Jordan 11 Retro Space Jam (2009)

The allure and shiny patent leather finish on the Air Jordan 11 Retro "Space Jam" is seemingly irresistible to sneaker enthusiasts, Michael Jordan fans, and fans of the 1996 live-action/animated movie Space Jam. While the 2000 release of the Space Jam Jordans caused Jordan Brand to move their mid-week sneaker releases to Saturdays, the 2009 Space Jam 11s could easily be the craziest of all releases. By 2009, sneaker blogs were just beginning to gain popularity and social media had become a mainstream phenomenon, spreading the buzz of the annual holiday Air Jordan 11 release far beyond the sneaker community. It seemed like people who hadn’t bought Jordans in years were coming out of the woodwork to line up for a chance at the Jordan 11s worn by MJ in the Space Jam movie. Of course, the memories of Michael wearing the Space Jam 11s against the Orlando Magic in 1995 still had sneaker collectors feeling nostalgic, and the reseller game was becoming a trend that every kid was trying to get into back then. The result of the iconic patent leather and ballistic nylon design in Black/Varsity Royal-White from Tinker Hatfield, combined with the biggest buzz the sneaker world had ever seen, made the 2009 Air Jordan Space Jam 11 Retro one of the hardest to come by.