more of a manlier word than “clog”. A few colorways released, but we’re showing you this dope unreleased sample.
How embarrassing…
One of the more memorably on-court moments of the Air Jordan XVII was during the 2002 NBA All-Star Game. Michael was, of course, the center of attention, but being out of the limelight may have given him some jitters because he missed a wide-open dunk and clunked it off the back of the rim.
Will We Ever Get A Retro?
Like most of the “higher-numbered” Air Jordans, we’ve only gotten one retro of the XVII; that of the Countdown Pack release from 2008. Being one of the favorites of the un-retroed Jordans, many collectors would love to see the XVII return, but considering their somewhat intricate design—that’s therefore more costly to reproduce—we’re all wondering if Jordan Brand will ever bless us with a return. With a price tag that would assuredly be above $200, would you be buying a pair?
History Achieved
With the Air Jordan XVII on his feet, Michael Jordan successfully completed his second return to the NBA, where he even led the Wizards in points, assists, and steals for the 2001-02 season despite only playing 60 games after suffering a knee injury. Perhaps the top highlight of his entire comeback, on January 4th, 2002, Jordan became only the fourth player in NBA history to record 30,000 career points. Michael would go on to wear the Air Jordan XVIII in his second and final season of his return, but the XVII can and should be considered the comeback Air Jordan model.
