Air Jordan
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- "Air Jordan" also refers to a nickname for Michael Jordan
Air Jordan, known colloquially as Air Jordans, Jordans, Js, or "MJs" are a brand of shoes produced by Nike, Inc which was designed for and endorsed by legendary professional basketball player, Michael Jordan. The Air Jordan line is created by Jordan Brand, a sub-division of Nike. Since its first release in 1984, there have been new designs of the shoe released each year, even after Jordan retired from basketball.
Collectors classify the Air Jordan line by release year and model: Originals (OG), Retros, Retro-pluses (Retro +), Player Exclusive (PE) and Samples. The Jordan Brand also produces a line of Team shoes, separate from the signature line of Air Jordan shoes. Every year the Jordan Brand reintroduces one signature pair of shoes that was previously created. Only one style is re-introduced per year but can be re-introduced in different color schemes. The Jordan Brand also releases shoes for only one day so that the shoe has more value and the retro idea does not fade in popularity.
History
During early 1984, Nike was in serious jeopardy in the fast paced sportswear market. Suffering from its "white man jogging brand" image, Nike had no credit in the basketball world. The running shoe phenomenon that had fueled their sales in previous years was slowly dying, and they needed a way to revitalize and reinvent themselves in order to appeal to another segment of the market. That is when Nike saw something special in the rookie player Michael Jordan, they saw a chance, an opportunity. Nike signed Jordan to a $2.5 million deal for 5 years, plus royalties and other fringe benefits.
The introduction of the Air Jordan 1 turned the athletic shoe industry upside down. Before the Air Jordan 1, most basketball shoes were white, but the bold black and red styling of the Air Jordan 1 flouted this convention. The NBA banned the shoe from the league in response, but Michael Jordan wore them anyway, racking up serious fines of up to $5000 a game. Nike, of course, was more than happy to pay these to keep the shoes in the game and in the public eye. All this controversy and Jordan’s spectacular performance that year served to put the Air Jordan line on the road to becoming a household name. It also sold its first shoes for less than a dollar a pair.
Air Jordan have consistently been among the best selling basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The designers take his ideas, hobbies, and life into account and incorporate these themes into the shoes. In honor of Michael Jordan, the last Air Jordan will be the Jordan XXIII because the number 23 was the number he wore during his NBA career.
Air Jordan I
Designed by Peter Moore and released in 1985, the Air Jordan I pair of sneakers was considered a breakthrough in basketball shoe design[1], although its design was improved upon later with the Nike Dunk. The shoe initially gained a great deal of publicity and interest when the National Basketball Association disallowed usage of the shoe during games because its vibrant black and red color violated the league's uniform rules and fined Michael Jordan five thousand dollars every time he wore the shoes during a game. Nonetheless, other shoe companies scrambled to emulate the design and introducing knock-off brands of the Air Jordan line.
When the Air Jordan I model was reintroduced in 2001, they sold out instantly.
The first colors unveiled were the banned black/red design, due to a violation within the leagues uniform policy regarding its lack of support[2].
On March 29 2008, a Retro 1 tribute to Jordan's baseball days with the Birmingham Barons were released. The shoes were a quick strike release.
Air Jordan II
The Air Jordan II model was released after Jordan's rookie year in the NBA. The Air Jordan II featured high quality Italian leather and its design was inspired from a 19th century Italian woman's boot. These were the only shoes from the Air Jordan line to not originally be released in a black color placement. Reintroduced in its original color scheme in 2004 (black, white, and red), a new black/silver colorway was released as well as a Carmelo Anthony colorway of white, Carolina Blue, and yellow. The Air Jordan II shoe was also the first Nike sneaker to not feature the Nike swoosh logo. They were featured briefly in the movie School Daze. The Air Jordan II was actually released during the 87-88 NBA season. This is Jordan's third year in the league, as he wore the Air Jordan I for his first two seasons.
Air Jordan III
The Air Jordan III was designed by Tinker Hatfield. It was the first Air Jordan to feature a visible air unit on the heel, the new Jumpman logo, an elephant print trim, and tumble leather for a luxury look. The Air Jordan III were also famous for the humorous ads depicting Spike Lee as Mars Blackmon--the character he played in his film She's Gotta Have It. This campaign was known as "Mars and Mike" ad campaign. This was one Nike's most successful advertisement campaigns. These were the first jordans to feature the "NIKE AIR" logo on the back, but later replaced by the jumpman logo, with the words "AIR" underneath it, similar to the Air Jordan VI. This was said to be Michael Jordan's favourite shoes, he wore it during the 1988 Dunk Championship ( which he won ) and many other historical events in his basketball career.
Air Jordan III
The Air Jordan III's had poor sales when first retroed in 1994. However when they were re-retroed they sold out instantly. A pair of the Air Jordan III model can be sold for over 300 dollars. The long awaited "Fire Red" Air Jordan III was released in March 2007. The original Air Jordan III had the "NIKE AIR" logo on the back. Nike replaced it with the Jumpman logo on recent Air Jordan models such as the "Black cats" or the "Pure moneys $'s."
In 2007, Jordan brand collaborated with director Spike Lee to release a limited pair of Air Jordan III's in a special colorway to resemble the Do The Right Thing movie poster.
2007 also saw the "retro'ed" versions of the Air Jordan III's in two monotone colorways, all black and all white, nicknamed the "Black Cats" and the "Pure $," respectively.
2007 also had the "Flips" witched moved the elephant print from the trim to the entire shoe and replacing it with white leather. Indeed "Flipping" The original design of white leather with elephant print trim.
The sole and midsole in these shoes take part in the inspiration of the Jordan Spiz'ike, inspired by the Mars Blackmon character.
Air Jordan IV
The Air Jordan IV shoe was first released in 1989, designed once again by Tinker Hatfield. It became the first Jordan shoe released on the global market, with some exceptions. The Air Jordan IV cushioning sole and design helped to make the shoe an international bestseller.
Spike Lee, the director/actor who helped in the ad campaign for the Air Jordan III, created the famous Can/Can't TV commercial. Lee also featured the Air Jordan IV in his movie Do The Right Thing in a scene where the character "Buggin Out" (played by Giancarlo Esposito) angrily confronts a Caucasian bicyclist who accidentally bumps into him and scuffs his Air Jordan IVs shoes. After the confrontation, Buggin Out promptly places his shoe on a fire hydrant and cleans it with a toothbrush.
The shoe was retroed in 1999 in a white/black colorway and a black/cement colorway, and stores were sold out of Air Jordan IV within hours of release. However, when Nike released the first Retro+ model of the Air Jordan IV, many fans of the shoe claimed that the company had "destroyed a classic" by removing the nets on the shoe along with making some other subtle changes. One example being "NIKE AIR" logo featured on the back of the shoe being replaced with the Jumpman logo.
In 2006, Nike released several variations of the Air Jordan IV, including "Mars Blackmons" ("Red" IV's with Spike Lee's alter ego on the heel), "Military Blues", and the $500 "Thunder and Lightning" package. Also released the Mist blue color and all white and all black.
These particular variations of the shoe also takes part in the inspiration of the Air Jordan Spiz'ike (the shoe's side-lace strap).
Air Jordan V
The original Air Jordan V was released in February 1990, again designed by Hatfield. Some elements were the same from the Air Jordan IV, but the Air Jordan V's most distinctive feature is arguably its reflective tongue. There was also another innovation: clear rubber soles. The soles gave the shoe a whole new and unique look, but it yellowed over time when exposed to moisture. To combat this problem, collectors stored the shoes in a cool, dry place with a desiccant at the soles, most commonly silica packs
The Air Jordan V also featured a base top with lace locks, making strapping on the shoe easy. The lacelock feature partly inspired the Air Jordan Spiz'ike. The Air Jordan V model is considered to have the best structure and design to wear during basketball games and sold the most pairs of shoes from the Air Jordan line.
Hatfield is believed to have drawn inspiration for the Air Jordan V from the World War II Mustang fighter plane; which is most notably visible in the shark teeth shapes on the midsole. The Air Jordan V was retroed in 2000 to great demand, including a new colorway featuring Michael Jordan's high school (Laney High) colors. In 2006 several re-retro V's had released including the very popular LS "Grape" V's, the LS "burgundy" V's and the popular "Fire-Red" V's. Along with the latter, a very limited laser design and the black/metallic/fire red colorways were released in early 2007.
Air Jordan VI
The Air Jordan VI was released in late 1990 and designed by Tinker Hatfield. The Air Jordan VI model featured a rubber tongue with two holes in it which the wearer can easily put the shoes on. The clear soles and the lace locks features were brought back from the Air Jordan V model. The Air Jordan IV featured the figure 2 standing up on the back of the shoe and the figure 3 lying down facing the ground close to the laces. These also were the last shoes to feature the "NIKE AIR" logo on the back, later being replaced by the jumpman logo, with the words "AIR" underneath it.
The Air Jordan 6 was the shoe Jordan wore when he won his first NBA championship when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1990-91 NBA Finals.
The shoe was retroed in three color ways in 2000. The first model was the Olympic color way for Ray Allen when he competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The second new color way featured a white upper and navy blue accent. The third model featured black and deep red.
In 2006, a black and gold color way was released along with the Air Jordan XI named the "Defining Moments Package," (DMP) celebrating the shoes Jordan wore when he won his first NBA championship in the 1990-1991 season and his 1995-1996 NBA championship, his first since returning to the NBA after retiring from the NBA in 1993.
This past June 7th the Air Jordan retro 6 was released in a first time color way. The shoe consists of all white patent leather. The shoe has all five colors of the Olympic rings symbol. On the tip of the shoe is embroidered a figure of a Chinese flower.
The entire tongue, and part of the lace locks of the Jordan VI were the inspiration for the Air Jordan Spiz'ike.
Air Jordan VII
The Air Jordan VII was released in late 1991. Tinker Hatfield created the Air Jordan VII which had many similarities with the Air Jordan VI model. The Air Jordan VII was unique because it used some of the Nike Huarache technology to create a shoe that really stuck to the consumer's foot. The visible air sole, the Nike Air logo, and the yellowing soles all were no longer featured on the Air Jordan VII. The Air Jordan VII model is also commonly known as the "Hares" because the commercials promoting the shoe featured cartoon character Bugs Bunny.
When Jordan went to compete at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics to play for the US Men's Basketball Team (also known as the "Dream Team"), Nike released a special Olympic color combo of the Air Jordan VII model which featured Jordan's Olympic jersey number, 9 while all of the previous Air Jordan models that featured his jersey number had always been the number 23.
Various retros of the Air Jordan VII were released in 2002, again in 2004, and again with different colors in 2006.
Air Jordan VIII
The Air Jordan VIII was released to coincide with the 1992-1993 NBA season.
The eighth model of the Air Jordan was noticeably heavier than its predecessors. Its base was clearly close to that of the Air Jordan VII model, but it had a lot more details, including two crossover straps on each shoe and a furry Jumpman logo. Thus the Air Jordan VIII model became known as the "flower-power Air Jordan". This shoe was only made in three different color combinations. The shoes were produced in less quantity than the VII. The Air Jordan VIII was re-retroed in September of 2007 in its aqua and black/red color along with a navy and orange and a white and orange colorway.
Air Jordan IX
Originally released in November 1993, the Air Jordan IX model was the first Air Jordan model release after his retirement and Jordan never played a whole season of basketball with this model. This model was created in the form of baseball cleats that Jordan used when playing minor-league baseball.
The white/black version of the Air Jordan IX model was worn by Jordan for one scene in the 1996 movie Space Jam.
Like the Air Jordan VIIs and VIII model's, the Air Jordan IX model featured an inner sock sleeve and nubuck accents. The sole featured different symbols and languages of different countries.
The Air Jordan IX has been the shoe chosen to adorn Jordan's feet for his statue outside of the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
In Popular Culture, in the children's movie The Little Rascals one of the bullies chasing Alfa Alfa and Sparky is wearing a pair of Air Jordan IX.
Air Jordan X
The Air Jordan X represents an important landmark in Jordan's basketball career. This represents Jordan's first retirement from the NBA. Inscribed on the soles of the shoes is a list of Jordan's accomplishments up to 1993.
Air Jordan XI
The Air Jordan XI model was designed by Tinker Hatfield. While Jordan was still pursuing a career in baseball, Hatfield designed the shoe in hopes that Michael would eventually wear it if he returned to the NBA.
The Jordan XI was meant to stand out with a fusion of performance and style. Taken from the world of high-end mountaineering backpacks, the condura nylon upper gave the Air Jordan XI model lightweight durability. Further innovation came with the use of a carbon fiber plate on the sole of the shoe, that can be seen underneath the clear outsole, which gave the shoe exceptional torsional rigidity. The most visually distinct aspect of the shoe was its shiny patent leather mid and toebox. A material long used in the fashion industry, patent leather was extremely lightweight, when compared to genuine leather, and also tended not to stretch - a very useful property to help keep the foot within the bounds of the shoebed during quick direction changes on the court. The shiny leather gave the XI what many described as a "formal" look - a fact that many owners of the shoe took advantage of thereafter, pairing the shoe off the court with business suits in substitution for dress shoes. Boyz II Men wore black and white Air Jordan XI shoes with white suits at one of their concerts.
Jordan wore the Air Jordan XI model to help the Chicago Bulls claim the 1995-1996 NBA championship. The legacy of the shoe was transferred to the silver screen as Jordan wore a black/white/blue colorway of the Air Jordan XI model in the 1996 Warner Bros. animated movie "Space Jam".
Air Jordan XII
The Air Jordan XII was inspired by "Nisshoki", (the Japanese flag) and a 19th century womans' dress boot. Initial public perception was a disappointment. However featuring gold-plated steel lace loops, embossed lizard skin pattern and zoom air, this model set a new direction in style and technology in shoe design. Though not as light in weight as previous models, the construction and firmness of the shoe is widely considered to be the most durable and sturdy shoes from the Air Jordan line ever made. This shoe known as "OG's' came in 5 colorways and was released on March 13. This shoe was also designed by, one of the top Jordan designers of the Jordan Brand. This shoe will release in December 2008 with the Eleven as the final countdown pack. In addition, the Twelve was combined with the Thirteen numbered Jordan to produce the 12.5. They are in stores now.
Air Jordan XIII
The Air Jordan XIII's were released in 1997. This model was designed by Tinker Hatfield and were known for its cushioning along with breathability. They were re-released in 2005, which coincided with the release of the Air Jordan XX shoe
The shoes were inspired by a black panther, which is known for its stealth and swiftness. The "pods" on the outsole of the shoe resembles the paw of a panther. This provided more coverage and support on the basketball court. A hologram is featured on the outer heel of the shoe which changes color. The shoe also reflects light which represents the eyes of the panther in the dark.
Spike Lee featured this Air Jordan model in his film He Got Game, where Jake Shuttleworth (the character played by Denzel Washington) wears a pair of black and white Air Jordan XIII shoes.
Air Jordan XIV
The XIV was modeled after Michael Jordan's tatee with its sleek design and logo. There are over nine colors of the Air Jordan XIV model including his Chicago Bulls uniform colorway, white, red and black.
According to shoe expert Professor K of solecollector.com, the Air Jordan XIV is the most comfortable model ever, even as a retro shoe.
It is regarded as the best Jordan in terms of performance even when compared to current basketball shoes.
As an added feature, there are seven Jumpman logos on each shoe, and 14 overall on the pair.
The black/varsity red - black version is sometimes referred to as the "Last Shots" because Jordan was wearing them during Game Six of the 1998 NBA Finals when he made the game-winning shot over Utah Jazz forward Bryon Russell to clinch the championship for the Chicago Bulls. It was the first and only time in Jordan's professional career he wore this particular model.
Air Jordan XV
As the first Air Jordan model released after Jordan's 1999 2nd retirement from the NBA, it shared a similarity to the Air Jordan IX in that Jordan never played professionally in the shoe. There was also concern about the shoe's comfort. The tongue of the shoe stuck out to mimic Jordan's well known habit of sticking his tongue out while playing. The woven kevlar Jordan XV was modeled after the X-15.
This was to be the last Air Jordan model design Tinker Hatfield's last Air Jordan but would later came back to design the Air Jordan XX model. This Air Jordan model however is widely recognized as being somewhat of a failure in terms of performance and style.
Air Jordan XVII
This shoe comes equipped with pashav, which held the shoes and a compact disc containing the Air Jordan XVII song. The retail price of the shoe was $200. The defining functional design element of the Air Jordan XVII model which was later replicated on the Air Jordan XXIII model was the reinforced midsole which provided a very sturdy and stable chassis for the shoe. The XVII is known as the most expensive Air Jordan model ever produced. They were made in four mid top colors and three lowtop colors
Air Jordan XIX
Released in 2004 and modeled after the black mamba snake, this is the first Jordan release after his third, and final, retirement which came after the 2002-2003 NBA season. Two original colorways where released: white/flint grey and black/red. Three regional colorways and three special edition colorways were released. They consisted of the East, West, and Midwest edition for regular and West, East, and Olympic for the SE (special edition).
The Air Jordan XIX used innovative materials. The upper section of shoe was developed in collaboration with Material ConneXion Inc. from a sleeving normally used in architectural applications for protecting PVC pipes from bursting. In theory, this allowed for a lace-less shoe because the sleeving does not stretch, however the Air Jordan XIX model did include a set of laces behind the sleeve to better secure the shoe. The sleeve's functionality has been considered poopy
Air Jordan XX
This revolutionary motorcycle-inspired model celebrated the legacy of Michael Jordan. Equipped with next generation IPS cushion, a spherical shape and a laser etched design representing immortalized symbols of Jordan on its lace strap and interior gave this shoe a unique look and performance. As well as being inspired by motorcycles this design was also in inspired bicycling shoes this is why the strap was placed in the center of the shoe over the laces it also helped to creat a tighter fit and increased support.
Air Jordan XXI
The design for the Air Jordan XXI model was inspired by the world's finest sport touring vehicles. The shoe features lower-foot air grilles, double-overlasted Phylon midsole, a carbon fiber shank plate and a seamless diamond-quilted booty. It also has an evolutionary tunable I.P.S. suspension system that lets the wearer choose between Zoom and Encapsulated air.
The Air Jordan XXI model was also released in a Player's Edition, or "PE." The Players Edition model was similar to the Air Jordan XXI model as a tongue vent is still present, but the toe of the shoe seamlessly merged with the tongue with one piece of leather, which provided a unique, rich, and classy look. The Air Jordan XXI PE has been released in white, black, red and blue color schemes.
Air Jordan XX2/XXII
The Air Jordan XX2/XXII model, designed by Dwayne Edwards, was released on March 24, 2007. Its original retail price was $15 but has declined. The aggressive and sharp design was inspired by the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. Some technical features of the shoe include an updated visible, interchangeable independent podular system, a new metallic mesh for ventilation, the Air Jordan camouflage pattern printed in reflective 3M, and an updated traction system, based on an army general's stripes.
There were two special editions of the Air Jordan XX2 model released. The first edition was released for Jordan's birthday on February 17. This edition featured an authentic Jordan Brand basketball leather. The second edition was the Omega model, part of the Alpha-Omega package. This model featured a laser-etched image of Jordan after he won his sixth NBA championship in 1998.
An entirely new line of Air Jordan XX2/XXII shoes called the player editions or "PE" were released with these shoes worn by NBA players from the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Dallas Mavericks. This Air Jordan model featured a new strap around the heel and ankle.
Air Jordan XX3/XXIII
Starting at the toe, the toe cap has Jordan’s signature embossed. The side of the shoe features a stitched pattern that gives the shoes strength in addition to cosmetic effect. The tongue of the left and right are different for a first time with a jumpman logo on the right shoe and the number “23″ embedded on the left shoe. The shoe also features a glittery glossy panel that covers the midsole body of the sneaker.
According to an article in Jet magazine, the XX3/XXXIII is the first basketball shoe to be made under the "Considered" ethos, meaning the shoe is made with the environment in mind. The shoe was constructed using the absolute minimum amount of adhesive to make it more environmentally sound, while the soles (which are designed from Jordan's own fingerprint) are made from recycled rubber. It is considered the most technologically advanced Jordan model to date, and according to Gentry Humphrey, the head of the Jordan design team, it may be the last actual Air Jordan.
The shoe was released in three different colorways from January to February, with a limited edition release where 23 retailers around the world sold the shoe, before its national release in February.
The Air Jordan XX3/XXIII model had virtually eliminated the Jumpman logo. It is found only on the tongue of the right sneaker, and completely missing on the left sneaker.
Other Shoes from the Air Jordan Line
The Air Jordan line has also produced shoes for cross-training, casual, baseball, and football. They are lower in price then the signature basketball shoes from the Air Jordan line.
- "Air Jordan Dub Zeros"
The Air Jordan Dub Zeros made its first appearance in 2005, and uses different parts of almost all Original - Retro Air Jordans I - XX. The Air Jordan Dub Zero is actually contributed to one of the best sneaker designers of all time, Tinker Hatfield. This same year, the Air Jordan XX released and was a tribute to Michael Jordan and his career. Some parts of other Air Jordans that are recognizable on the Jordan Dub Zero are:
Air Jordan 4 (IV): Midsole and Sole on the Jordan Dub Zero Air Jordan 6 (VI): Pull Tab on the heel of the Air Jordan Dub Zero Air Jordan 11 (XI): Patent Leather throughout the Jordan Dubs Air Jordan 12 (XII): T W O 3 down the tongue Air Jordan 13 (XIII): The shape of the upper is from the Jordan 13 Air Jordan 15 (XV): The Woven area at the heel Air Jordan 17 (XVII): Chrome at the heel Air Jordan 20 (XX): Laser on the uppers
Even though the Air Jordan Dub Zeros were made up of many Retro’s and previously released Jordans, this particular model was not a Retro. A total of five Air Jordan Dub Zeros have released, and sales for each one were well selling out for within days.
The Jordan Packages
- "Defining Moments"
The Jordan Brand released their first two-pair package named the Defining Moments Package(DMP) which consisted of the Air Jordan VI Retro model and the Air Jordan XI Retro model and was released on January 28,2006. The Defining Moments package sold for $295.00.
- "Beginning Moments"
The Jordan Brand released their second two-pair package named the Beginning Moments Package (BMP) or Old Love New Love (OLNL) which consisted of the Air Jordan I Retro model in White/Black-Varsity Red (Black Toes) and Black/Varsity-Maize/White. It was released on April 21, 2007. The Beginning Moments package was sold for $200.00.
- "Air Jordan Spiz'ike"
The Air Jordan Spiz'ike combines the best elements from the Jordan 3, 4, 5, 6 and 20. It was created to commemorate Spike Lee during the Mars Blackmon Era. Released on April, 2007.
- "Countdowns"
This package consisted of two different variations of Retro Air Jordan, in which each number equaled 23. The first Countdown package consisted of retroed Air Jordan XIII model in white/black-true red. The package also included a pair of the shadow grey Air Jordan X model with 23 stitched on the side of the shoes. The package cost $310.00 and was released January 19, 2008.
The second Countdown package consisted of the Air Jordan retro XIV model in black/red which was similar to the Air Jordan XIV model though it will consist of a white with the stitching on the sides and a different colored Jumpman logo on the side. The other shoe will be the Retro Air Jordan IX model in a white/black-true red color scheme. The package cost $310.00 and was released March 15, 2008.
The third Countdown package consisted of the Air Jordan Retro II model in white/varsity red. The other Air Jordan in this package would be Air Jordan retro XXI model in Black/Varsity Red. The package cost $310.00 and was released April 26, 2008.
The fourth Countdown package consisted of the Air Jordan Retro VI model in White/Carmine. The other Air Jordan in this package would be Air Jordan Retro XVII model in Black/Metallic Silver. The package cost $310.00 and was released May 24, 2008.
- Jordan Fusions
This package is a fusion of several Air Jordan and Air Force One Models.
Air Jordan XII and Air Force One Fusion A fusion between the Air Jordan XII model and the Midtop Air Force One model.
Air Jordan V Air Force One Fusion This package is the only original colorway of the Air Jordan V model that was not released in the last round of retros. Like the Air Jordan V model, the outsole is a nasa1 mix of black and clear rubber, however there is no visible air sole unit in this package. The shoe was released April 19.
- Jordan "6 Rings" shoe The Jordan 6 Rings is a combination of the six Air Jordan shoes that Michael Jordan wore during his 6 Championship seasons. That includes the AJ 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13. The Jordan Brand company released the "6 Rings" shoes in September 2008. The shoe also features a furry tongue.[3]
Team Jordan
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