The Air Jordan XI is a legendary sneaker. Twenty-seven years after it first debuted in 1995 on Michael Jordan’s feet as he came out of retirement and 26 years after its official release, the sneaker is unanimously regarded as one of the greatest ever made. The shoe is so popular that it has managed to secure a release every year on the Jordan holiday calendar, which is prime real estate. This year, the silhouette, which also happens to be Michael Jordan’s favorite, is back in a varsity red, cherry-inspired colorway that is bound to set the sneaker stores on fire. Let’s get into it.

The Air Jordan 11 is now known and loved for its glossy patent leather wrap-around upper, but that wasn’t always the case. At the time of its debut, the shoe was decidedly different from Jordan predecessors in the way that it used new materials and new technology. That innovation paid off and as we see in this Cherry pair, it is still leading the way for the AJ11 silhouette, which hasn’t changed much over the years. The red patent leather mudguard is surrounded by white nylon and leather upper panels, which allow the red to pop while its white midsole and icy blue translucent outsole finish the sneaker. The iconic Jumpman symbol is also in matching cherry red with logo branding at the heel and inside the white lace unit.

The XIs have always caused a frenzy with consumers and its creators alike. The designer of the shoe, Tinker Hatfield, also revealed the XI is his favorite. To think it all started with Michael Jordan’s request for a shiny sneaker. What resulted was a legendary 1995-’96 season that saw Jordan wear the “Concord” XIs exclusively the entire time while he led the Bulls to a fire-cracking winning era and a fourth NBA championship. Like Spike Lee said, “It’s gotta be the shoes!”

The Air Jordan XI Varsity Red “Cherry” will be released in full family sizing on Dec. 10 via Nike SNKRS and other select retailers.