The latest installment in the legendary Jordan Brand lineup, designed by Tinker Hatfield and released in February 2013, featured all the cushioning and stability technologies one might expect from Jordan's flagship model. But it all lived behind a shroud, enabling the wearer to decide just how much to reveal.
Several AJs, from the AJ XVI on, featured a shroud or a lace cover of some type. The sock-like shroud of the AJ XX8, comprised of a high-end material from Schoeller textiles in Switzerland, featured a zipper front that folded down neatly to reveal a "2" on the medial (outside) of one shoe and a "3" on the medial of the other (denoting Michael Jordan's iconic jersey number). It offers a blank slate that Jordan Brand has promised to use for a variety of eye-catching colorways during the shoe's life cycle.
The AJ XX8 featured a number of technologies: Zoom Air unit for low-profile cushioning, all-new Jordan Flight Plate, dynamic Fit straps for flexible support, carbon fiber heel counter for support, mesh upper for flexibility and ventilation. The new Jordan Flight Plate that debuted in the midsole of the AJ XX8 was about two years in development. It consisted of a moderator plate, the Zoom Air unit, and rubber.
Designers started with a Nike Shox plate, added air bags, and knew they were getting close. It evolved to consist of a carbon fiber plate designed to deflect force and maximize the Zoom Air and its low-profile responsiveness. This enabled the separation of the forefoot and heel for the first time in the Air Jordan lineage.
For added stability, the AJ XX8 included a molded, carbon-fiber external heel counter that served as a natural extension of the Flight Plate.
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