The Air Jordan 6 “Carmine” Brings Back Nike Air For First Time Since 1991

The Air Jordan 6 “Carmine” holds a special, albeit brief, moment in the annals of Air Jordan history. Arguably among the most audaciously color-blocked Air Jordans in history, this fearless rendition of the VI model gave the the traditional Bulls colors a bolder identity. It arrived at a perfect time, seeing how MJ and Bulls won their first NBA Championship that summer, so Jordan had to set foot on his first campaign as a defending champion in style.

While the Air Jordan 6 is commonly associated for the first Championship season, the Carmine 6s didn’t appear on the court until the 1991-1992 season. Jordan opted for this colorway for most of the first-half of that season, permanently switching to the new Air Jordan 7 at the ’92 All-Star break. Although the Carmines itself don’t hold any specific ties to mid-air switches or ring ceremonies, they’re regarded as highly as the original Infrareds and have gone on to be a true statement sneaker thanks to its rather risky colorway.

As the years passed into retirement territory, the Carmines only grew in its mythical status. In the earlier part of the 2000s, the Air Jordan 6 was hotly coveted for its design and scarcity, and it wasn’t until 2008 that Jordan Brand decided to reintroduce the shoes to the public as part of the storied Countdown Package series. It again dropped in 2014 as a standalone Retro.

Keeping to the OG shape and materials, the Air Jordan 6 “Carmine” now feature Nike Air on the heel for the first time since that ’91 drop. Releasing on February 13th, 2021 for $200, we anticipated these to sell out as quickly as they appear in stock. See a detailed look at the shoes below and stay tuned for updates as near the release.

In other Retro news, here’s the latest on the Jordan 13 “Starfish” and Jordan 3 “Cool Grey”.

Updated February 10th, 2021: Photos leaked out by retailers have revealed a possible defect that has potentially affected a small portion of the product. Photos provided by Niketalk reveal an issue with the paint on the midsole; it appears to have a pinkish hue to it. Those retailers have been instructed to return the product to Jordan Brand.

Updated February 6th, 2021: The Air Jordan 6 “Carmine” has been loaded onto Nike SNKRS.

Updated January 29th, 2021: Official Nike images have been updated.

The above image was leaked by a retailer (h/t Niketalk). Some pairs have an issue with the midsole color. These pairs have been returned to Nike.

Images: @brandon1an