Jordan sneaker fans gathered from the region on February 23 for an exclusive Jordan launch at Queensway Shopping Centre in the Limited Edition outlet, where one could hear the fans from various countries whispering excitedly in their native tongue. Any Jordan fan would know that 23 is a significant number for the player.

Last Saturday saw 23 people walking away with Jordan lucky draw prizes while 10 happy winners of the Jordan All Star Edition ballot received their share of the only 10 sneakers in Singapore and other sneaker collectors rushed to buy the Nike Air Jordan XX3, a must-have sneaker in their Air Jordan collection.

The number of fans who came filled the entire outlet and even though it was congested and stuffy, all of them wore a look of contentment on their faces as they whipped out their cards and paid for their Jordan XX3s. Never have I seen so many people lose a few hundred dollars with a swipe of their cards and still look so happy.

Adrian Yeo, an avid collector of the Jordan brand sneakers who also flocked down to Queensway Shopping Centre to be one of the first few to own the sneaker, said, “Michael Jordan is a legend.

“Any fan would understand the surge of adrenalin that rushes through your body when you find out that there’s a launch of the latest shoe in the series. Each and every Jordan sneaker is like a piece of art. I have more than half the collection and I’m attempting to collect the entire series. Needless to say, 23 is the most important piece in the collection because it’s his number.”

The Nike Air Jordan XX3 is not only a special piece in the place of Jordan sneaker collectors but also, the god of basketball himself.

“The Air Jordan XX3 is deeply meaningful to me, as a celebration of both my life and career. The number 23 is obviously of great significance to me and the release of the XX3 is a pinnacle moment in the Brand’s history,” Michael Jordan was quoted saying in a press release.

“I’m honored and humbled by the Air Jordan franchise’s loyal following after all these years. The release of this shoe is exciting and a dream come true for me,” he added.

Together, Jordan and legendary shoe designer, Tinker Hatfield, Nike’s Vice President of Innovation Design & Special Projects, handcrafted the Jordan XX3 to be the first basketball shoe in Nike history to embrace the Nike Considered design culture. Details in the development and design of the shoe seek to reduce waste and allow the use of environmentally preferred materials wherever possible without compromising athletic performance.

In the press release, Hatfield said, “Our goal was to make the Air Jordan XX3 the best basketball shoe ever, both in performance and sustainability. The handcraftsmanship and innovation built into this shoe is simply unmatched.”

“By infusing the ultimate in technology, setting a new trend in style and designing a shoe with the environment in mind, we hope these ingredients will cause people to say this is one of their favourite Air Jordans ever.”