Reviewed: Air Jordan 11 Retro "Gamma Blue"

The 11 is the only Jordan that has ever passed for a dress shoe, and it is entirely down to one decision made in 1995: wrap the bottom half in patent leather. Every other basketball shoe of the era was leather and suede and nylon. This one shines.

The build

Patent leather mudguard from the toe all the way around to the heel, sitting under a black ballistic mesh upper. The mesh is the part people forget — it is what keeps a shoe this rigid-looking from feeling like a cast. Gamma blue lands on the Jumpman at the collar and again on the outsole, and nowhere else. That restraint is the whole colourway.

The carbon fibre shank plate is still under there. You can see the outline through the translucent sole.

Sizing

The 11 runs true to length but narrow through the midfoot, and the patent does not stretch — it creases and it stays where it is. If you are between sizes, or wide-footed, go up a half. Anyone who has worn an 11 for a full day knows the toe box is the tightest of the retro line.

Lacing them loose does not fix a shoe that is too short. Get the length right.

Living with patent leather

Two honest notes. Patent creases across the toe the first time you walk in them, and there is no preventing it — anyone selling you a crease protector for an 11 is selling you a shape that fights the shoe. Second, the translucent outsole yellows. That is oxidation in the rubber, it happens to every pair, and a shoe kept in a dark box yellows more slowly but still yellows.

Wipe the patent with a damp cloth and it looks new. That is the trade you get for the creasing.

Who it's for

Anybody who wants one pair of sneakers that works with a suit, with black denim, and with shorts. The 11 does all three, which almost nothing else in this catalogue does. If you want something you can beat up without thinking, buy an AF1 and keep this for when it matters.

$399.99.

Shop the Nike Air Jordan 11 Retro Black/Gamma Blue-Black — free US shipping over $150.