If you’re a sneakerhead, you’ve already circled February 17th on your calendar. That is, the day when the Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Playoff’ will be released. The release date pays homage to 1997, when the sneaker made its debut in Cleveland during All-Star Weekend. Since the initial release, the sneaker has become a collector’s favorite.
“To celebrate the shoe, Jordan Brand is releasing the original playoff colorway of the Air Jordan XII in its OG specs. That’s OG everything — leather upper, mudguard, carbon fiber shank plate, everything. The timing points back to when the shoe debuted in Cleveland during All-Star Weekend in 1997. In February 2022, the shoe will release in — where else? — Cleveland during this year’s NBA All-Star Game,”
Jordan Brand wrote about the sneaker.
The sneakers were nicknamed ‘Playoff’ because Jordan wore them throughout the postseason and during the NBA Finals, where the Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz to win the title. The Air Jordan 12 ‘Playoff’ were first introduced in 1997 and were reissued in 2004 and 2012, with a low-top variant debuting in 2017. In 2022, the beloved colorway will be available for the first time in ten years. Continue reading to find out more about the silhouette and the upcoming rerelease in 2022:
Designed by Tinker Hatfield in 1995, the sneaker was inspired by a 19th-century women’s shoe design. It communicates a bold and striking elegance. Jordan was not afraid of fashion, and Hatfield, in particular, catered to his sense of style as the Jordan Brand grew. Despite having a fairly traditional basketball sneaker form, the Air Jordan 12 has a profile that resembles a high heel, with the leather top curving down by the heel and commonly spanning a contrasting color midsole. The high-contrast design made these basketball sneakers one of the most noticeable and easily recognized on the court.
The Air Jordan 12 was the first Air Jordan shoe to include Zoom Air, and it did so brilliantly with a full-length unit enclosed in a Phylon midsole from heel to toe. It also included a carbon fiber midfoot support shank, which was carried over from the Air Jordan 11. Because the top is almost entirely constructed of leather, some users complained about a lack of airflow when wearing the 12 while playing. However, there is one benefit to the substantial leather upper: the Twelve is exceedingly durable.
Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Playoff’- Design
For this retro launch, original design cues are brought back to the forefront. The sneaker features a two-tone color pattern with a black full grain leather upper and contrasting white lizard-textured details on the mudguard, midsole, and rubber outsole. The molded eyelets are highlighted in metallic silver, while the Jumpman-embroidered tongue and webbing heel loop are accented in a bright red color. The sneakers have full-length Zoom Air cushioning, a carbon fiber shank plate, and a rubber outsole with herringbone traction pods under the forefoot and heel for increased performance. The color scheme of the sneakers is Black, Varsity Red, and White.
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Release Date & Where To Buy
To commemorate the Air Jordan 12’s 25th anniversary, the Air Jordan 12 ‘Playoff’ colorway will be reintroduced in 2022 for the first time since 2012. The Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Playoff’ is set to release during NBA All-Star Weekend on February 19, 2022 at select Jordan Brand retailers and on Nike.com. Men’s pairs will retail for $200. If you can’t wait for the launch, grab your pair at GOAT and Flight Club.
Among other upcoming Air Jordan release dates, check out the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Dark Marina Blue’ set to launch on February 17th.
Air Jordan 12 Retro “Playoff”
BRAND: Air Jordan
RELEASE: February 19, 2022
STYLE CODE: CT8013-006
UPPER MATERIAL: Leather
MAIN COLOR: Black
COLORWAY: Black/White/Metallic Silver/Varsity Red 308317-004
DESIGNER: Peter Moore
SILHOUETTE: Air Jordan 12
TECHNOLOGY: Air
NICKNAME: Playoff
CATEGORY: Lifestyle
SIZES AVAILABLE: 7-13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
PRICE: $200
