Sneaker News 
While Air Jordan Retros in general have always been held in the highest regard by sneaker enthusiasts, their lowtop counterparts have not always been met with the same unconditional love. While various Air Jordan Lows have certainly had plenty of shining moments through the years, they’re typically seen as the little brothers to the iconic original designs that came before them. This weekend’s release of the Air Jordan XI Low “Concord” will no doubt be a resounding win for the AJ Low legacy, so we’re celebrating the inevitable triumph with a look back at some of the SN staff’s all time favorite additions to the Air Jordan Low arsenal in this edition of Staff Insights.
AARON KR.
Air Jordan II Low
When it comes to sneakers as an art form, there have been countless high-top models that I’m in completely in awe of, but in terms of what I actually wear, I’ve always preferred lows and mids to highs as far back as I can remember. As a kid, that was the wrong side of the fence to be on in regards to Air Jordans, which for the most part have historically been higher cut silhouettes, but there was always the IIIs and IVs and a few of the more mid-cut designs to latch onto.
No one was happier than me when they started doing low versions of some of the classics. While most weren’t nearly as eagerly embraced as the original blueprints, to me it was a chance to have infinitely more wearable versions of models I had long admired, but had never owned or worn on account of their height. While they weren’t everybody’s cup of tea, I jumped at the chance to make up for lost time and wore various low editions of the VI, VIII, and IX into the ground over the years.
Of them all, the one pair that has brought me the most joy has unquestionably been the Air Jordan II Low – a model that actually released in its low version back in 1987 and was worn on court by MJ. The shoe has an amazing shape and a very progressive and sophisticated aesthetic that was way ahead of its time. I still wear the white/red pair from 2004 at least once a month, but my true 2 Low love is the white/red/black pair that retroed in 1995 — definitely near the top of my grail wish list. Not holding my breath on a retro comeback, but hey, they should technically be one of the next up in the OG cycle!
BRENDAN DUNNE
Air Jordan VI Low
I’ve definitely felt the allure of the Air Jordan 11 Low recently thanks to this year’s retro treatments, but I’m gonna give it to the Air Jordan VI Low on this one – particularly the black/silver colorway from 2002. The other couple of Jordan 6 Lows that came out at around that time have some obvious lineage. You’ve got the “University Blue” which felt sort of like a Sport Blue take down and then you had the “Coral Rose” which just went with the standard pink and shrink look.
But the black/silver one almost felt like a hiccup in the line – I mean wouldn’t this make so much more sense on a Jordan 5 Low? They’re just a little bit more mysterious because of the odd color choice, not to mention that silvery lacelock is glorious. Those couple of details make them my favorite – plus this is the kind of weirdo release that seems pretty safe from the retro treatment for at least another decade thanks to its weirdo status.
JOHN KIM
Air Jordan XIII Low
The Air Jordan XIII was such a popular sneaker when it first dropped. I was in my Freshman year of High School and everyone wore either the Royal Foams or the Flint 13s. The Air Jordan 13 Low was an incredible shoe to me because it was far more wearable than the Mid version; the latter was too much “shoe” for me to wear, so the Low was a nice alternative (and it wasn’t low-cut at all). I sorely wanted the Low, but I was in complete Air Max mode at the time, so my money went to that category.
I tracked down my favorite of the model, the OG Black/Blue, on eBay during college, but I really loved the Retro pairs that dropped in 2005. The Ceramic and the Black/Yellow were some of my favorite to wear. They didn’t sell all that well so they were available at a discount – especially the all-white pair that I remember buying at a Champs for $40.
PATRICK JOHNSON
Air Jordan XIV Low
For many Jordan connoisseurs, the true signature sneaker line ends at the Air Jordan XIV with Mike holding his follow through at the top of the key in Utah. And even though His Airness would announce his retirement shortly after the team had won their 6th championship and the NBA Players Union went on strike, MJ did make a comeback and his shoes continued to release even without him on the court. But even with all of that championship nostalgia, one of the forgotten low tops was the short-lived Air Jordan XIV Low that hit retailers back in 2006. The upper got cut in half and yet the silhouette still retained the Ferrari inspiration and if anything, it could be argued that the low top was even more fitting for the slanted angles that had the illusion of moving forward at sonic speed.
It was a shame that the shoe only saw a few colorways: most notably the Varsity Royal, a Pacific Blue variety that had a white base and a predominantly white pair that had sparse accents of red on the branding and green on the heel. With the amount of Air Jordan 11 Lows only continuing to grow each Summer, there are only a handful of low tops in the Jumpman line that manage to keep the silhouette’s identity without looking awkward, and it’d be great to see his 14th signature return in low top form in the future.
JORDAN HAGEDORN
Air Jordan XVII Low
Of all the Jordan low tops that have dropped, for me the Lightning XVII low stands out for many reasons but the main one – Michael Jordan rocking them in his return to the All Star game. After coming out of retirement for the 2001-2002 season to play for the Wizards, MJ was voted an All Star for the 13th time. That year I was excited about the Air Jordan XVII launch in general as I loved the design, it came with a metal briefcase and was the first Air Jordan with a $200 price tag.
The XVII would be my first brand new Air Jordan ever and since I was 17 years old and a Junior in high school, borrowing $200 from Grandpa to get them was a big deal. As the year went on, the lows rolled out and I fell in love with with both the Carolina Blue and Lightning colorways. The foldable collar to make them seem a little higher if you’d like and the see-through yellow side panel with the visible Jumpman underneath are incredible cues that made these special to me. To this day, the XVII is one of my favorite signature shoes and the XVII low, in my opinion, is one of the best low top executions in the history of the Jordan line.
