The Nike Air Jordan 9 was originally released during the 1993–94 NBA season. The release followed the mega success of the legendary Dream Team’s ’92 Olympic run. By that point, Michael Jordan was the biggest athlete in the entirety of sports, and the world.

This apogee was seen in the pandemonium that followed him. It was a testament to the global success of His Airness, and the growing fame of basketball; which served as the inspiration for the shoe’s design.

The AJ9’s outsole leaned on a storytelling motif. Both the right and left outsole of the shoe differed from the other, displaying inspirational adjectives in six languages that describe its namesake’s life on and off the court.

The “Powder Blue” makeup was one of the OG colorways, succeeded by a retro release in 2010. The retro featured “23” embroidered on the heel but its purported that next year’s release—in celebration of its 30th anniversary—will forego the detail, faithfully reproducing the shoes according to its original blueprint.

Find them on Nike SNKRS on 30 March 2024 with an RRP of US$210 for the Men’s sizing; US$160 for GS; US$100, PS; and US$85, TD. Official images should arrive within the coming months so stay tuned! We’ll update as well should anything change.

Elsewhere, have a first look at the Supreme x Nike SB Darwin Low.