“45” on the heel instead of the traditional “23.” Originally released back in 1995, the XI’s history will forever be tied in with Michael Jordan coming out of retirement and wearing the number “45,” a ban for not matching the NBA’s dress code, a 72-10 season for the Chicago Bulls that ended in an NBA Championship, and mass hysteria and violence on release day.For the patent leather and mesh upper, icy clear sole and carbon fiber outsole sneaker, all of that revolutionized the future of sneakers and cemented it into sneaker culture lure.