AIR JORDAN 2(II) Retro

AIR JORDAN II The Air Jordan II was released in 1986 as the second sneaker in Michael Jordan’s line with Nike. Like its predecessor the model was led by designers Bruce Kilgore and Peter Moore, this time coming with a much more unique creation that toned down the Swoosh branding quite a bit. The sneakers were famously originally produced in Italy, boasting fine leather construction for a more luxurious feel.

Air Jordan 3(III) “Fire Red”

AIR JORDAN III

With buzz surrounding Michael Jordan and his signature kicks, Nike looked to corporate architect-turned-footwear-designer Tinker Hatfield to head up the creation of the Air Jordan III.

Hatfield's design of the Air Jordan III was unique in several aspects: • The Air Jordan "wings" logo was no longer present — it was replaced by the newly introduced Jumpman logo on the tongue
• The cut of the shoe was a mid, which had never been seen in the basketball shoe world before
• The midsole was crafted with highly sculpted polyurethane, which introduced a fresh look
• The visible Air unit was introduced to the Air Jordan line, allowing players to literally "walk on air"

Retro blues and Retro boom

Surprisingly enough, the first time the Air Jordan 3 was retroed in 1994, the shoe had limited success. When the Air Jordan 3 was sold again as a re-retro in 2001, it was a different story. The shoe was released in 4 re-retro colorways including 3 of the original 4 colorways except featuring a Jumpman on the back of the shoe instead of the famous “Nike Air” symbol. The Air Jordan 3 set the standard for all Jordan shoes to follow and is the biggest reason for success of the entire line. If you are interested in getting a new pair of Air Jordan 3s, visit the Jordan release dates page to stay current on retro Air Jordan releases.

Possibly the most distinct aspect of the Air Jordan III was the upgrade in materials. The upper was constructed of rich full-grain tumbled leather and was built to feel broken in — Jordan could wear a brand new pair every game without worrying about stiffness in the shoes.

Hatfield also chose to combine the tumbled leather with faux elephant skin. The elephant print was featured on the toe cap and heel of the kicks. (It also showed up on the bottom of the shoe box.)

Hatfield takes command

The Air Jordan 3 was the first of 14 Air Jordans designed by Tinker Hatfield. The Air Jordan 3 also carried more of Jordan’s name on the shoe since the man himself was an active part of the design of the shoe. The shoe was the perfect example of Tinker’s skill to blend fashion with function.

Air Jordan 5(V) “Metallic”

AIR JORDAN V

In 1990, Designer Tinker Hatfield continued to push the envelope with the Air Jordan line. His creativity and innovative thinking continued on several levels with the design of the Air Jordan V. The shoe featured an asymmetrical collar and the cut of the shoe was higher than the previous two Air Jordans. The V still had the sculpted midsole, but included a new pattern inspired by a World War II fighter plane.

The Air Jordan 5 also was the first Jordan shoe to have a clear sole. This not only added a nice look to the Air Jordan 5, but provided far better traction. The Air Jordan 5 also featured an iridescent reflective tongue and lacelocks.Yellow Soles Assist Retro Sales Though the Air Jordan 5 would sell just fine on its own, the fact that the shoes had clear rubber soles helped convince many Jordan collectors to buy a retro pair. The Air Jordan 5 soles would turn yellow over time and almost amber. The Jordan 5 is not alone with the yellow sole blues – the Jordan 6, Jordan 11, and Jordan 16 all had major parts of the soles made of clear rubber.The Air Jordan 5 was retroed in late 1999 in White/Black-Fire Red and Black/Black-met silver and once again there was a great demand for them. Retro+ models were also produced of the Air Jordan 5. One of them featured Michaels high school colors (Laney High School).The Air Jordan 5 is set to retro again in 2006. Keep your eyes open for these! If you are interested in getting a new pair of Air Jordan 5s, visit the Air Jordan Release Dates page to stay current on Air Jordan releases. More info on Air Jordan 5, Air Jordan V.

Air Jordan 8 “Bugs Bunny”

Air Jordan 8 “Bugs Bunny” 

The release of the Air Jordan 8 “Bugs Bunny” is less than two weeks away, and new images of the shoe continue to surface as we get closer and closer to the release date. Built mainly from white leather, the classic sneaker is contrasted with a variety of tones, including hyper blue, true red, and flint grey.

Check out the images above, as well as the old skool Air Jordan commercial which features Bugs and a few of his friends.  Look for the shoe to drop at Jordan Brand accounts on April 20th at shops including Social Status.

http://www.cradleshoestrade.com/productlist.asp?id=n10

Retro Boom
The Air Jordan 8 was first retroed in 2003. Nike kept it short and sweet with the Air Jordan 8 retro release. There were only 4 colorways released in total with two mids and two lows. The Air Jordan 8 retros were one of the most anticipated retros ever released.

Stay up to date on upcoming Air Jordan on the Air Jordan Release Dates page. More info on Air Jordan 8,Air Jordan VIII.

http://www.cradleshoestrade.com

AIR JORDAN 6 “OLYMPIC”

Air Jordan 6 (VI)

The Air Jordan VI (6) was released in late 1990/early 1991. In the 90-91 season Michael added the only thing missing in his awards and titles received in the NBA. The Bulls finally won the NBA Championships beating the LA Laker’s in the final. After having lost the first game they won four straight games and were without a doubt the strongest team in the NBA in a long time.Jordan again took home the NBA scoring title and his 2nd of 5 MVP awards.

 

Rubber toungie
What is there to say else than Hatfield created another classic. This time with a rubber tounge featuring two holes which the bearer could use to easily get the kicks on. He kept the idea with clear rubber soles and lace locks from the Air Jordan 5 (V)s but apart from that this felt like a brand new AJ design.

The pattern on the shoe was interesting. If you looked at it in different angels and with a little bit of imagination you could see the number 23. The figure 2 standing up on the back of the shoe and the figure 3 lying down facing the ground close to the laces (soon there will be a picture illustrating this).

Air Jordan 7(VII) Retro “Olympic”

Air Jordan 7 “Olympic”

At the end of last year we told you guys about several upcoming releases including the Air Jordan 6 Retro “Olympic” and Air Jordan 6 / 7 “Olympic Pack”, both of which were releasing to coincide with the upcoming Summer Olympics, which will take place in London.

We saw the Air Jordan 7 Retro “Olympic” release in 2010 as part of the “For the Love of the Game” collection, with the only difference between it and and this version being a gold heart and basketball logo near the heel. These are a definitely must have, and will be hitting Jordan Brand accounts in July.

Air Jordan 10(X) Retro White/Varsity Red

AIR JORDAN 10(X)

Michael Jordan returned to the NBA on March 19, 1995, against the Indiana Pacers. He wore the "Chicago" colorway of the Air Jordan X.
The Air Jordan X's design was very simplistic. The original "steel" version was designed with a stitched toe piece. Michael didn't like the toe piece, so all subsequent colorways of the AJ X had a clean toe cap.
The X featured a padded collar, pull tab at the heel and an elastic band lacing system. The midsole of the X was constructed of lightweight Phylon connected to a rubber outsole. The outsole listed Jordan's career achievements on alternating stripes.

Eight original colorways of the AJX were released. The steel and powder blue uppers were made of full grain leather; the black/shadow version had a suede upper.
The other original colorways of the X were part of the city series that featured five color schemes of teams in the NBA: Chicago, Orlando, New York, Sacramento and Seattle. These have become some of the most sought-after Air Jordans — the Chicago Xs, for example, have sold for thousands of dollars on auction sites.

Nine days after Jordan told the world "I'm back," he torched the Knicks for 55 points in his return to Madison Square Garden. Michael and the Bulls made it to the playoffs, but were eventually eliminated by the Orlando Magic, led by Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal. 

AIR JORDAN 10

The Air Jordan 10 was released in 1994-95 despite Jordan’s absense from the NBA. The Air Jordan 10 featured a different shape than the previous Jordan shoes did.

About every Jordan 10 fan was pulling their hair out by the time that Nike released retro Jordan 10′s. May 3, 2005 was the launch date which was about 10 years after they were last sold. The Jordan 10′s were the oldest shoes to be retroed older than the Air Jordan 13′s.

The Air Jordan 10 was retroed only one time, but there are rumors of them coming again in 2008. Check out the Air Jordan Release Dates page for more info. More info on Air Jordan 10, Air Jordan X.