The Air Jordan XVI (16) was released in 2001.

Following the success of the XV's there was no doubt that Nike/JB would continue to release Air Jordan's. The XVI's were the next shoe to hit the shelfs.

Hatfield moves on
The XVI's were designed by Nike's Senior Footwear Designer Wilson Smith. This meaning it was the first design since the III's that Tinker Hatfield wasn't behind. Hatfield was said to have moved up and he left Smith with the hard task in creating a revolutionary new design.

Smith decided to bring in a few design elements/fabrics from earlier releases. For instance we saw the return of the clear rubber sole (V, VI, XI) and they also featured patent leather (XI).

Gaiter on - gaiter off
But what made the XVI's unique was the brand new gaiter/shroud that covered the shoe and that could be removed to give the shoe a brand new look. Not only was this for stylish purposes, it also had a thermal functionality.

The shoe was a little stiff and to wear the shroud/gaiter when playing basketball really wasn't a good idea, as it pretty easily could fall off. The black/red and white/mn navy both featured patent leather which very easily got creased and cracked. Best for playing in were the one's without patent leater, for sure...

The overall design was great and it's great to see a new designer put his foot forward. Hopefully we'll see Wilson Smith involved in the work with coming designs.