When it comes to marketability, no player, past or present, can touch Michael Jordan. It was because of Jordan that NBA players today make as much money as they do, especially from endorsements.
Back in the 1990s, it seemed like you couldn’t turn on your television without seeing a commercial featuring MJ. He sponsored everything from Gatorade to Ball Park Franks to Hanes underwear… The guy was everywhere!
What became Jordan’s biggest and most important sponsor was Nike and his shoe line. Yes, I am talking about the iconic Air Jordan shoe from Nike.
At first, Jordan shoes were simply a shoe line from Nike. Now, Jordan has branched off as a subsidiary of Nike, and the Jordan Brand continues to dominate the shoe game.
This past year, in 2022, Jordan Brand made over $5 billion in annual revenue. Why is the Jordan Brand so popular, even with Michael Jordan not playing in an NBA game since 2003?
The answer is Jordan’s shoes were so iconic during his playing days, all Jordan Brand has to do is re-release an old shoe MJ played in, and people go bonkers over them. Okay, Jordan Brand also releases new style shoes, as well, but the classics are its biggest sellers.
In today’s article, we will look at the 10 best Jordan Brand shoes. You’ll see every shoe on our list were shoes MJ wore during his playing days.
Here are the top 10 best Jordan Brand shoes.
Honorable Mentions
Air Jordan XVIII
To start our list, we have decided to throw in two honorable mentions. There are so many great Jordans to pick from. It is hard not to mention a few more pairs than just 10.
Our first honorable mention is the shoes Michael Jordan last wore in the NBA, the Air Jordan XVIII. The shoe was designed to match the sleekness of a Formula 1 race car.
Even though MJ and his Washington Wizards didn’t find much success in the NBA, the shoe was successful, thanks to its sleek race car look, but also its formal style, as well.
The shoe has a unique TPU paneling that covers most of the midsole. This gives off a dress shoe-type look that only Jordan and his brand could pull off in an athletic shoe.
Air Jordan XIV
Next on our list are the last shoes Jordan wore as a member of the Chicago Bulls. Yes, these were the shoes that MJ wore when he sunk the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals.
The Air Jordan XIV was sometimes called the “Ferrari Air Jordans” because the shoe was designed after the Ferrari 550 Maranello. What is also interesting about the Air Jordan XIV shoes is Jordan only wore the shoes three times on a basketball court.
Jordan wore the Air Jordan XIII up until Game 3 of the NBA Finals. That’s when Jordan switched to an early prototype of the Air Jordan XIV which led to MJ wearing these shoes in the iconic “Final Shot” photo.
10. Air Jordan XIII
We now begin our top 10 list of the best Jordan Brand shoes. The Air Jordan XIII starts our list off with its design and also its history. This shoe was worn by the G.O.A.T. during the “Last Dance” season, which was 1997-98.
The Air Jordan XIII shoes were dubbed the “Black Cat” shoes for a few reasons. For one, Michael Jordan’s nickname was the Black Cat. The second reason was that the outsole was modeled after a panther’s paw.
There’s also the stylish holographic cat eye on the collar of the shoe. If you want to look stylish and fierce, then these are the Jordans to get.
9. Air Jordan VI
Ah, yes, the iconic Air Jordan VI. These shoes are in the history books because of one major reason: These are the shoes Michael Jordan wore when he won his first NBA championship.
Jordan’s sixth edition shoe was designed to match MJ’s German sportscar at the time. The Air Jordan VI has a rubber tongue with finger loops and lace locks.
It also has a translucent rubber sole with the air pocket shown. What is also special about this shoe is the Air Jordan VI would be the last time the Nike logo would appear on any Jordan Brand shoe.
8. Air Jordan VII
Next up on our list is the shoe that directly followed the Air Jordan VI… The Air Jordan VII. This shoe would be the first Air Jordan shoes not to feature the Nike logo, setting the Jordan lineup to become its own brand.
The shoe has a similar look to the Air Jordan VI but with a more minimal design to it. There would be no visible air pocket in this Jordan shoe, which was a big difference from the previous shoes.
For the Air Jordan VII, the design was based on African tribal artwork. The Air Jordan VII also had one of the most iconic ad campaigns, with Bugs Bunny wearing the Air Jordan VII.
This would be a beautiful partnership that would later show up again on the big screen. Maybe we’ll get another iconic shoe with that collaboration. Just maybe.
7. Air Jordan VIII
The eighth edition of the Air Jordan line brought to fans a popular feature of shoes at the time… Straps. Yes, the Air Jordan VIII has straps, and its design screams the 90s, which helps many older fans today love this shoe.
The Air Jordan VIII features a graphic-covered TPU paneling at the heels and, of course, the iconic Jumpman logo on the tongue. Out of the original colorways, the white version was dubbed “The Bug Bunny.”
Yes, Bugs Bunny would return to help promote the Air Jordan VIII, and this would be the shoes MJ himself would wear when he helped the Chicago Bulls make history by becoming the first team in the modern era to win three championships in a row.
6. Air Jordan V
The fourth edition of the Air Jordan shoe line had a very unique and incredible feature to its design. On the shoe’s tongue is the iconic Jumpman logo but the unique part of the tongue is the fact it is made with a reflective material.
The meaning behind using reflective material is genius. In his prime, no NBA player was photographed more than Michael Jordan. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, people had flash in their cameras to get a good picture of MJ going up for a monster slam dunk.
Now, when a flash from a picture would occur, the reflective tongue would light in, showing off the Jordan Jumpman in a glorious and memorable way. Pretty cool idea.
Also, the Air Jordan V had an overall beautiful design, which was modeled after a World War II fighter plane. The Air Jordan V also was the first pair of Air Jordan to have translucent outsoles.
5. Air Jordan XII
The Air Jordan XII has gone down as a memorable shoe because of Michael Jordan’s iconic and gusty “Flu Game” performance against the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals. On top of being attached to such a great performance, the shoe is also nice to look at.
The design of the Air Jordan XII was based on two things. First was the Japanese flag. The stitching down the sides of the shoes resembles the sun rays from the Japanese flag.
The other design influence was, believe it or not, a women’s shoe from the 19th century. Yes, the back high heel-like design on the Air Jordan XII was molded after a women’s shoe back in the 19th century.
These shoes were so popular back in 1997 that many other players wore the shoes. This includes Jordan’s teammate, Scottie Pippen, who famously stopped wearing his own Max Air System to wear the Air Jordan XII. Pippen gave his own twist on wanting to “Be Like Mike.”
4. Air Jordan IV
When it comes to the Air Jordan IVs, you should do the right thing and wear these stylish shoes. Yes, that was a reference to Spike Lee’s movie
Do The Right Thing.
Spike’s movie featured the Air Jordan IVs, making it the first movie to have a pair of Jordans in it. The shoe was so iconic that Phil Jackson, who was an assistant coach with the Bulls at the time of their release, wore them in the 1989 Eastern Conference Finals.
The Air Jordan IV design is simple, yet very effective. It’s similar to the Air Jordan III (as you will soon see), yet it has a unique lacing support system with its iconic “wings.”
The Air Jordan IV also sported the word “Flight” for the first time on any pair of Jordans. Oh, and it’s the shoe MJ wore when he hit “The Shot” against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1989 playoffs.
3. Air Jordan III
When it comes to sneakers, the Air Jordan IIIs truly changed the game. Nothing, including the first two Air Jordans, was like it.
For one, the Air Jordan III was the first Air Jordan that was designed by Tinker Hatfield. Now, this is the first time mentioning Tinker Hatfield’s name, but every pair of Air Jordans mentioned on this list up to this point was designed by Tinker.
Tinker was also the one who pushed to get away from the Nike logo and help turn Jordan into its own brand. Without Tinker Hatfield, the Jordan Brand may not have been as successful.
When looking at the Air Jordan III, you’ll notice its incredibly beautiful elephant print on the side of the shoes. You’ll also take notice of the Jumpman logo, which this pair of Jordans became the first to feature the Jordan Jumpman.
The Air Jordan III also became the first Jordan to feature a visible air pocket. What makes this shoe even more special is it is the shoe MJ wore when he won his first MVP in the 1987-88 season.
2. Air Jordan XI
The world was shocked when Michael Jordan announced his retirement in 1993. When he announced he was returning in 1995, the world became shocked again, yet, this time, happy.
Michael Jordan was the most popular athlete in the world when he retired in 1993. When Jordan returned in 1995, he became the most popular celebrity in the world.
During Jordan’s first full year back, the season when the Bulls won 72 games, Jordan wore the Air Jordan XI. The 1995-96 season was actually not the first time MJ wore the shoes.
In Game 1 of the 1995 semifinals vs. the Orlando Magic, Jordan debuted the shoe. This actually cost Jordan to be fined by the NBA, as the “Concord” colorway was mainly white, and the Bulls, as a team, wore black shoes.
Fast forward to November 15, 1996, the Air Jordan XI was featured in Michael Jordan’s debut movie Space Jam. The shoe is hard to miss with its shiny patent leather.
Jordan wanted a shoe that was shiny, something he could wear off the court in a suit. Tinker Hatfield delivered, and Jordan’s request became an addiction, as Boyz II Men wore the Air Jordan XIs at the American Music Awards while wearing tuxedos.
The Air Jordan XI was also the first Jordan to feature a carbon fiber midfoot support shank. These shoes are truly special, but they aren’t at the top spot on our list. There’s one pair of Jordans that are more iconic.
1. Air Jordan I
Real hoop fans remember the famous Nike-Jordan commercial about his shoes being banned from the NBA. The commercial starts with MJ standing there, bouncing the ball in the original red and black Air Jordans.
Then, black censor blocks get plastered over the shoes, as the narrator says how the NBA “threw out” the Air Jordan Is. This hyped up the shoe and made fans want to buy them.
Yes, the original Air Jordan tops our list. Without the Air Jordan Is, there would be no signature basketball shoes featuring Jordan and possibly no Nike shoes at all.
Yes, Nike was essentially built by Jordan, as Nike was a small company and grew into what it is today, largely by Jordan’s popularity. The Air Jordan I changed the shoe, just as Michael Jordan changed the game of basketball.
The Air Jordan I was designed by Peter Moore, and its simple design was on par with other basketball shoes at the time. The design may have been simple, but it sure was effective.
The shoes are beautiful to look at, with the big Nike “swoosh” logo on the sides and the original Air Jordan wings logo on the upper ankle portion of the shoe. The Air Jordan Is were mostly black and red, and this was why the NBA had an issue with it.
Back in 1985, the NBA had a rule called the 51% rule, stating a player’s shoes had to be at least 51% white. Well, the original Air Jordan Is were not 51% white.
This, along with Jordan’s immediate success on the basketball court, helped grow the Jordan Brand and Nike. When Nike signed Jordan to a deal in 1985, they hoped to make $3 million in sales off of Jordan’s shoes in four years.
Today, Nike makes $3 million every 5 hours off of the Jordan Brand. It is safe to say Nike and Jordan, who originally didn’t want to meet with Nike, but changed his mind thanks to his mother, made the right decision.
So, there you have it, Fadeaway World’s top 10 Air Jordans, plus our two honorable mentions. Do you agree with our list? Or do you have another iconic pair of Jordans you’d like to add to the list or maybe switch around our order?
Either way, the Jordan Brand is huge, and it is here to stay. No matter where you look, you’ll always see someone trying to “Be Like Mike” and wear a pair of Air Jordans.
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