Michael Jordan was a predator. He stalked his prey long before the game. He knew every strength and weakness of his opponents. He studied their moves, habits and used every mental edge to prepare himself for the kill. Once on the court, Michael would glide in his usual smoothness, sometimes cajoling with his defender and measuring up the perfect opportunity to strike. Just when the opponent would least expect it, Michael would leash out his fury - fast and deadly. With that kind of repertoire at his disposal, it should be to no one's surprise that the latest Air Jordan iteration is inspired by the black Mamba, the quickest and deadliest snake in the world.

      Air Jordans have always been innovative for its time, building on top of its legacy year after year. One thing that been a constant over time is that the shoes have consistently been a reflection of the man himself. Jordan brand designers must constantly ask themselves the same question: “Just how exactly does the shoe tie back to Michael's game and personality?”

      For the Jordan XIX, the answer was simple – go back to the root of Mike's game: agile, quick and full of intensity. The inspiration quickly became the black Mamba, a snake that like Jordan, would strike fear in its prey. When it attacks, the result is swift and potent. The comparison between the two is uncanny, but one thing Jordan brand didn't want to do was to use snakeskin material on the XIX. They've already been there and done that with several past Jordan products. Instead they needed something new, something that is both refreshingly groundbreaking in technology as well as set new standards in innovation.