Celebrate a quarter-century of revolutionary design with the Air Jordan 11 Retro ‘Jubilee’

They say time flies when you’re having fun.

But can you believe it’s been 25 years — a quarter of a century — since the groundbreaking Air Jordan 11 was unleashed on the world?

Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball sneakers of all time, the Air Jordan 11’s life began while its namesake was still in hardwood retirement, trying his luck on the diamond.

While many believed Michael Jordan’s hoops career was done, legendary designer Tinker Hatfield was not among them. In fact, he was so certain that MJ would be back that he continued working on the shoe he’d wear upon his return to the NBA promised land in the 1995-96 Finals.

“I started designing the Air Jordan XI during Michael’s first retirement—I kept saying he would un-retire,” Hatfield said in an interview with GQ in 2012. “People at Nike gave me a hard time, so I wanted to show those assholes that we could make the best Jordans ever.”

It’s difficult to argue with Tinker’s success. The AJ 11 brought to market technology and materials nobody had ever seen before in basketball shoes, a sneaker traditionally built for function over form. This one had both.

A shank plate made of carbon fiber — inspired by tech featured in football boots and roller skates — ensured more rigidity and kept the shoe from warping under load. Cordura mesh laid the basis for a flexible, lightweight and strong upper, while brilliant patent leather elevated the sneaker’s look from the boards to the boardroom.

The result was timeless. Alongside the AJ 1 and AJ 3, the 11th edition of Mike’s signature shoe is the jewel in the Jordan Brand crown.

You can now almost set your calendar by the big-hype Air Jordan 11 releases that are the centerpiece of the holiday season. We saw the ‘Space Jam’ 11s in 2016, the ‘Win Like ’82’ and ‘Win Like ’96’ colorways in 2017, the third retro coming of the ‘Concord’ in 2018 and the ‘Bred’ dressing last December.

This time around, Jordan Brand is marking the 25th anniversary in style with the Air Jordan 11 Retro ‘Jubilee,’ releasing in full family sizing on 12/12.

Mixing a crisp white midsole with a black mesh upper and matching glossy patent overlays, the Air Jordan 11 Retro ‘Jubilee’ will look just as much at home on the court as it will with a sharp outfit. Metallic Jumpman and 23 insignia grace the heels, while the word “Jordan” is spelled out along the eyelets for another high-detail touch.

The customary translucent outsole reveals the carbon fiber shank plate and a white Jumpman logo on a black background.

Say happy birthday to one of the greatest basketball silhouettes of all time when the Air Jordan 11 Retro ‘Jubilee’ arrives in full family sizing at finishline.com and in stores via mobile app reservation on 12/12.

– Available at FinishLine.com or in select stores via mobile app reservation on 12/12.

– To enter for a reservation of the Air Jordan 11 Retro ‘Jubilee’ in Men’s and Grade School sizing, head to our mobile app. Reservations open on Thursday, December 3 at 10 a.m. EST and will close on Monday, December 7 at 1 p.m. EST.

*Status Members, use your Status Points to redeem extra entries to increase your chances of winning.

– Reserved pairs can be picked up in store.

– No pairs will be sold in stores on 12/12, only at FinishLine.com

– To adhere to local social distancing guidelines, we suggest picking up your shoes during designated windows of time:

11am-1pm (last names beginning with A – G)

1pm-3pm (last names beginning with H – M)

3pm-5pm (last names beginning with N – T)

5pm-7pm (last names beginning with U – Z)

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