Jordan Retros – once and again
As soon as Nike began releasing Air Jordans in 1985, the look took the sneaker world by storm. Fans literally camped out in excited anticipation of the next release – the original social media in those pre-Internet days. Models proved to be so popular that Nike eventually decided to rekindle that excitement by re-releasing popular older models, the first being the Retro 1 that dropped in 1994, three years before the Swoosh spun off Jordan to a brand unto itself.
Whether it’s the shoes’ style or their colourways, each retro is a chapter in the life story of Michael Jordan.
Jordan Retro 1 – The shoe that kicked off a lineage that reaches well into the 30s, it is interestingly the only Air Jordan to feature the familiar Nike Swoosh prominently on the upper.
Retro 3 – Credited with keeping MJ with Nike when he was considering leaving after the designers of his first two shoes left the company, it captured MJ’s imagination by introducing elephant print to the sneaker world.
Retro 10 – A greatest-hits shoe of sorts, its outsole lists his career accomplishment prior to the shoe’s 1995 release.
Retro 13 – The first shoe to play off one of MJ’s nicknames, “Black Cat,” its design is inspired by a panther with an outsole that resembles a paw print and even an eye-catching holographic “cat’s eye” on the upper.
Mashups – The Jordan Mars 270 draws from the Retro 5 as the first design of Jackson Lewis Lee, son of famed filmmaker and Jordan collaborator Spike Lee. And the Jordan 6 Rings draws on elements from each of the shoes MJ wore when he won his six championships, the retros 6-8 and 11-13.
There are so many more – the “Laney” colourway that recalls MJ’s high school days, the “Motorsports” colour that commemorates the Michael Jordan Motorsports superbike team he ran from 2004 to ’17 – you’re best served to click through and find the one that fits your style.
Air you can wear
Jordan gives you countless options to complete your look. Whether it’s hoodies, crews, tees, or pants, you can mix or match your Jordan look.
Go retro with a T-shirt that complements your throwback kicks, or hook up your colours with a hoodie or tee that carries through the colourway that’s featured on your kicks.
And details are like punctuation, so look for hats, socks, backpacks, and more to complete your story.
