k i c k s t a r t m o n d a y s: a i r j o r d a n X I I ...

Welcome to this week's installment of Kickstart Mondays, this week we'll be reviewing one of the many iconic sneakers MJ wore while winning his 6 NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. This week, we'll be focusing on the Air Jordan XII. It is only appropriate for us to discuss the sneaker that started it all, you may be asking yourself what does he mean started it all? The Air Jordan XII was first worn during the 1996-1997 season during the Bulls second NBA title in their second set of three titles.

For those who have a deeper understanding of the brand will know that the Air Jordan XII was the first Air Jordan to be released under Jordan Brand, a sub division of Nike. During 1997, Nike had decided to branch out and market the Jordan line as a separate subsidiary of the company and was the first Air Jordan to not contain the Nike Air/Swoosh anywhere on the shoe. Tinker's original dream to minimize the presence of Nike and the Swoosh was finally realized in this release. The Air Jordan XII was inspired by two different things; the rising sun from Japan and a female's high heel shoe. Both inspirations are evident in the design and subtle accents that can be seen throughout the shoe. What made this shoe memorable was not the design or look of the shoe but rather what MJ did with them on during the playoffs. Titled the "Flu Game", MJ wore the black and varisty red colourway during the playoffs where he put up 36 points to help win the game while suffering the flu. MJ's dedication to the game and his team was so inspirational that he had to be helped off the court by Scottie Pippen because he was so weak. MJ you're the man!

The Air Jordan XII is considered a fan favourite on and off the court. The XII is one of the most comfortable sneakers in the Jordan line and provides incredible ankle support. With the recent retro craze and releases JB has put out for Q4 of 2009 we have been fortunate to see several retros as well as new colourways of this sneaker. This year JB released a special version of the Black/Varsity-Red called the Flu Games. This pair which features the same colour schematic as the original contains a few subtle differences from the original and retros. Say what you will about the recent retros, none can deny the beauty and comfort of this shoe.

If you slept on any of the releases such as the Nubucks, Rising Suns, Flu Games or White/Varsity-Red versions head over to Finishline to cop your pair now. Trust me, you do not want to sleep on these!