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This past year was absolutely flush with Air Jordan releases, so much so that several Air Jordan 1s sat on shelves even with original colorways. Although some may say the market has become oversaturated, there were still plenty of drops that even the most discerning of consumers couldn’t ignore.
Travis Scott‘s hit streak of Air Jordan 1 Lowss beginning in 2021 continued through this year, resulting in two inclusions in FN’s list. J Balvin has also continued working his way through Air Jordan models from the beginning, resulting in an Air Jordan 3 that’s arguably his best yet. Another recurring collaborator came from the Spider-Man Miles Morales franchise, as a new pair of Air Jordan 1s jumped from animation into real life.
Of course, Jordan Brand did just fine on its own without collaborators, as it saw classics return from throughout the franchise. And then there was a little cross-pollination in-house, as Nike SB retooled the Air Jordan 4 for what many have declared the brand’s best style of the year.
Take a look below at FN’s roundup of hottest Air Jordan sneakers of 2023.
Air Jordan 1 “Next Chapter”
Jordan Brand has had to be meticulous in how it handles Spider-Man sneakers, lest it violate Marvel’s deal with Adidas. There’s no Spider-Man branding to be found anywhere, but the comic book-inspired look still managed to appeal to fans of the Miles Morales animated franchise because it was animated on the feet of the character in the latest film. Fanfare was relatively muted at first, but the tone shifted in a matter of weeks with resale prices spiking to match.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low “Medium Olive”
Criticism of retreading the same aesthetic and women’s-exclusive sizing didn’t slow down the hype for Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 1 Low “Olive.” With the rumor mill already predicting several more colorways for the low-cut kicks to arrive in 2024, we’ll see if the formula really needs to change for the public appetite to die down.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low Golf “Neutral Olive”
Travis Scott’s first golf shoe among his many Jordan Brand collabs brought a new but familiar “Neutral Olive” look mixed with white and black. A British golf retailer took steps to ensure real golfers would land pairs, as the shoe was equipped with a course-tailored outsole, but ample sneakerheads with little interest in greens still clamored over the drop.
Air Jordan 3 “White Cement Reimagined”
This Air Jordan 3 is the most beloved of Jordan Brand’s “Reimagined” series yet because of how closely it hewed to the original. The sneaker maintained the same proportions of the original from 1988, with the OG “White Cement” colorway deviating only through off-white on the midsole and heel tab for a vintage feeling befit for the classic.
J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 “Sunset”
As the Colombian superstar moves chronologically through the Air Jordan line, he brought colorful gradients to the heel inspired by the sunsets of Medellin. The rest of the sneaker came with shades of cream and off-white to go along with yellow hardware and branding. And of course, it wouldn’t be complete without the Prince of Reggaeton’s smiley-face logo, this time rendered in translucent rubber on the right heel.
Air Jordan 3 “Doernbecher” by Hugo Covarrubias
While there were several options to choose from in this year’s annual Doernbecher collection, one clear favorite was the Air Jordan 3 designed by 14-year-old Hugo “Juice” Covarrubias Molina. With a Seattle Seahawks color scheme, the sneaker was covered in electric-green slime motifs and a hand-written note from “Juice” beneath the translucent outsole: “It’s ok to be different.”
Air Jordan 4 “Thunder”
One of the more popular non-original colorways, black and yellow “Thunder” returned to the Air Jordan 4 for the second time since its debut in 2006 and after an 11-year wait since the last drop. If you came anywhere near sneaker hotbeds this year, you were sure to see a pair or five.
Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 “Pine Green”
Collaborating with each other within the company, Nike SB and Jordan Brand satisfied Air Jordan purists and skateboarders alike with their Air Jordan 4. Starting with the model’s original shape at the toe box, the AJ4 deconstructed the upper while adding more flexible plastic paneling and gum rubber outsole zones tailored to skateboarding. Select hits of “Pine Green” were paired with white and gray for a crisp look, and “Nike SB” branding on the mustache proved more covetable than mere novelty.
SoleFly x Air Jordan 8 “Mi Casa es Su Casa”
Carlos Pietro, SoleFly owner and brother-in-law to Michael Jordan, parlayed his relationship with His Airness into cream-heavy Air Jordan 8 with the accent colors pulled from the Cuban flag. A gold slide adjuster also nodded to the cigar cutters Jordan needs to keep up his love for the tobacco product. And to make the sneaker even more Miami, the Marlins baseball team was enlisted for the shoe’s debut campaign.
Air Jordan 11 “Gratitude”
As this year’s marquee Air Jordan 11 release for the holidays, the “Gratitude” colorway re-created the heralded look of one-half of the “Defining Moments” pack from 2006. A colorless, translucent outsole marked the only change from the original, and longtime sneakerheads were geeked to buy the rerelease without having to purchase another shoe, the Air Jordan 6, as well this time around.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
