Celebrating Michael Jordan's Birthday With the 4 Most Essential Air Jordans
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By Stadium Goods |Celebrating Michael Jordan's Birthday With the 4 Most Essential Air Jordans
On Michael Jordan’s 60th birthday, we highlight the four most absolutely essential Air Jordans you need in your collection.
Matt DeSciora
Folks of a certain age, prepare to not feel any younger: today is Michael Jordan’s 60th birthday. Where has the time gone?
For those of us old enough to remember, it feels like just yesterday that Jordan was gearing up for another championship run with the Chicago Bulls, but alas, those days are a thing of the past. The last time Jordan was in the NBA was exactly 20 years ago, which, to put things in perspective, is the same amount of time that LeBron James has been playing in the League. Still, in spite of his two-decade-long retirement, Jordan and his signature Air Jordan sneakers remain as iconic as ever. In some instances, maybe even more iconic now than when “His Airness” wore them back in the day.
A combination of nostalgia, “The Last Dance,” and a run of great collaborations has made some of the most essential Air Jordans, particularly the Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 3, Air Jordan 4, and Air Jordan 11, household names in sneaker culture long after Jordan’s final game. And we don’t expect that to change anytime soon.
In celebration of Jordan’s milestone birthday, we’re reviewing what exactly makes the aforementioned Air Jordan sneakers among the greatest in the culture. Whether you’re new to Air Jordans, have a room in your house dedicated to “Money” kicks, or you’re here for some sweet sneaker nostalgia, this brief guide to the essential Air Jordans has you covered.
Air Jordan 1 High OG “Chicago”
Release year: 1985
MJ’s Accomplishment: Scored 63 points in the Air Jordan 1 “Chicago” in 1986 NBA Playoffs
The “1” that started it all. The Air Jordan 1 is Michael Jordan’s first-ever signature shoe, and arguably the greatest sneaker of all time. It's the shoe that basically helped save Nike in the mid 1980s, and the shoe that started the Air Jordan legacy. Not only did he wear the “Chicago” Jordan 1 when he set an NBA Playoff record by scoring 63 points against the Boston Celtics in the ‘86 Playoffs, he later wore the shoe during his final game at Madison Square Garden as a member of the Bulls in 1998.
Release year: 1988
MJ’s Accomplishment: Won 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in the Air Jordan 3 “White Cement”
The Air Jordan 3 is one of the greatest basketball sneakers ever. That was evident the moment Jordan debuted the shoe over NBA All-Star Weekend in 1988. With the model’s “White Cement” colorway on his feet, Jordan competed in and won the ‘88 Dunk Contest, which is largely considered the greatest iteration of the popular event. A day later, “Money” debuted the Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement” in the ‘88 All-Star Game. The rest, as they say, is history.
Release year: 1989
MJ’s Accomplishment: Wore the Air Jordan 4 “Bred” during “The Shot”
A year after Jordan’s spectacular performance in the Air Jordan 3 at All-Star Weekend, the Basketball Hall of Famer debuted another legendary Air Jordan model: the Air Jordan 4. Just like the Jordan 3, the Jordan 4 was a fan favorite from the beginning as it was featured in classic commercials starring Spike Lee as his sneaker-obsessed Mars Blackmon character. The Jordan 4’s crowning achievement was that it was worn by Jordan when he hit the game-winning “Shot” against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the ‘89 NBA Playoffs.
Release year: 1996
MJ’s Accomplishment: Too many to name.
Incredibly, Michael Jordan may have had more career-defining accomplishments in the Air Jordan 11 than any other Air Jordan shoe:
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Wore the Jordan 11 “Concord” for the duration of the Bulls’ remarkable 72-win regular season in ‘95-96.
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Wore the Jordan 11 “Columbia” during ‘96 NBA All-Star Game—won game MVP.
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Wore the Jordan 11 “Bred” during most of the ‘96 NBA Playoffs—won NBA Finals MVP in the “Bred.”
As you can see, nothing else really needs to be said about the Air Jordan 11’s on-court legacy. Away from the hardwood, the Jordan 11 has equal success. Jordan wore the “Space Jam” in the movie of the same name. The Jordan 11 has also been the centerpiece of Jordan Brand’s annual holiday release cycle since the late 2000s.