Nostalgia once again dominates this year’s list of top Air Jordans, but the generational shift that appeared to be emerging on our mid-year list has solidified as the year closes. We are now undoubtedly in an era where non-original colorways like the “Cool Grey” Air Jordan 11 and “Lightning” Air Jordan 4 have been in the pantheon of sneaker culture long enough to come back and be cherished as if they were worn by Michael Jordan in his prime.
Returning not-quite-classics were only part of the equation though, as new collaborations predictably played an important part in Jordan Brand’s year. Marcus Jordan, Virgil Abloh, and Travis Scott all added to their respective Air Jordan résumés, however each of those shoes carries its own unique baggage thanks to the controversy surrounding the Trophy Room launch, the Astroworld Festival tragedy, and Abloh’s unexpected passing. Meanwhile, A Ma Maniére and Union dropped projects that fell on opposite ends of the theme spectrum, but were each coveted for their own respective approaches.
As we wrap up the year, take a look back at which Air Jordans stood out the most. These are the best Air Jordans of 2021.
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Nostalgia once again dominates this year’s list of top Air Jordans, but the generational shift that appeared to be emerging on our mid-year list has solidified as the year closes. We are now undoubtedly in an era where non-original colorways like the “Cool Grey” Air Jordan 11 and “Lightning” Air Jordan 4 have been in the pantheon of sneaker culture long enough to come back and be cherished as if they were worn by Michael Jordan in his prime.
Returning not-quite-classics were only part of the equation though, as new collaborations predictably played an important part in Jordan Brand’s year. Marcus Jordan, Virgil Abloh, and Travis Scott all added to their respective Air Jordan résumés, however each of those shoes carries its own unique baggage thanks to the controversy surrounding the Trophy Room launch, the Astroworld Festival tragedy, and Abloh’s unexpected passing. Meanwhile, A Ma Maniére and Union dropped projects that fell on opposite ends of the theme spectrum, but were each coveted for their own respective approaches.
As we wrap up the year, take a look back at which Air Jordans stood out the most. These are the best Air Jordans of 2021.
10.Billie Eilish x Air Jordan 15
Release Date: September 27
Price: $225
Billie Eilish appeared in her first Jordan Brand campaign in 2018, alongside Don C and Russell Westbrook, at just 16 years old. She was relatively unknown back then, bubbling in certain music circles, but yet to see the type of stardom that would soon follow. Little did we know at the time, it set the foundation for what would become one of the more unexpected-yet-organic Air Jordan collaborations in recent memory. The fact she’d shared her admiration of the Air Jordan 15 on her 2019 episode of Sneaker Shopping only added to the allure, explaining at the time that she “love[s] things other people hate.” So while the neon green AJKO that also dropped may have been the safer choice, the earth tone-colored Air Jordan 15 connected on a more meaningful level, and even brought some excitement to the oft-maligned silhouette. Personal touches were overt in approach but subtle in execution, highlighted by fully vegan builds utilizing at least 20 percent recycled materials. Eilish’s profile has grown exponentially since that first Jordan Brand shoot, and it will be exciting to see how the partnership can evolve in the future. —Zac Dubasik
9.Union x Air Jordan 4 'Tent and Trail'
Release Date: June 20
Price: $225
When Union released its first two colorways of the Air Jordan 4 in August 2020, there were some skeptics. Chris Gibbs’ alterations, mainly the folded over and sewed down tongue to mimic the way he prefers to wear his 4s, were not immediately well-received by everyone. Of course, plenty of opinions eventually changed and the collab would go on to become one of the most celebrated of the year. It was so nice, in fact, that Union did two more in 2021 to help celebrate its 30th anniversary.
This time, the pairs were each dressed in outdoorsy color palettes that mixed earthy suedes with bright pops of teal, purple, aqua blue, and green as a nod to the outdoor gear that was popular throughout the ‘90s. Of course, the folded tongue made a return as well. There was even a short film to mark the release starring Migos member and noted sneakerhead Offset to tie it all together. The second round of Union 4s isn’t quite as good as the first, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t still some of the best Jordans to hit shelves this past year. Plus, 30 years in business is a huge milestone in streetwear. Getting to celebrate that with your own Jordans has to count for something. —Mike DeStefano
8.Air Jordan 5 'Raging Bull'
Release Date: April 10
Price: $190
Serving as an homage to Michael Jordan’s days with the Chicago Bulls, the Air Jordan 5 “Raging Bull” returned this year for the first time since its original drop in 2009. Twelve years ago this “Toro Bravo” iteration was paired with a more subtle black 3M pair, both housed in a special box resembling a wooden crate with menacing bull eyes peering through its planks. While it was just a single box this time around, the same special detailing still made its way over. Decked out in fiery red suede, this Air Jordan 5 is certainly one of the boldest takes on Jordan’s fifth signature shoe, and it is one of the more admired non-original colorways on the silhouette. Hard to pull off or not, “Raging Bulls” still managed to sell out the numerous times they dropped in 2021 and will cost you close to $100 over retail on the resale market. Love or hate Jordan 5s, there’s no doubt that the “Raging Bulls’’ are one of the best. —Ben Felderstein
7.Air Jordan 6 'Carmine'
Release Date: February 13
Price: $200
It’s always nice when an original Air Jordan colorway is given the OG treatment by Jordan Brand when it gets a retro release. This year, we were given the “Carmine” 6s complete with “Nike Air” branding hits for the first time since 1991 to celebrate the 6’s 30th anniversary. While we have seen Carmine retros before, once in 2008 as part of a CDP pack and again in 2014, neither previous release was given the highly desired “Nike Air” embroidery on the heel. Unfortunately, some customers were treated to defective pairs with pink stains fresh out of the box due to the red dye from certain parts of the upper bleeding onto the white midsole, but this issue luckily didn’t ruin every single set that hit the market. Production mishap or not, the “Carmine” 6 still promptly sold out upon release back in February. Even if the 6 isn’t quite as popular as other Air Jordans like the 1 or 4 these days, the Carmines will always get people excited when they come back. There’s just something about that red nubuck. —Mike DeStefano
6.Air Jordan 4 'Lightning'
Release Date: August 28
Price: $220
Originally released in 2006 as part of Jordan Brand’s LS (Lifestyle) line catered more toward casual wear than the courts, the “Lightning” Air Jordan 4 dropped as an online exclusive alongside the less-loud Thunder variation. Both styles were inspired by Michael Jordan’s motorsport racing team. The Lightning came with a T-shirt and a $250 price tag, while the black-based Thunder variation was bundled with a jacket at $500. Considering standard Air Jordan 4 retros were priced at $115 back then, the sticker shock and internet exclusivity was enough to steer casual consumers away from the pack, leading to it becoming even scarcer as the years went by. The Thunder pair would see a re-release in 2012, but it would be almost another decade before people had a chance to pick up the Lightning version. This time, they were $220 and didn’t come with a T-shirt, but one could make a case that the loud yellow pair fits even better into today’s style than it did in 2006. —Riley Jones
5.Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1 High
Release Date: February 10
Price: $190
This could have been the sneaker of the year, certainly the Jordan of the year, but here we are at number 5. So where did it all go wrong? A Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1 was supposed to be a homerun collaboration. Tie in the fact that the shoe was inspired by Michael Jordan being frozen out of the All-Star Game his rookie year, it only added to the allure of the design. But then all the BS happened. It looked like a large number of pairs of the shoe were backdoored by the retail operation Trophy Room, which is owned by Michael Jordan’s son Marcus Jordan. Resellers were posting images of them possessing a lot of shoes and disclosing how much they paid for them. While we don’t have 100 percent confirmation that this happened, reliable sources across the industry agree that something fishy went on with the sneakers. With that said, it’s still a good shoe. You don’t see people wearing them as much as you thought you would. And they’ve faded out of the conversation. It also doesn’t help that this fiasco was at the top of the year, either. So here we are. Trophy Room’s at number five. Who would have thunk it? —Matt Welty
4.Air Jordan 11 'Cool Grey'
Release Date: December 11
Price: $225
The Air Jordan 11’s holiday releases may have lost some of the luster they had in the 2010s, but the model still has the potential to get people fired up. The Jordan 11 is known for being one of the brand’s most-produced shoes (it’s often called out as such during quarterly meetings), with pairs known to exceed the 1-million unit mark. Still, when you’re talking about colorways as popular as the Concord or this year’s Cool Grey, it really doesn’t matter how many are made, people are still going to eat them up.
Last seen in 2010, the 2021 Cool Grey marks this colorway’s first release in the current remastered Air Jordan 11 mold, and it should be more than enough to keep fans of the sneaker satisfied. There’s an ample patent leather cut, smooth nubuck, and the literal icing on the cake, an icy rubber outsole. Even the pickiest of purists will be hard-pressed to find something to complain about with these. —Riley Jones
3.Fragment x Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1
Release Date: July 29 (High), August 13 (Low)
Price: $200 (High), $150 (Low)
Now feels like a weird time to be rewarding a giant hype machine of a collaboration from Travis Scott given the recent deaths that occurred at Astroworld Festival in Houston. The tragic event is a marker of what it looks like when hype, raging, and the frenzy around idol worship goes too far. It’s misguided to connect that too closely to his sneakers, but they’re still part of the same conversation.
That context aside, this duo of Air Jordan 1s, featuring a High and a Low, combined two of the most successful Jordan Brand equations to form one massive output. There’s Hiroshi Fujiwara’s cool and plain color selection, which looks better here on the Low than on the High, despite the latter being the more favored silhouette right now. There’s the Cactus Jack signature of wigged out Swooshes, spun backward here with the same force that pulsates through the rapper’s best product. Everything around Travis Scott feels particularly morose right now, but for people who can look past the cloud hanging over his career, these sneakers are a bright spot. —Brendan Dunne
2.Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Low
Release Date: November 12
Price: $250
Nobody had any idea when the Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Lows released (and even when we debated this list) how poignant this sneaker would become. In addition to its significance as the last Jordan Brand collab Virgil Abloh launched before his passing, it’s an exceptional example of what made his work so special. It had all of his signature touches, like the customary text, zip tie, and deconstructed details. But it also told detailed stories of the original design, utilizing scans of a personal pair that belonged to Michael Jordan that had long since crumbled, and painstakingly re-created the toe box’s original shape. Even the rollout exemplified Abloh’s ethos, as he debated the shoe’s merits in the comments section of Instagram, explaining design choices like why he picked the low-cut version of the Air Jordan 2 over the high. It’s too early to say if we’ll see more of Abloh’s Jordan Brand projects released posthumously, but if they don’t, this will serve as a fitting bookend to his Air Jordan legacy. —Zac Dubasik
1.A Ma Maniere x Air Jordan 3
Release Date: April 28
Price: $200
The Air Jordan 3 from A Ma Maniére, the sneaker store owned by ascendant retailer James Whitner, had it all. There was the moving introduction to the shoe: a black-and-white video dedicated to the strength of Black women. The sneaker itself was inspired partly by Whitner’s own mother buying him Jordan 3s as a child. There was its status as a women’s sneaker, an important symbolic choice for a group that has long been underserved in the world of collectible sneakers. There was the colorway, an elegant combination of greys and soft whites that managed not to suffer the fate of so many women’s sneakers of being just too saccharine. There were the actual design changes to the Jordan 3—a cherished retro model—that veered far enough from its original makeup by replacing elephant print with suede but also reined things back in with a purist touch via the “Nike Air” branding on the heel.
Most importantly, there was a release that felt fair, which is not an easy thing to do in sneakers in 2021. Whitner made sure that women were prioritized when the sneakers were first rolled out and also worked to cut down on the number of bot orders seeking to compromise the online launch. From story to colorway to retail release, the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 did everything right. —Brendan Dunne