Flight Club<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFollowing Jordan\u2019s second retirement from the NBA in February 1999, and following the disappointing performance of its initial retro campaign from 1994-1995, Jordan Brand refocused its efforts on re-creating high-quality retro versions of various Air Jordan classics. Initially, original colorways sparked the beginning of the Jordan Retro craze from the late-90s through the mid-2000s.<\/p>\n
With each successful Retro launch, Jordan Brand reached deeper into their archive and unlocked a multitude of silhouettes in original colorways which evoked deep nostalgia among purists and offered a taste of vintage Jordan history for younger collectors and enthusiasts at the time in an era which predated social media.<\/p>\n
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In order to remain a major player in the sport fashion sphere, and in light of the constantly changing market and consumer demands, Jordan Brand – a pioneer and trendsetter in sneaker fashion and sport performance – created a brand-new lifestyle collection in the early 2000s where certain silhouettes featured updated colorways and materials such as patent leather and low-top height in an effort to pay homage to the past while staying fresh regarding current trends in lifestyle and fashion in a post-playing market marked by inspiration outside of Chicago and the hardwood.<\/p>\n
One of the first Air Jordan Retro iterations to have received the lifestyle treatment was the Jordan 9 Low Retro \u201cPearl,\u201d a pair that after nearly 17 years following its release, continues to have staying power and cult cache in modern day sneaker culture.<\/p>\n
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The Air Jordan 9 made its retro debut in the original white\/black-true red colorway in February 2002 to modest fanfare. No attention to detail was spared, as the sneaker came complete with a black\/silver Jordan Retro face box and retro card.<\/p>\n
Later that year, the Jordan 9 Retro made its lifestyle collection debut this time in a low-top version and outfitted with pearlized blue patent leather accents which marked the first time the Jordan 9 incorporated this formal basketball aesthetic, a design cue most synonymous with and first seen in the Air Jordan 11, another Tinker Hatfield creation.<\/p>\n