Sneakers Release – Jordan 12 Retro “Reverse Flu Game” Varsity Red/Black Men’s and Kids’ Basketball Shoe

Allow us to set the scene: It was June 11, 1997, and to say Michael Jordan felt awful is an understatement. Whether it was the flu, a bad case of food poisoning from pizza (as suggested in “The Last Dance” docuseries) or maybe a simple stomach bug, the facts remain the same: After a long night of illness, Michael Jordan showed up on June 11 looking rough. It was Game 5 in the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, and the series was tied 2–2. Jordan wasn’t sitting this game out.

Sweating profusely, His Airness summoned big Jordan energy and scored 38 points, even as he chugged Gatorade and pressed ice packs to his neck during breaks. The Chicago Bulls pulled off a win, and that game came to be forever known in Jordan mythology as the “Flu Game.” And the shoes he wore during the game, the Air Jordan 12, also earned the “Flu Game” moniker.

This holiday season, collectors can get their hands on the latest rendition of the shoe, the Air Jordan 12 Retro “Reverse Flu Game,” which takes the black and Varsity Red of the original “Flu Game” sneaker and reverses it. The shoe launches at Hibbett | City Gear on December 26 in toddler, preschool, grade school and men’s sizes.

The OG “Flu Game” shoes sported a black upper with Varsity Red overlays (and, incidentally, sold for more than $100,000 back in 2013) and were retroed several times throughout the early aughts and again in 2016. However, the “Reverse Flu Game” flips the switch with a red suede upper and black overlays with a reptile-like texture. This remix offers a modern, more luxurious rendition of the classic ’90s basketball sneaker.

Ever the inventor, designer Tinker Hatfield found inspiration in the most unlikely of places. In some cases, it was a car; in others, a cat. For the AJ 12, it was the rising sun of the Japanese flag and the aesthetic of a 19th-century women’s boot with its stacked heel. Hatfield refined these elements into something exceptional.

The “Reverse Flu Game” sneaker features rich red suede that cloaks the sneaker’s upper, its stitched-on “rays” emanating from the black overlays. The black textured overlays bisect the shoe’s toe box as if clearing a path for the Jumpman insignia that stretches up from the outsole toward the toe. The full-length Zoom Air unit (the first on a Jordan shoe) and soft foam midsole give this shoe the lightweight, responsive cushioning MJ needed to eke out a victory even during a bout of illness. The outsole features a black, non-marking rubber with the classic herringbone tread pattern.

While this colorway will appeal to new and OG Jordan fans alike, it’s those little appointments that give this sneaker its luxurious spin. Red suede and textured leather mudguards aside, shiny black lace hooks stand out against the red upper backdrop, the radial stitching adds depth, an embroidered black Jumpman logo plays along the tongue and the “Two 3” gets spelled out along the shoe’s throat. The No. 23 sits in red along the black heel, and a generously sized heel tab reads, “Quality Inspired by the Greatest Player Ever.”

Whether he was sweating off a night of bad pizza or gulping Gatorade courtside, Michael Jordan always knew his cues. He knew that showing up was the first step, but mustering that undefeated attitude made all the difference. This holiday season, cop a pair of the “Reverse Flu Game” Air Jordan 12 Retro sneakers in toddler, preschool, grade school and men’s sizes. Find the shoes at Hibbett | City Gear beginning December 26.