Air Jordan
Air Jordan is a line of basketball shoes and athletic clothing produced by American corporation Nike. The first Air Jordan shoe was produced for Hall of Fame former basketball player Michael Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls in late 1984 and released to the public on April 1, 1985. The shoes were designed for Nike by Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore.
Air Jordan 1
The first Air Jordan was produced for Michael Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls in 1985 and designed by Peter b. Moore. Along with iconic release of colorways including Air Jordan 1 Royal. Moreover Air Jordan Metallic, Air Jordan Black Toe and more. Whereas all were failed, only the Air Jordan 1 Chicago, which manages to stand above out.
Additionally in 1994, Chicago Air Jordan came up with retro rendition, having Nike Air tag on tongue. Meanwhile 2 decade without any change this was considered the best retro. The year 2013, Air Jordan 1 again released with Nike Air branding and lasted for 2 years.
Finally in 2015, there was a true Chicago 1 fashion having Nike Air labeling on tongue and no jumpman silhouette. Once again they are re-imagining Chicago Jordan 1 on 29 October 2022. The red and black colorway of the Nike Air Ship, the prototype for the Jordan I, was later outlawed by then-NBA Commissioner David Stern for having very little white on them. (This rule, known as the "51 percent" rule, was repealed in the late 2000s.)
Air Jordan 2
The success of the Air Jordan I encouraged Nike to release a new Air Jordan in 1986 for the new basketball season. Designed by Peter Moore and Bruce Kilgore, the Air Jordan II was unique in that it was made in Italy. In early tests, MJ actually wore a prototype that fused the upper of the original Air Jordan with the cushioning being designed for the new model. The Air Jordan II featured a full-length Air-Sole unit intended to cushion's MJ's sore feet. The shoe bore a similar silhouette to the Nike Air Python that would release the following year. The AJ II featured a faux lizard skin and swooping lines that resembled the detailing of a sports car. This design aesthetic would factor into the Air Jordan line later in the series. The AJ II introduced better cushioning with a polyurethane midsole and a full-length encapsulated Nike Air capsule for maximum comfort. The Air Jordan II was the first Jordan not to have the Nike swoosh featured on the upper, though "Nike" was stitched across the heel counter. MJ only got to wear the Air Jordan II for 18 games in the 1986–87 season due to a broken foot. The shoe originally retailed at $100 when it was released from 1986 to 1987. The shoe later re-released, as the Jordan Retro 2, in 1994, 2004–05, 2008, 2010, 2014–18.
Air Jordan 3
Originally released in 1988, in 2009 the Jordan Brand reintroduced the highly sought after Air Jordan III in the True Blue colorway. It was an international-only release, meaning they were not sold in the US. In 2011, the brand released a Black History Month (BHM) Air Jordan III colorway in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of Black History Month. Also, the same year saw the release of the "True Blue" III on June 4. The Stealth colorway of the III was released in September and the Black Cements were released in November.
On February 15, 2020, the most recent version of the shoe Air Jordan 3 SE "Red Cement" was released in celebration of Chicago, Illinois hosting the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. The brand also debuted a Chicago-exclusive version of the colorway. This pair features "Nike Chi" branding on the heel, replacing the traditional "Nike Air" branding.
Air Jordan 4
In 1989, Nike released the Air Jordan IV to the public. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, it was the first Air Jordan released on the global market. It had four colorways: White/Black, Black/Cement Grey, White/Fire Red-Black, and Off White/Military Blue. Nike featured director and actor Spike Lee in ads for the AJ IV. Lee had featured the shoe in his movie Do The Right Thing. The Air Jordan IV re-released in 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010–2013 and 2015–2020 with numerous colorways being released nearly every year.
Michael Jordan wore the Air Jordan IV when he made "The Shot," a series winner in Game 5 of the 1989 NBA First Round between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2012 a Cavalier colorway dubbed the "Cavs" was released to honor "The Shot."
Air Jordan 4 collaboration shoes are some of the rarest and include, the Air Jordan 4 UNDFTD, Eminem x Air Jordan 4 Carhartt, the Wahlberger 4, and the Travis Scott friends and family Purple.
Air Jordan 5
The Air Jordan V was released in February 1990, designed by Tinker Hatfield again. Some elements were carried over from the Air Jordan IV, but overall they were a completely new look. Some of its new features include a reflective tongue (with a unique protruding design and look), translucent rubber soles and lace locks.
The Air Jordan V saw a lot of use in popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. During many episodes Will Smith wore the Metallic Silver, Grape, and Fire Red colorways. To pay tribute to his character, Jordan released the Air Jordan 5 Bel Air in 2013 and 2020.
Air Jordan 6
The VI was the first shoe used by the protagonist of Slam Dunk, Hanamichi Sakuragi. Nike released special versions of both the VI and the Jordan Super.Fly 3 featuring artwork from the series in 2014. The VI also had Sakuragi's number 10 embroidered on the side of the heels. Various other models in the Air Jordan line are featured in the series, including the original (to which Sakuragi eventually switched), the V, and the XII (both worn by Sakuragi's rival, Kaede Rukawa).
Air Jordan 7
The Air Jordan VII was released in 1992 with a new design by Tinker Hatfield. This shoe introduced the huarache technology which allowed the shoes to better conform to the user's foot. A few things were no longer featured on the new model, such as the visible air sole, the Nike Air logo, and the translucent soles. This was the first Air Jordan in the line that did not have any distinctive "Nike Air" on the outer portions of the shoe. The "Nike Air" branding was still on the in-soles, which Air Jordans VIII–XI also had. The VIIs were also known for a successful ad campaign in which Bugs Bunny appeared alongside Michael Jordan to market the shoes.
When Jordan went to compete at the 1992 Summer Olympics to play for the US Men's Basketball Team (also known as the "Dream Team"), Nike released a special Olympic color combo of the Air Jordan VII model which had Jordan's Olympic jersey number 9, instead of the usual "23" found on other colorways.
Various models of the Air Jordan VII were re-released in 2002, again in 2004, and again with different colors in 2006. In 2011 the Air Jordan VII saw releases in the "Orion" and "Bordeaux" colorways. The "Olympic" and "Charcoal" (commonly referred to as Raptors) were re-released in 2012. The shoe was retro-ed in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008–2012, and 2015–2017.
Air Jordan 8
The Air Jordan VIII was released to coincide with the 1992–1993 NBA season. The eighth model of the Air Jordan was noticeably heavier than its predecessors. The Air Jordan VIII model became known as the "Punisher" because of the advanced basketball ankle support and enhanced traction. This shoe contains a full-length air sole, polyurethane midsole, polycarbonate shank plate, and two crossover straps (for added support and more custom fit). The shoe was retro-ed in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2013, and 2015–2017.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS JORDAN | Air Jordan 9
Originally released in November 1993, the Air Jordan IX model was the first model released after Michael Jordan's retirement. Jordan never played an NBA season wearing these shoes. This model was inspired by baseball cleats that Jordan wore when playing minor-league baseball. The shoe was retro-ed in 2002, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014–2018.
Like the VII and VIII models, the Air Jordan IX featured an inner sock sleeve and nubuck accents. The sole featured different symbols and languages of different countries. The Air Jordan IX has been the shoe chosen to adorn Jordan's feet for his statue outside of the United Center in Chicago.
In popular culture, the children's movie The Little Rascals depicted one of the bullies, Butch, wearing a pair of these shoes. American rap icon Tupac Shakur also wore Air Jordans in a popular "Thug Life" photo in 1993.
Air Jordan 10
This was released in 1994 in three colorways - White/Black/Light Steel Grey 'Steel Grey,' White/Black/Dark Powder Blue 'Powder Blue,' Black/Dark Shadow/True Red 'Shadow.' More followed: Powder Blue (worn by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Men's and Women's basketball teams), Orlando Magic*, New York Knicks*, Seattle SuperSonics*, and Sacramento Kings*. It was the first Air Jordan to feature a lightweight Phylon midsole. The shoe also featured all of Michael Jordan's accomplishments up to his first retirement on the outsole.
In 2012, the Air Jordan X was re-released. They are dubbed the "Chicago Bulls", as they are part of a regional pack (City Pack), representing five teams. The lacing and tongue are completely black, and the red inner lining contrasts with the red inserts on the outsole. The outsole's design features a striped (wavy) design, which list many of Jordan's accomplishments. They retailed at $160. The Air Jordan X was released again in an OVO collaboration in 2015 and 2016, releasing in white and black colorways respectively with stingray detailing.
The shoe was retro-ed in 2005, 2008, 2012–2016, and 2018.
Air Jordan 11
This model was designed by Tinker Hatfield. When the shoe launched, Michael Jordan (retired from basketball by then) was with the Birmingham Barons in baseball's minor baseball leagues. Hatfield designed the sneaker waiting for Jordan to come back and hoping he would play in them.
The ballistic mesh upper of the sneaker was meant to make the Air Jordan XI lighter and more durable than past sneakers. Further changes came with the use of a carbon fiber spring plate in the translucent "frosty" outsole, giving the shoe better torque when twisting on the court. The highlight and arguably best-known aspect of the shoe is its patent leather mudguard. Patent leather was lightweight compared to genuine leather and also tended not to stretch as much – a property to help keep the foot within the bounds of the foot bed during directional changes on the court. The patent leather gave the XI a "formal" look. When this shoe released, some wore this model with business suits instead of dress shoes.
The sneakers were only samples in 1995 when Jordan decided to come back to the NBA. Hatfield and Nike discouraged Jordan from playing in them, but once they were produced, he couldn't resist. Also noteworthy, Jordan violated league dress code by wearing the shoes, as his teammates wore all-black shoes. It wasn't the first time Jordan had run afoul of NBA footwear rules, having broken them with his very first signature shoe in 1985. He was fined $5,000 for not following the Bulls' colorway policy with the AJ XI. After the fine, Nike made him a pair of the shoes in a black/white/concord colorway for the series against Orlando; Jordan wore Penny Hardaway's signature black Nike Air Flight shoes for Game 3 while said colorway was under production. A similar black/white/royal blue colorway was released to the public at the end of 2000. The colorway was changed for the public release because the concord purple had looked like royal blue on television.
Jordan wore the Air Jordan XI on the way to helping the Chicago Bulls claim the 1995–96 NBA Championship. He also wore the XI white Columbia colorway in the 1996 NBA All-Star Game and was selected MVP of the game. The shoes received more media exposure when Jordan wore the Air Jordan XI model in the 1996 animated movie Space Jam. These shoes were eventually released in 2000 and re-released in 2009 with the nickname "Space Jams." The concord purple was changed to royal blue for the released versions of the shoe.
The Air Jordan XI was originally released from 1995 to 1996. It was retro'd in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006–2018 and 2019. The Air Jordan XI is one of the most popular Air Jordan in the series and has released almost ritualistically every December since 2008, selling out in minutes. It also is Hatfield's favorite. With the Air Jordan XI being one of the most popular Jordan, supply is very limited and would cause fans to line up outside of stores before releases.
Air Jordan 12
The Air Jordan XII was originally released from 1996 to 1997. It was retro-ed in 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011–2013, 2015–2018, and its most recent retro in 2019.
Air Jordan 13
In 1997, Air Jordan XIIIs were released to the public. This model was known for its cushioning along the feet, designed by Hatfield. The Black Panther was the inspiration for the Air Jordan XIII, the sole resembles the pads on a panther's paw. But also the panther is the hologram on the back of the shoe which imitates a panther's eyes in the dark when light is shined at them. They were re-released in 2005, which coincided with the release of the Air Jordan 8s shoe.
In the movie He Got Game, the Air Jordan XIII was worn by Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington). Ray Allen, who played Jake's son Jesus in the film, wore them when he broke Reggie Miller's all-time record for made three-point shots during a game against the Lakers in Boston during the 2011 season. The Jordan Brand re-released the Air Jordan XIII at the end of 2010, which included the French Blue/Flint Grey, White/Red-Black, "Playoff" color way and the Black/Altitude Green color way. In 2017, Jordan Brand released the "History of Flight" colorway. This colorway is from the 2009 World Basketball Festival, where the "History of Flight" collection was revealed to celebrate Jordan's 25th anniversary.
The shoe was retro-ed in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2010–2018.
Air Jordan 14
Inspired by the Ferrari 550 M which Michael Jordan owned, the Air Jordan XIV was originally released from 1997 to 1999. It was re-released in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2014–2018.
The Air Jordan XIV co-styled by Hatfield and Mark Smith was made race ready and equipped with the Jordan Jumpman insignia on a Ferrari shaped badge. In addition, these shoes include breathable air ducts on the outer sole. The color scheme of predominant black accentuated with red was nicknamed "The Last Shot" because Michael Jordan wore them as he hit the game winning shot over Bryon Russell, of the Utah Jazz, in his final game with the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 NBA Finals.
There are 14 Jumpman logos on Air Jordan XIV's—7 on each shoe—corresponding the shoes' number in the series.
Air Jordan X Travis Scott
THE COMPLETE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO EVERY TRAVIS SCOTT SNEAKER COLLABORATION
Travis Scott's 2018 was the biggest year of his career so far. Astroworld's Drake collab "Sicko Mode" landed him his first Billboard Hot 100 number one single and the album's accompanying tour, complete with carnival rides and Ferris wheels as stage props, saw Scott pack out stadiums across the US. In his personal life, he and Kylie Jenner celebrated the birth of their first child Stormi in February.
All the while, Scott's collaboration with Nike and Jordan Brand has been picking up steam. Even before he signed with the brand, the Houston rapper was a major supporter of Jordan products, often spotted in Air Jordan 1s. Now, the partnership seems set to deliver more big releases in 2019.
With plenty still to come from the Travis Scott x Nike Air Jordan partnership, here's everything you need to know Travis Scott's complete footwear collaboration history.
