Early Look: Air Jordan 11 “Gamma 2025”

The holiday season is synonymous with many traditions, but for sneaker enthusiasts, there is only one that matters: the annual Air Jordan 11 release. While recent years have given us faithful retros of OGs like the "Gratitude" (DMP) and "Cherry," 2025 is bringing back a modern classic that changed the game over a decade ago.

After a 12-year hiatus, the Air Jordan 11 Retro "Gamma" is finally returning.

Originally released in 2013, the "Gamma Blue" was a significant moment in Jordan Brand history. It was the first time a non-OG colorway was chosen as the solo holiday release for the silhouette. At the time, it was a polarizing move, but the stealthy, blacked-out aesthetic quickly won the community over. Today, it stands as one of the most requested retros in the archives.

The 2025 iteration stays true to the color blocking that made the original a hit. The upper is constructed from the signature ballistic mesh in jet black, paired with a matching stealthy leather heel wrap.

The star of the show, as always, is the patent leather mudguard, which arrives in a deep, glossy black. The monochromatic look is broken up by the specific accents that give this shoe its name: a Gamma Blue embroidered Jumpman on the collar and a striking Varsity Maize "23" on the heel tab.

Rounding out the design is a blue-tinted translucent outsole that complements the branding, giving the shoe an "icy" finish that contrasts perfectly against the all-black midsole.

While the colorway remains the same, the chassis has been significantly upgraded. If you have the 2013 pair in your rotation, you’ll spot the differences immediately. The 2025 "Gamma" is built on Jordan Brand’s remastered mold, which aims to mimic the original 1995 specifications closer than ever before.

• The Patent Leather Cut: The most obvious difference is the height of the patent leather. The 2013 release featured the lower cut that was standard for retros of that era. The 2025 version features the higher, OG-style cut. This provides a thicker, more substantial look to the mudguard, widely considered superior by collectors for being true to Tinker Hatfield's original vision.

• The Shape: Alongside the higher cut, the overall silhouette is sleeker. The toe box on the remastered versions is generally less "boxy" than the 2010-2015 era retros, offering a sharper profile on-foot.

• The Outsole: While both feature blue-tinted soles, modern manufacturing often results in a slightly different hue of "icy" blue compared to the 2013 version, which was prone to yellowing quickly. Expect the 2025 materials to be slightly more resilient to oxidation.

Whether you missed out in 2013 or you’re looking to retire your worn-out original pair, this is one of the most anticipated drops of the year.

See the 2025 pair in all it’s glory here.