Michael Jordan spent so much time airborne with the Chicago Bulls in the late ’80s and early ’90s it’s a wonder he even bothered wearing sneakers. If you’ve watched The Last Dance, you’ll know they didn’t call him His Airness because of flatulence; it was because of his epic hang times and relentless drive. Whether dueling Charles Barkley or bounding over animated aliens, Jordan was contractually obligated to sport Nike Air Jordans.
The ball player’s celebrity made the little shoe company into the beloved global exploiter of child labor it is today. In fact, a pair of Jordan’s used Nikes recently sold at auction for a staggering $560,000. He single-footedly kickstarted the sneaker industrial complex, now a $62.5 billion dollar market. In this list, we look back at the most fly sneakers the G.O.A.T wore during his golden days on the court.
Cover Photo: Edward Berthelot (Getty Images)
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Ranked! Our 10 Favorite Pairs of Michael Air Jordan Sneakers During His Time With the Chicago Bulls
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10. Air Jordan 7 Cardinal
While many Air Jordans eventually become cool again if you wait long enough, we hope this model — the Air Jordan 7 Cardinal — remains forever confined to history’s dustbin.
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9. Air Jordan 3 Cement
Perhaps no set of Air Jordans screams '80s flashback quite as much as the Air Jordan 3 Cement. Re-released in 2018, Jordan wore these for his break-out 1988 season, the one where he earned his first league MVP.
Photo: Pinterest
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8. Air Jordan 5 Fire Red
This pair of Air Jordan 5s aren’t iconic for their look, but rather for what Mike did while wearing them. In these very shoes, Jordan scored a career-high 69 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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7. Air Jordan 2 Low
Jordan sported the Air Jordan 2 Lows when he played the Philadelphia 76ers in 1987. To those in Philly, Chicago’s champion was considered a major heel.
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6. Air Jordan 2 White/Red
Though called White/Red, this pair of shoes is almost entirely white, which looks otherworldly out of the box but are kind of a pain to maintain. If you like synthetic replicas of lizard skin, then these are the definitely the Air Jordans for you.
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5. Air Jordan 13 Low
Jordan wore these ultra-comfortable kicks in practice, though he famously didn’t take it so easy on his teammates.
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4. Air Jordan 7 Black/Red
The Air Jordan 7s were the first pair of these epic sneakers to not sport a Nike swoosh. Jordan wore these dark shoes as part of the “Dream Team” for the 1992 Olympics as well as on the court stateside for his second NBA championship in a row.
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3. Air Jordan 1 Chicago
Way back in 1986, Michael Jordan wore a stylish pair of Nikes named for the city he would win so many championships in the name of. These came before gimmicks like air bubbles and pumps ruined the line’s sleek profile.
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2. Air Jordan 1 Exclusives
What list of MJ’s sweetest kicks would be complete without this iconic red, black and white pair he wore in 1985, his rookie year? Jordan’s recently sold at Sotheby’s for more than half-a-million dollars, setting a used-gym-equipment sales record.
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1. Air Jordan 11
The 11s are what MJ sported in Space Jam, so they’re definitely our favorite and it has nothing to do with that weirdly hot rabbit cartoon. Jordan also wore these to victory in the 1996 NBA season, the first year of his second three-peat.
