Early Look at the Air Jordan 2 OG "Chicago"

Early Look at the Air Jordan 2 OG "Chicago"

A full look at the upcoming return of the classic Jordan 2 colorway.

Matt DeSciora

The Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 3, Air Jordan 4, and even the Air Jordan 5 to an extent, are tied to some of the most memorable moments of Michael Jordan’s early basketball career. But curiously, the Air Jordan 2 gets overlooked when the topic of Jordan’s pre-championship shoes comes up for discussion.

But not for much longer. The Air Jordan 2’s original “Chicago” colorway will make its triumphant return for the first time in many years next month. The reissue should rekindle memories of the Jordan 2’s heyday, which includes its namesake averaging a career-best 37.1 points per game in the sneaker during the ‘86-87 NBA season with the Chicago Bulls.

The release of the Jordan 2 “Chicago” couldn’t have come at a better time. In late 2021, the late Virgil Abloh set off a succession of Jordan 2 collaborations when Off-White debuted two vintage-tinged colorways with faux crumbling midsoles. Soon after, Union, A Ma Maniére, and other top collaborators put their respective spins on the retro basketball shoe in celebration of its 35th anniversary.

Now, the Jordan 2’s original “Chicago” colorway is back to serve up even more nostalgic vibes. And it should have no problem doing so. The modern colorway is nearly identical to the version that debuted in ‘86. Faux reptilian leather appears on the upper, as does old school “Nike” branding on the heel and a “Wings” logo on the tongue. (You won’t find a Swoosh on this release or any other Jordan 2, because the Air Jordan 2 was the first Jordan sneaker to omit the design in an effort to differentiate Michael Jordan and his sneakers from Nike.)

Air Jordan 2 releases have been few and far between over the years. Especially those done up in the “Chicago” colorway. The style received its first retro update in 1995 in both the original mid and low-top designs. It returned again in 2004 in mid-top form, and in 2018 as a low-top. Now, the shoe that Jordan wore throughout the season in which he set a then Madison Square Garden opponent scoring record, became the second player in NBA history to score 3,000 points in a season, and the first player to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in the same season will be back in the spotlight in its most iconic colorway. Don’t miss it this time.

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