Five Fun Facts About the Air Jordan 15
The is still one of the most polarising sneakers in the prodigious catalogue.
Conceived by industry godfather , the AJ15 debuted in 1999 in the 'Black/Varsity Red' colourway, before returning to shelves a year later in five more renditions.
Loved and loathed in equal measure, the design DNA is of course recognisable for its immense, protruding tongue, and was the first Jordan Brand sneaker not worn by His Airness on the hardwood.
Say what you like about the Air Jordan 15 – the jet plane is here to stay! Here are five fun facts about the neck-cranking silhouette.
Air Jordan 15 'Metallic Silver' (2000)
Stealth Mode: Activated
Modelled on the X-15 hypersonic jet plane (an engineering marvel that broke records, surpassing speeds of 4000 miles per hour), the Air Jordan 15 was woven in Kevlar (Aramid) fibre uppers – an aesthetic homage to MJ’s stealthy mode of attack. The X-15 was at one time the world’s fastest manned aircraft on Earth, and the perfect blueprint to fuel the next stage of MJ’s career. His Airness routinely pairedthe sneakers with more formal attire for his philanthropic pursuits.
Air Jordan 15 'Columbia Blue' (2000)
Goodbye, Jumpman!
Dry your tears! The Air Jordan 15 was the first Jordan sneaker that Michael Jordan never actually wore on the court. Despite rumours of the Air Jordan line being discontinued after Jordan’s second retirement (cue canned laughter), Beaverton obviously had other plans.
Though Michael Jordan never donned them on-hardwood, the AJ15 was laced up by plenty of other players such as Ray Allen, Mike Bibby, and Michael Finley – even Reggie Miller rocked a pair!
Air Jordan 15 'Deep Red' (2001)
Love or Loathe?
The Air Jordan 15 did not meet sales expectations – in fact, it didn’t even get close. Some sneakerheads complained about the quality of materials (citing ill-fitting, uncomfortable inner sleeves) while others found the shape just too damn weird. There’s no doubting that the Air Jordan 15 is one of the more eccentric silhouettes from the Jumpman hangar, but that hasn’t stopped a vocal fanbase from defending the shoe – the AJ15 still retains a cult-like following to this day.
Air Jordan 15 'Anthracite' (2017)
Sun's Out, Tongues Out
Rumour has it that the exaggerated, protruding tongue of the Air Jordan 15 was actually intended to resemble MJ’s tongue, which constantly poked out of the Black Cat's mouth when the athlete was mid-flight (or mid-ankle-break). With one of the boldest tongue designs in the Jordan Brand catalogue, the Air Jordan 15 has kept tongues wagging since the late 90s.
Italian Luxury
Much like his inspirations for the , Tinker Hatfield had premium Italian shoes in the front of his mind when designing the AJ15, utilising a woven pattern on the uppers and easy-fit design resembling the shape of a moccasin. The red stripe which popped out of the all-black colourway further alluded to its Italian luxury roots – fitting, as MJ has been a vocal fan of the brand.
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