About Air Jordan 16 (XVI)

Following the success of the Air Jordan 16's there was no doubt that Nike/JB would continue to release Air Jordan's,therefore XVI's hit the shelves in 2001. The Air Jordan 16's were designed by Nike's Senior Footwear Designer Wilson Smith. This meaning it was the first design since the Air Jordan III's that Tinker Hatfield wasn't behind. Hatfield was said to have moved up and he left Smith with the hard task of creating a revolutionary new design. Smith decided to bring in a few design elements/fabrics from earlier releases. For instance they saw the return of the clear rubber sole (Air Jordan V, Air Jordan VI, Air Jordan XI) and also featured patent leather (Air Jordan XI). What made the Air Jordan 16's unique was the brand new gaiter/shroud that covered the shoe and could be removed to give the shoe a brand new look. Not only was this for fashion purposes, it also had a thermal functionality. The shoe was said to be a little stiff and that to wear the shroud/gaiter when playing basketball really wasn't a good idea, as it could easily fall off. The black/red and white/midnight navy versions of the shoe both featured patent leather which very easily creased and cracked.