Photos: Michael Jordan Unveils The Jordan 2009

Yesterday, the media, a sneaker designer, a P.R team, an Olympic Gold Medalist and… a sharp-dressed Michael Jordan packed a chic room at NYC's Event Space on 26th street for the unveiling of the Jordan 2009. The latest model in the revolutionary sneaker line was designed by homegrown Chicagoan Jason Mayden (check out our in-depth interview with Jason about the shoe), and incorporates inspiration from a number of things, with a surprising focus on the defense and striking tactics used in the sport Fencing. Complex was there to witness the event, and we came back with plenty of pictures…

All Photos by Rochelle Morton

After an inspirational speech by gold medalist and world recorder holder April Holmes about her perseverance in sprinting while being a paralympian, Mayden and the master of ceremonies Jordan talked about the legacy of the Jordan brand, how the Jordan 2009 caters to the needs of on-court athletes, and touched on the long back-and-forth about what this latest model would be called. “23 is my number, 24 would diminish what that meant. 23 started a whole different legacy, I felt 24 would demean the 23 because it [23] was such a synonymous number for our shoes,” Jordan said. When we asked president of Jordan Brand Keith Houlemard what the name of next year's Jordan would be, he said, “If I was a betting man, the Jordan 2010 would probably be the safe bet.” The first release of the Jordan 2009 is on January 31.