Kiven J. Molina Blogs: Nike Drops Jordan IX Golf Shoe

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Nike Drops Jordan IX Golf Shoe

This season, fans of both basketball and golf are really feeling the love from the Jordan Brand, as the Nike affiliate continues to push out retro product outfitted for the golf course. For its latest foray into the fairway, it's the Air Jordan IX that Jordan Brand has re-imagined. Two colorways are being released for Spring.

Set in the traditional black and red of Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls jersey, the first colorway offers a decidedly more basketball flavor. The second white/grey colorway looks a bit more like a traditional golf shoe, but definitely has a bit more edge then your standard golf spike.

For the traditional golfer who sees this as little more than Jordan taking a swipe at the golf shoe market, it's worth considering that there may actually be a bit more substance here. Michael Jordan has been an avid golf fan for as long as we can remember, and was spotted on the course as early as his rookie season in the NBA. That's 22 years of Jordan and golf.

A Brief History of the Jordan IX

The fact that the Jordan Brand has chosen the Jordan IX for this release is certainly interesting. Although keen observers will note that the shoe is featured on the Jordan statue outside the United Center, Jordan never actually wore the IX on the court during its original run. Shoe history buffs may recall that the Jordan IX was released while Michael Jordan was pursuing his baseball career.

TW Influences

For those focused on the performance story behind the Jordan IX, you'll likely find parallels with another popular Nike Golf shoe. The Jordan IX golf shoe borrows heavily from Nike Golf's Tiger Woods line. Elements of the TW'14 are clearly present, most notably in the sole design. There won't be any confusion of the IX's origins, however; Jordan's '23' is prominently displayed on the heel.

While most definitely not your everyday golf cleats, the Jordan IX has just the right amount of crossover appeal to not look out of place on the golf course.

They may not help you get under par, but at least you'll look good slicing that ball into the next fairway.