Vice Style

1993 - Air Jordan VIII

The VIII featured a crossover strap, also used on the Nike Air Raid series. The all-over print shirt is insane; I'm not entirely sure why he morphs from scary flock of swallows into the jumping man. I used to have the matching shirt for the black and aqua shoes, but some douchebag I lived with stole it. To many, this is where the franchise died, and it was the last shoe Mike wore before he retired for the first time. By this point the commercials featured Marvin the Martian as well as Bugs Bunny.

1994 - Air Jordan IX & X

Baseball! What's that I hear you say? Yes, Mike packed up his kicks and swapped them for cleats. His decision to leave the NBA to play Minor League baseball was totally mystifying. Subsequently, the Air Jordan IX never really took off. It was a confusing shoe, looking very different from previous Jordans, featuring some weird speed lacing and an olive green finish. Jordan wore all-black versions on the baseball diamond, and a long time ago I was lucky enough to find a Nike baseball Jordan tee, featuring his new number, 45, and in the Birmingham Barons colors.

The X also arrived in 94. The Chicago Bulls had retired Mike's 23 shirt, in his honor. When he returned he wasn't allowed to wear it again, so he adopted his baseball number 45. There are promos of the X and the XI with the number 45 on them, and those shoes are worth more than all of your possessions combined - twice over, because after much pleading he got his beloved 23 back. The sole of the shoe featured a list of all his previous feats as an athlete.

1995 - Air Jordan XI

Okay, this is a bit of a cheeky one, as the above jacket is branded Warner Bros and not Nike. Jordan had starred in Space Jam and this is maybe the single greatest piece of tie-in merch ever. I found it in a vintage shop in the 2000s for £20, and it has been the envy of many a Jordan-head since.

1995s Jordan XI was a return to form, and is actually touted by many, as the greatest Air Jordan. It features a simplistic upper, with woven side panels, but with a very futuristic, high-tech, Zoom Air-cushioned sole. The only downside with this design is that everyone copied it, and it now just looks like any basketball shoe that was made in the last 15 years.