John Kim 
The Air Jordan Retro is without question the most dominant force in the sneaker game today. But such wasn’t the case when Nike first brought back Michael Jordan’s signature sneakers twenty years ago in 1994; with Jordan retired and on to the sport of baseball, Nike chose to re-issue the earlier Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan II, and Air Jordan III models in an effort to keep the energy around the sidelined MJ alive. There were no massive camp-outs or consumer-driven hoopla around them, and most – if not all – of the Retro releases were attainable on the sales rack. Today, the Air Jordan Retro sings a completely different tune, and Jordan Brand is enjoying the good life as it rakes in billions of dollars a year thanks to a business model that every sneaker brand out there is dying to replicate.
As stated before, twenty years of the Air Jordan Retro is in the books, and although the label is clearly focused on performance and the future, the Retro Legacy will still serve as the unbreakable pillar that strongholds the brand’s success. We’ve seen original colorways return alongside some new ones, and in recent years, the brand has gone to great lengths to re-tell some scintillating stores from MJ’s past (primarily because a good chunk of Retro enthusiasts have no recollection of the man during his playing days). We’ve jotted down twenty of the most significant Air Jordan Retro releases to celebrate 20 years of the Retro, so check out what we chose and let us know which of our choices is your personal favorite.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High “Chicago” – 1994
In 1994, Nike introduced the Air Jordan Retro. The rest, of course, is history.
Air Jordan Defining Moments Package – 2006
Jordan Brand commenced its story-telling initiative with the Air Jordan Defining Moments Package. The Air Jordan VI – the shoes that Jordan wore during his first NBA title – and the Air Jordan XI – the shoes that Jordan wore when he won his first post-retirement title – came adorned in magnificent golden colorways. This release also introduced the “Pack”, something that both Nike and Jordan have reserved for special celebratory occasions.
Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam” – 2001
Arguably the most “pop-culture” enshrined Air Jordan in history is the Space Jam. The nickname is derived from the movie that Jordan starred in (as himself); his character was seen wearing the Black/Blue Jordans, and its release in 2001 was met with high praise. In 2009, Jordan Brand re-released the Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam” in some impressive packaging that featured a slide-out box, a plastic shroud, and hardened shoe-trees. The ’09 release also began a tradition of December AJ11 releases.
Air Jordan 4 “Midnight Navy” – 1999
The “Midnight Navy” 4s was the first of a series called “Retro+”. What defined Retro+ was an original Air Jordan silhouette built with different materials and new colorways. This pair made use of a perforated leather window in place of the classic netting, and the quality of the leather is regarded as one of the best to ever grace a Retro release. The Retro+ series was short-lived, however, lasting just two years.
Eminem x Air Jordan 2 “The Way I Am” – 2008
Before Drake’s OVO Air Jordans and other PEs flaunted by celebrities, Jordan Brand collaborated with noted Nike-fan Eminem in anticipation of his upcoming album titled “The Way I Am”. Only 313 pairs dropped (the number derived from the area code of inner-city Detroit) and were available only on Air Jordan Flight Club – a now-defunct online hub put in use by Jordan Brand. The shoes retailed for $110, but go for nearly ten times that amount today.
Air Jordan 6 “Olympic” – 2000
As an NBA player, Michael played in Olympics just once. In 2000, Jordan was retired, but Ray Allen, who was selected by the brand to carry on the torch, represented the label quite well with a brand new colorway of the Air Jordan 6. The Carmine-style color-blocking made these a hit, and the 2000 release is considered to be one of the best Retro releases in history. Last year, Jordan Brand re-released the shoe, but made sure to make one tweak (the midsole color-blocking) to keep the 2000 joints intact.
Air Jordan 3 Retro 88 – 2013
The 2013 All-Star Weekend was a big one for Michael; he celebrated his 50th birthday as well as the 25th Anniversary of his Dunk Contest win in 1988. While the White/Cement Air Jordan 3s released as recently as 2011, this one was much more special thanks to the Nike Air branding on the heel. The seemingly minor detail of company branding has been a topic of conversation for Jordan fans for a decade, and with the release of the Retro 88, the door to many more OG-labeled Jays may be in the works.
Air Jordan 4 “Mars” – 2006
This 2006 release was the first-ever Retro for the original “Fire Red” colorway, but came packaged with a special logo on the heel – specifcally, a stamp of Mars Blackmon’s face. This Retro release was a tribute to Spike Lee’s fictional persona that played a major role in the early Air Jordan ad campaigns. Today, Spike Lee plays an ongoing role in keeping the heritage of the brand as fresh as ever.
Air Jordan 4 “Lightning” – 2006
The Air Jordan 4 “Thunder and Lightning” Pack was an online-only release on Jordan’s online hub called Flight Club (now defunct, and with no affiliation to the sneaker consignment store). The “Lightning” stands out for its bright-yellow upper, and today, these may be fetch the most dollars among Retro Air Jordans. The Lightning AJ4 originally retailed for $250 as it came with a t-shirt.
Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey” – 2000
Without question the most popular non-OG color lineage is the Cool Grey, started by this Air Jordan 11 Retro from 2001. Several Retro releases in “Cool Grey” DNA followed, but what makes the XI such a specialty is that Michael actually wore them while he was playing with the Washington Wizards.
Air Jordan 2 “Doernbecher”
The Doernbecher Air Jordan has become a true gem of the yearly product output by the brand. The first Air Jordan of the Doernbecher Freestyle was in 2007, when Sheridan Brenton was called upon by Jordan Brand to color up the Air Jordan II. Since then, the DB Jays have become one of the definitive releases of the year.
Air Jordan 2 “Melo” – 2004
Carmelo Anthony’s addition to Jordan Brand was an unofficial representation of the “next generation” of the company. This distinct colorway was inspired by the Syracuse alumn’s Denver Nuggets jersey and was a limited release worldwide.
Air Jordan 5 “Green Bean” – 2006
Every Air Jordan design boasts a revolutionary detail or innovation never before seen on a sneaker. One of the many fix-ins that made the Air Jordan V such a delicious dish was the 3M reflective tongue, and this 2006 release of the “Green Bean” placed that feature front and center in the form of a full-reflective upper. Not that it was intended to, but the “Green Bean” was almost a foreshadowing of the Air Jordan Elements series that is currently in the works.
Air Jordan 11 Low “Snakeskin” – 2001
The luxurious quality of the Air Jordan 11 was given even more flair with the addition of snakeskin – you know, the material that footwear brands and customizers are going ham with right now. Did we mention that the Snakeskin Low first dropped in 2001? Even the Retros were ahead of its time!
Air Jordan 1 Old Love/New Love
Jordan Brand put together this two-pair Pack of Air Jordan 1 Mids – the “Old Love” in the original Black-toe colorway and the “New Love” in a sportier Black/Yellow composition. This set told the story of Michael’s post-retirement passion of motorsports racing – an endeavor that Michael would delve much further into in the latter part of the 2000s.
Air Jordan III “Mocha”
This 2001 release played with new materials on the Air Jordan III for the lifestyle appeal. This Retro was truly ahead of its time because while most of these pairs ended up on sale, Jordan Brand has fully adopted the idea of making Retros more “off-court” with materials and colorways. Today, Mocha 3s are tough to come by, and if you do come across a DS pair, prepare to pay up.
Air Jordan 9 Premio Bin 23 – 2011
The dream of stitching up Air Jordans in the most premium of materials was realized when Jordan Brand presented the Bin 23 Collection. Although short-lived (only five pairs dropped – one per season starting with the Air Jordan 9 in February of 2011), the Premio Jordans were major attractions; each pair was individually numbered and came packaged with shoe bags and wooden shoe tree inserts. We can’t say this enough: Bring ’em back!
Air Jordan 1 “Banned” – 2011
This Mid-top Air Jordan 1 was intended to tell the story of the punishment the NBA laid out to MJ and Nike. The final release version was quite different from a few samples that surfaced beforehand, and ultimately the shoe never released at retailers. Instead, Nike decided to dump it at certain Factory Outlets, but that didn’t stop sneakerheads from camping out. Did Nike plan this out from the beginning by “banning” it from retail stores? Who knows.
Air Jordan 4 “Bred” – 1999
This release was the first OG re-issue of the Jordan Brand era (that is, after 1998 when anything Jumpman-labeled was no longer part of Nike). Although these shoes re-released twice again since then (2008’s CDP and 2012’s Black Friday release), the ’99s are still hotly coveted thanks to one thing – Nike Air.
Air Jordan 10/13 Countdown Package
In 2008, Jordan Brand unveiled the “Countdown” – twelve two-pair sets of Air Jordans with their number designations totaling 23. The first drop was the Air Jordan X “Shadow” and Air Jordan XIII “He Got Game” – two coveted Air Jordans originals that had yet to be retroed at that point.
