Unleash your inner panther with the Air Jordan 13 Retro ‘Black Royal’

While the word “visionary” gets thrown around a lot, it’s abundantly clear that Tinker Hatfield earned the distinction in spades.

The Nike designer nicknamed “The Architect” was responsible for bringing the Air Unit out from hiding in sneaker heels and into visibility for the Air Max 1, an idea famously inspired by the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

It wasn’t only lifestyle shoes that benefitted from Hatfield’s unconventional methods of inspiration.

The Air Jordan 13, the first sneaker released after Jordan Brand officially lit out on its own from under the Nike umbrella, came about in similar fashion.

“I just had this flash of consciousness about [Michael Jordan] being a predatory cat,” Hatfield said in MJ’s biography Driven From Within.

And that’s how the sleek lines of the Air Jordan 13 came to be. Hatfield gave the sneaker an outsole design reminiscent of a panther’s paw, while the holographic Jumpman badging towards the collar represents the eye of a big cat.

Zoom Air and a carbon fiber spring plate added feline-esque agility to the shoe to keep Jordan ready to pounce.

When he showed Jordan the design, the GOAT was stunned.

“Michael said, ‘How did you know?’ I said, ‘How did I know what?’ Hatfield told the Air.Jordan blog. “And he goes, ‘Only a very few of my closest friends ever call me “Black Cat.”’ And I told him, ‘I never knew that.’”

Now what’s acknowledged by many to be the most comfortable model in the Air Jordan line is returning in a new livery utilizing one of the brand’s most eye-catching colors.

The Air Jordan 13 Retro ‘Black Royal’ is a twist on the spring 2018 release, this time featuring a predominantly black textile upper with microfiber overlays in Hyper Royal blue.

Cop a pair for yourself or the little ones when it releases in full family sizing on 12/19 at finishline.com and in select stores via mobile app reservation only.

– Available at FinishLine.com or in select stores via mobile app reservation on 12/19.

– To enter for a reservation of the size of the Air Jordan 13 Retro ‘Black Royal,’ head to our mobile app on Thursday, 12/10 at 10am EST. Reservations will close on Monday, 12/14 at 1pm EST.

– Reserved pairs can be picked up in store

– No pairs will be sold in stores on 12/19, 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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