Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Royalty’

The 1996 Air Jordan 12 took its stitched, radiating upper lines from the Japanese Rising Sun flag and its luxury feel from women's dress shoes. It was the first Jordan on Zoom Air, and it carried Jordan through the 1997 Finals, including the legendary Flu Game in the black-and-red pair, when a visibly ill Jordan dropped 38 points on Utah. The actual Flu Game shoes later sold at auction for over a million dollars. Taxi, Playoffs and Flu Game remain the heart of the 12's rotation, prized for durability and presence rather than hype.