The Air Jordan 6
The Air Jordan 6 had a tough act to follow after the success of the Air Jordan 5. Luckily, due to its almost perfect balance of performance and aesthetics, the sneaker proved just as popular as the AJ5 both off the court and on it. As the model that Michael Jordan won his first championship in, the Air Jordan 6 is also one of the most significant of all the Air Jordan models in the basketball star’s career. It was also the last Air Jordan model to feature visible Nike Air branding, leaving the Air Jordan 7 to usher in a new era for the Jordan brand.
Continuing his impressive streak of Air Jordan designs, Tinker Hatfield was the mastermind behind the Air Jordan 6. Like its predecessor the AJV, the AJVI featured clear rubber on the outsole and the inspired lace lock system.
As Michael Jordan started influencing more power over the design process, the sneaker came without a toe tip, as he felt his signature look should have a cleaner toe. In addition, the model sported a rubberised tongue for easier entrance as this is something that Jordan had had trouble with before. A stretchy piece of material with a snap closure was also introduced on the tongue that worked in conjunction with the lace lock system to thoroughly secure the foot.
Although Hatfield has never stated specific inspiration for the AJ6, it does feature a heel tab inspired by the rear spoiler of sports cars. Car design eventually went on to play a huge role in the inspiration of many Air Jordan designs over the decades.
The Air Jordan 6 dropped in five different colorways in 1991, including the ‘Carmine’, ‘Sport Blue’, ‘Maroon’ and both a black and white version of the model with infrared accents.
The Air Jordan 6 in popular culture
In the early 2000s the AJ6 had a huge moment in pop culture mainly in thanks to Kanye West, among others. West was frequently seen in ‘Black/Infrared’ Air Jordan 6s and even wore them in the 2011 ‘Otis’ video from his ‘Watch the Throne’ album.
There was also another more unlikely champion of the Air Jordan 6 on television during the sneaker’s initial 1991 run; Jerry Seinfeld, who kept the model up front and centre on his hit sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ that ran from 1989 to 1998. The AJ6 was a favourite of his both then and now.
One piece of trivia regarding the Air Jordan 6 is that the sneaker actually appeared on the feet of Batman in Tim Burton’s ‘Batman Returns’. Michael Keaton fought in an all-black pair of custom Vis that matched his armour – a cool claim to fame.
Upon release Air Jordan 6s retail for around €190.
Generally, the Air Jordan 6 does fit true to size, but as it has a roomy toebox you may find you need to size down half a size.