Tagged “history”
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Testing the Jazz Story Against the Shoe Itself
The Air Jordan XVII was designed around jazz improvisation. How much of that concept is visible in the object, and how much is just good press copy?
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Two Reasons to Want an Air Jordan 17, and Only One Was Planned
The Air Jordan XVII was built for a 2002 grown-up buyer. It is now mostly sought as a number in a run. The shoe reviews differently for each.
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How Jazz Shaped the Air Jordan 17: Wilson Smith's Design Story
Designer Wilson Smith III built the Air Jordan XVII around jazz improvisation. How that idea became leather, a lace shroud, and MJ's comeback shoe.
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The Briefcase Launch: Why the Air Jordan 17 Cost $200
In 2002 the Air Jordan XVII shipped in a metal briefcase with a CD-ROM and a $200 price tag. The story of sneaker retail's boldest luxury statement.
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Why There Is So Little Honest Writing About the Air Jordan 17
Reliable information about the Air Jordan XVII is scarce, and much of it is repeated rather than observed. How to read the record.
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Why the Air Jordan 17 Gets Left Off the Lists
The Air Jordan XVII rarely appears in rankings of the line. Four honest reasons the model gets overlooked, and the case for taking it more seriously.
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A Flagship With No Title: The Air Jordan 17's On-Court Standing
The Air Jordan XVII is the Washington shoe — worn by a Michael Jordan chasing nothing. How a flagship without a championship gets remembered.
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Known for Its Case: How Packaging Became the Air Jordan 17's Name
Most people who can name the Air Jordan XVII call it the briefcase shoe. How a metal case eclipsed the sneaker inside it, and what that cost the model.
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The Disc in the Case: The Air Jordan 17's Soundtrack, Now Unplayable
The Air Jordan XVII shipped with a CD-ROM carrying music made for the launch. Two decades on, most owners cannot play it — and that says something.
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The Countdown Pack XVII, Reviewed: A Retro That Arrived in Pairs
In 2008 the Air Jordan XVII came back bundled with an Air Jordan VI. A review of what the Countdown Pack format did for the shoe, and what it did to it.
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College Blue on White: Reviewing the Air Jordan 17's First Look
The White and College Blue Air Jordan XVII is the original and still the definitive one. Why the OG colourway suits this design best.