The design of the Air Jordan 12 was inspired by that of the Japanese flag and a women's boots from the 19th century. With gold-plated lizard, shaped lizard pattern, a zoom air unit and a shaft plate made of carbon fiber, Nike has a new direction in terms of style and technology in shoe design for this.

Although it is not as easy as the previous models, the construction and strength of the shoe is generally seen as the most durable and robust shoe of the Air Jordan family. The Air Jordan 12 is the first model that was launched after the foundation of the subsidiary "Jordan". He has no Nike branding, while all other previously released models "Nike Air" or another nike branding on the upper, or just on the insoles.