When Jordan announced he was coming back to the hardwood, Nike and Hatfield still hadn’t finished testing the Air Jordan 11. But seeing the design, Jordan went against everyone’s advice and wore the shoe on the court anyway.

Equipped with a patent leather upper to contain Jordan’s foot during lateral movements, a lightweight ballistic mesh, and a carbon fiber spring plate, the Retro 11 was ready for greatness. The only question was whether Jordan would be ready after a year out of the league.

Jordan quickly quelled the doubts. Returning to Chicago, he found a shadow of the championship team of two years back. But things were about to change. Despite having not played basketball in a year, Jordan came back in the Retro 11 Concord for a 13-4 finish to the season and a 55-point game in Madison Square Garden.

The next year, Jordan and his black/red Retro 11s went on to win a championship, and he was voted the regular season All-Star, and finals MVP. MJ was back on top. A black/royal Retro 11 ‘Space Jam’ colorway was later worn by Jordan in the movie as he battled aliens in an intergalactic basketball game, launching the sneaker to pop culture fame. The shoes became bigger than basketball, and everyone wanted a piece of the legacy.