The 5 Greatest Air Jordan Sneakers of All Time
Last updated
Last updated
When Nike first introduced the first Air Jordan sneaker in 1985, the then-fledgling footwear company expected to garner $3 million in sales in three years. It sold $126 million in the first year alone, 42 times above the projection. The rest, as they say, is history.
sneakers were first designed for performance, but today, they are grails for sneaker collectors and works of art revered by connoisseurs. The brand continues to innovate and evolve, all while maintaining the gold standard set by Tinker Hatfield, who designed many of the first and most popular sneakers in the lineup. While everyone has their favorite pair, only a few can hold the universal distinction of being the very finest in design, performance and luxury. Below, the 15 best Air Jordan sneakers of all time.
1. Air Jordan I
2. Air Jordan XI
Jordan, in the XI, would lead the Bulls to a record-setting regular season, and would take home the MVP Award, All-Star MVP and NBA finals MVP, as well as his fourth NBA Championship, further cementing his status as the greatest of all time. Also notable, the XI birthed two coveted styles: the Space Jam XI that appeared in the 1996 film, Space Jam, with the phrase “Jumpman Jam” on the tongue instead of the regular “Jumpman Jordan,” and the Defining Moments Package XI sneakers with a gold outsole and gold Jumpman logo on the ankle.
3. Air Jordan XX
4. Air Jordan X
The style also continued in the same design direction that began with the IX. The high-tops that dominated the early 90s were becoming a thing of the past. Low, more streamlined styles started gaining traction, and the X’s silhouette, along with its monochrome side panels and lacing system, definitely fit better with the times. More recently, the brand collaborated with Drake on a special “OVO” colorway, so named after the rapper’s music label.
5. Air Jordan VIII
As for the design, the VIII is Hatfield’s final high-top sneaker, sharing similarities with its predecessors, the V, VI and VII. It also sports a chenille tongue Jumpman graphic, along with straps. What’s more, the ankle and heel feature a ridged fabric that unintentionally resembles the Looney Tunes intro background.
The first Air Jordan is the epitome of great sneaker design: performance, comfort and versatility in sport and leisure are are all there. During the height of Jordan’s career, the Air Jordan I fell to the wayside in favor of newer styles that were hitting the court. Then, in 2007, Jordan released the “Old Love/New Love” pack, two versions of the Air Jordan I in the Chicago Bulls colors to commemorate Jordan as a basketball player, and in black and yellow to nod to another passion of his, motocross.
From that point, the has leaned on the Air Jordan I for storytelling and unique collaborations. It has retold many stories from Jordan’s career through this method, including his 69-point game versus the Boston Celtics. It also revived grail styles like the black and blue “Royal” colorway, and birthed several collaborations with Virgil Abloh, J Balvin and Dior.
Performance and luxury perfected: The XI is Jordan’s official comeback and an undeniable favorite amongst collectors. MJ retired from the NBA in 1993 only to return toward the end of the 1995 season and playoffs, where he would see an early exit versus the Orlando Magic. The second-round exit from the playoffs was Jordan’s first early exit since 1991. Naturally, the Bulls came back with a vengeance, and the Air Jordan XI was his weapon of choice.
This unsung design by Hatfield and Mark Smith holds the distinction of celebrating 20 years of Jordan’s greatness and the brand. The XX is a unique mid-cut style with a floating ankle strap and 69 dimples on the side, which references MJ’s highest scoring game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1990.
But the main draw of this style is the collage on the upper that tells Jordan’s story through illustration. They include the Jumpman logo, championship trophies and rings, the number 45 (worn by Jordan on his return to basketball in 1995), baseball bats for his brief baseball career playing Double-A for the Chicago White Sox and his children’s names. Different versions of this collage would appear on other Jordan sneakers and apparel in the decade, most notably special versions of the Air Jordan XV and the Dub Zero .
The Air Jordan X is the first milestone Sneaker, chronicling the first 10 years of the brand and celebrating MJ’s accomplishments throughout the decade. This style was first introduced when announced his first retirement after winning his third NBA championship in 1993. To commemorate Jordan’s departure, Hatfield designed 10 marks on the outsole to represent some of his Airness’s triumphs, including winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1985, winning the Slam Dunk Contest in 1988, winning the NBA Championship and Most Valuable Player Awards and one for the year of the X’s release.
The Air Jordan VIII is MJ’s third championship and the second to be worn by Bugs Bunny. Here’s the scoop: you don’t have Space Jam without these sneakers. Nike promoted this pair with their second commercial starring Jordan and Bugs, teaming against Marvin the Martian and a gang of extraterrestrials. The Air Jordan VII may have the “Hare” colorway as a tribute to the iconic Looney Tunes star, but the Air Jordan VIII has the honor of being nicknamed after the beloved character.
