The Jordan 17 Goes Low for the Mike Bibby Colourway
While the Air Jordan 16 embraced the dichotomy of Michael Jordan, the then-retired player and businessman, the Air Jordan 17 was the first shoe designed for him since his return to the NBA.
Michael Jordan may not have been the same fiery young player he once was, but he was far from washed-up. In reality, his skill set and abilities had aged gracefully. During his career, MJ had developed an arsenal of moves and a high basketball IQ that deemed him one of the greatest improvers on the court.
The aim of the Air Jordan 17 was to fully represent where Jordan was in his career and life as a seasoned basketball player and living future-Hall-of-Famer.
Air Jordan 17's Top-Tier Performance Specifications
The Air Jordan XVII wasn't just about dazzling design and slick packaging. Smith didn't hold back on performance and packed the shoe with a host of upgrades:
- Premium leather upper that's easy to clean
- Lightweight, stable design that enabled a multi-dimensional or explosive player like Mike to wear them without compromising support and comfort
- Wide squared toe box for roomier comfort
- Herringbone traction pads on the foot's pressure points
- Carbon fibre shank plate for superb lateral support
- Large Air unit in the TPU heel, Zoom Air unit in the forefoot
- Removable midfoot cover to either hide or show the lacings
In a Player Exclusive release for the Air Jordan 17 collection, the Jordan Brand debuted the low-top Mike Bibby colourway. The Jordan 17's unique drawstring inner sock liner becomes much more apparent on this low-top design. It's Varsity Purple hue carries down the tongue and back to the heel. A small, thin strip of purple is positioned as a mudguard on the toe, and another chunk of Varsity Purple sits on the midsole. Directly above the midsole sits a Metallic Silver strip that wraps all the way around the heel. Metallic Silver appears once again on the shoe's eyelets. A bright white leather coats the rest of the upper. Perforated dashes form four vertical lines on each side, adding to the overall design and providing additional breathability to its construction.