Air Jordan VI

Jordan XX3 Low

AJF 3

Flight 95

Air Jordan 6 Black/Red Bottom Front View

Epitome of Air Jordans

(April 2003)

Surprised? How did our very first look at the legendary Air Jordan line turn out to be the Air Jordan VI? Well, it may not be the greatest, flashiest, or even the most innovative Jordan ever made, but the VI is in our opinion the epitome of the Air Jordan line.

The only way to really appreciate and understand the Air Jordan VI is to look back at everything that surrounded the shoe. MJ had gone through 7 seasons in the NBA that consisted of winning scoring titles, MVP awards and superstar status. However, it wasn't until that year of 1991 did Michael finally entered the league of Bird and Magic by winning an NBA championship. The first of 6 rings validated MJ's career as a complete player, a winner and a champion. In the same sense, the VI validated the already popular Air Jordan line. It came on the heels of arguably the three best Air Jordan of all time - III, IV and V. Yet Nike didn't simply look backwards and sit still. Instead, it borrowed from past design cues and added new innovations to form one complete shoe that propelled the Air Jordan line forward for generations to come. Let’s take an in-depth look at what the VI brought to the table and how it laid the foundation for the entire shoe industry for the next decade.

Design cues borrowed from previous Air Jordans:

Clear Soles – Nike was quick to bring back the distinctive clear soles from the V but also extended the use towards the rear of the shoe for a balanced look. Clear soles cause this shoe to carry a high condition sensitive rating. Yellowing on an OG pair is pretty much guaranteed.

Nike Air in the back – Carried over from III, IV, V. As the last J to carry the Nike Air logo, the VI pays tribute to the end of the early Air Jordan era. The Retro +'s switched over to the Jumpman.

Visible Air Unit – III, IV, V. The last Air Jordan shoe to carry a visible air sole until the XVI.

Synthetic Durabuck Leather – Borrowed from IV, V; easy to clean and a unique look for its time.

Lace Locks – carried over from the V minus the clear holder. Original lace locks have Jumpman on one side and Nike on the other. The Retro lace locks have only the Jumpman. Why do we even bother distinguishing the two for you? You'd be surprised at how many people collect it. (Note: OG lace locks can also raise the value of your OG VI's.)

Flight Club Card – similar to the V, this is a prelude to the future Jordan “retro card” and along with the lace locks, this is an early sign of the so called “accessories” concept.

Reflective 3M material – think of this as the earliest form of "neck-breaking" technology; it first appeared on the V’s tongue but later used discretely and ingeniously behind the VI’s side “pores”. It shines at you depending on the angle you look at it in relation to the light.

Inspirations for the shoe industry to follow:

Pull Loop At The Heel – this functionality will become a mainstay in shoe design for years to come. The idea of a pull loop may seem logical now but it only became mainstream in basketball shoes from the VI on forward.

Two Pull Hole at the Tongue – this is the single most unique function of the VI. This is such a distinct design that it has never been duplicated in another pair of kicks (although future shoes like the Penny I and Flightposite I did include a pull "loop" at the tongue). The whole idea of a pull up system for a shoe for easy entry & fit has revolutionized the way athletic shoes are designed in the future.

Circular sole pattern – repeatedly used later on in the VII and VIII. Functional wise, it boasted better traction (although we think that's more hype than truth). Design wise, it’s an extension of the circular design all over the shoe's upper. More importantly, it put an emphasis on the sole - which was at the time an often over-looked aspect of the shoe design (Did you know the Air Jordan IV and Air Flight '89 shared the exact same sole design?). No longer did manufacturer simply say “who cares about the bottom of the shoes anyway”. From that point on, designing the upper and the sole would go hand in hand as one and not as separate entities.

Lace cover that snaps in place – can we say the earliest form of shroud & lace cover design that will be adopted by the XVI, XVII, XVIII and XIX?

Placement of the Jumpman other than on the tongue – this may seem trivial to us now but when the Jumpman was moved onto the lace cover, it’s actually a big step for Nike. At the time, Jumpman's only appeared on the tongue and Swooshes on Nikes are practically always at the same position on the side and relatively the same size. By placing the Jumpman elsewhere, it lead to future designs of Air Jordans where Jumpman’s are constantly moved around the shoe (from ankle to the rear to the toe area...etc).

Rounded Toe – The VI was the first Jordan and Nike in general to have a rounded toe. The smooth Adidas shell-toe look became a favorite scheme of Mike himself. The design will find its way into all future Air Jordans with the exception of a few (IX, XV).

Contrasting pattern - It is best noticed on the Carmines where the colors are different to best contrast the shoe. Look at the same design inversely and you'll have an entirely different perspective of the shoe itself. You can stare at it for hours and notice all the intricate details that were put into this design. Sometimes you wonder, did Tinker really think of all that ... or is my imagination running away with me? Again, this is a revolutionary process that is shared by the VII, VIII and subtle ways for all Jordans to come.

Ventilation – The first Jordan to take ventilation into consideration. The circular holes and pores all around the shoe helps the foot breath easier.

As you can see, the VI was a combination of things that made the Air Jordan line so great. The end package was a top of the line innovation of its time.

What has been surprsing to most collectors is that the VI has gone relatively unnoticed in the Jordan Retro craze era. The Black/Red colorway sold extremely well but other colors took a while before they cleared the shelves. It's fair to note that the Olympic version were a hot item, but that had more to do with it's limited production #'s than anything else.

A very underrated colorway is the midnight navy colorway you see here. They could be found on sales rack for as low as $50-$70 just half a year after its release but has recently climbed its way back into the collector's pocketbooks. Isn't it interesting how the overlooked colorways are often the more sought after ones in due time?

To sum it up, we'd recommend to those long term collectors to pay special attention and care to their VI's. These are very condition sensitive sneakers that will YELLOW regardless if you wear them or not. Take a look at an OG pair and you'll know exactly what we mean. That reminds us, the only thing left for Nike to do on the VI is an encore - Carmines anyone?

Nike Air Jordan VI Retro

OVERALL RATING:
6.57 / 10

Comfort: 6
Performance: 6
Cushioning: 6.5
Safety: 6.5
Weight: 6
Durability: 6.5
Style: 8.5

HIGHS: Unique design unmatched in basketball shoes. Synonymous with Michael's first championship against the Lakers. This is one of those shoes that has a little bit of everything.

LOWS: What's innovative for its time may look outdated today. Performance ratings does not stack up to today's standards.

VERDICT: This is one of those kicks that collectors simply do not want to wear. Lack of performance and the fear of yellowing soles will cause most to leave this shoe wrapped up in some dark closet. It's a shame because this is truly a masterpiece of its time.

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