The Air Jordan XI is one of the most popular Air Jordans of all time and one of the most sought after sneakers of all time. These were the shoes Jordan wore during his first return to basketball during the 1995-1996 season. They revolutionized all basketball shoes with the use of a carbon-fiber shank; no one had ever seen so much technology in a basketball shoe prior to the XI. In fall of 2000, Nike had re-released the retro version of the Air Jordan XI (officially dubbed Air Jordan XI Retro) but had made them slightly different from the previous release.First, the retro's toe was far less likely to crease and was much stiffer. The patent leather was glossier and the arch on the shoe was more inclined and less flat. Many argue that the retro version is superior to the original. Additionally, the Retro had unique colors that were never released originally including the Space Jam version of the shoe which sold out in a matter of hours at most stores.