Getting Down with the Jordan 16 OG Low Varsity Red 2001
On September 25, 2001, Michael Jordan announced he was stepping down as President of Basketball Operations and relinquishing his stake as a part-owner in the Wizards to lace up his Air Jordans and get back in the game.
The man who retired from basketball twice was back on the court again as a Washington Wizard. Michael Jordan wore the Air Jordan 16 Ginger model during the pre-season before switching to the AJ 17s in 2002, so the AJ 16 got to see some on-court time.
Air Jordan 16 History & Development
Michael Jordan began the new millennium by leaning further into his role as a businessman. With CEO of the Jordan Brand already on his resume, Jordan became part-owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards in January 2000.
With Jordan no longer playing basketball, simply attaching a Jumpman logo to a new design wasn't going to be enough to keep the Air Jordan line on its successful run. It had to continue to be innovative and buzzworthy. And with Tinker Hatfield's announcement that he was taking a break from designing Air Jordans (after over a decade), the Jordan Brand now needed to find a new designer. Wilson Smith III stepped in as lead designer for the Jordan Brand, with big shoes to fill to make the Air Jordan 16 a standout.
Smith's idea was to create a shoe that symbolized Michael Jordan's new life as a businessman on the outside, while still representing the game that made him who he was underneath. The Air Jordan 16 featured a uniquely designed removable shroud, a first for the line. Inspired by a marching band boot, the shroud gave the shoe a clean and streamlined look, fit for the office. However, when the shroud was removed, the result was a classic basketball shoe with plenty of Air Jordan heritage.
In homage to prior Air Jordan models, the design incorporated a patent leather toe box reminiscent of the AJ 11s, translucent outsoles like the AJ 5s, 6s, and 11s and a more traditional Air Jordan shape—something the Air Jordan 15 didn't have.
Jordan 16 OG Low Varsity Red 2001
The multilayered outsole of the Jordan 16 lows gives them a distinct appearance when placed beside other Jordan releases. The perforated white leather upper on top of the leather sole is the design work of Wilson Smith, who took over designing the Jordans from Tinker Hatfield. The heel section of the upper is in a distinct varsity red, which is matched by a layer of the outsole. The Jumpman logo is placed on the side of the collar, stitched around a glossy emblem finish. The foldable collar lets the back section of the collar pop out, breaking the consistent varsity red theme on the rest of the collar. On the upper, the toe section maintains a smooth white leather, which is stitched to the perforated middle upper which covers all the way to the back heel varsity red.
