The Legend of the “Legend Blue” Air Jordan 11

1996 – A Legend is Born.

Michael Jordan wearing the Air Jordan 11 “Columbia” during 1996 NBA All-Star Game

The stage was set.  The city of San Antonio and the Alamodome was prepped for the 46th edition of the NBA All-Star Game.

For the second straight year, the league’s best were dressed in host-city-centric colors and special graphics for the game between the best.  While the fiesta inspired jerseys had lots of buzz, the return of the game’s greatest to the annual exhibition was what made the weekend like any other.

Michael Jordan abruptly left the game in 1993 and left behind just as many questions.  Answers were given with his return in 1995 despite an earlier than expected exit in the Playoffs, but his first All-Star Game appearance since the retirement made the game even bigger of an event.  Leading the Chicago Bulls to an incredible start of 42-5 record before All-Star Weekend, Michael was back and better than ever.

The game had changed in sneakers too by the spring of 1996.  The competition had their rising stars in the sneaker world.  Reebok had Shawn Kemp and Shaq, FILA had Grant Hill, but even within Nike, Jordan had new label mates including Charles Barkley and the new kid on the block, Penny Hardaway.  The All-Star Game was not only a new opportunity to shine, it was the new opportunity to catch viewer’s attention with special shoes.

Michael Jordan in the Air Jordan 11 “Columbia”

All eyes and cameras were on Mike when he took the court for the role call of starters for the main event Sunday afternoon.  Stepping onto the court, he donned a new colorway of the Air Jordan 11 that we had never seen before and was it ever amazing.  With white leather replacing the ballistic mesh, a shiny and perfectly pristine white patent leather wrap around the shoe finished off with an icy light blue outsole – it was something legendary.

The color was the third consecutive model of the Air Jordan line to pay homage to Mike’s roots of North Carolina.  The Air Jordan 1 received a Carolina colorway, but it wasn’t until he retired from the game that Nike took it all back to where MJ came from in celebrating his Carolina days when he started his legendary career.

Michael Jordan featured in an ad paying homage to UNC (1994)

MJ put on a great performance in the shoes taking home All-Star Game MVP honors for the first time since he was sporting the Jordan 3’s in 1988.  The next day at school I remember kids talking about the Slam Dunk contest (who was Brent Barry?), the main event of the ASG, but most of all Jordan’s shoes.  With Sportscenter only happening a couple times a day, no YouTube, no sneaker blogs, you either saw them or you didn’t.