Air Jordans are one of the most highly coveted and most recognizable sneaker on the planet. It all started with the first line of Air Jordans, also referred to as Jordans or just J’s. In 1985, Nike teamed with Michael Jordan to release the first ever pair to the public after Jordan wore them in his rookie season. Since then, a new pair of Jordans have been released each year, with different styles and colorways to mark the release.
There have been 28 different styles of Air Jordan released to date, in so many color combinations that one would never remember them all. That said, here are the top five Air Jordan releases of all time.
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1Air Jordan XI in Black and Red
The black/true red/white version of the Air Jordan XI release goes down as the nicest shoe with Michael Jordan’s name on it. They were first released for the 1995-96 basketball season and are easily the most popular shoe that Jordan put out. This shoe was re-released in 2000 as one of their “retro” sneakers and became the fastest selling shoe with the highest quantity sold in the history of Air Jordan.
2Air Jordan III in White, Fire Red, Cement Grey and Black
Remember the slam dunk contest in 1988 where Michael Jordan jumped from the free throw line? I know I remember it and it also happens to be the most iconic poster of Michael Jordan slam dunking the ball. This is the shoe he was wearing that day and it will forever be one of the most iconic Air Jordan’s in history. This is the year that Jordan had the most creative control over the design. He chose the crackled leather of this shoe because he felt it wore better on the court. The cracked effect on the leather helped to break the shoe in. This also happens to be the same shoe he wore that season when he averaged 35 points per game.
3Air Jordan VIII in Aqua
Although this shoe was considered one of the least comfortable of the Jordan brand, the Air Jordan VIII is most popular in aqua. This shoe was introduced when Michael Jordan wore it in the 1993 NBA all-star game. This was one of the heaviest shoes Jordan released. It featured much more detail than previous releases, including straps across the laces and much better ankle support.
4Air Jordan XIII in White and Black
This is an all time favorite and the first retro Air Jordan my oldest son has owned. These were first released to the public in 1997 and are known for the “panther’s eye” hologram and their unique sole design. They were most famously worn by Denzel Washington and Ray Allen in the movie “He Got Game.”
5Air Jordan VI in Black
This was the last of the Air Jordans to have the Nike logo on it. The molded rubber heel tab was a special request by Michael Jordan, intended to keep the shoe from hitting against his Achilles tendon. This is the shoe that Michael Jordan was wearing when the Bulls beat the Lakers for the NBA championship in 1991, making it the first championship shoe.