2023 is set to be a big year for the Air Jordan 5, with this year’s Jordan lineup kicking off with two new colourways for the silhouette. To help get ahead of the game, here’s everything you need to know about the history of the AJ5.
Design:
The duo of Michael Jordan and Tinker Hatfield were both coming off a string of successes, with MJ winning a string of NBA titles and Hatfield already designing two of Jordan Brand’s biggest shoes. In February 1990, the pair released the shoe that would kickstart a legacy-defining decade.
The Air Jordan 5 includes many design elements from its predecessor, including breathable panels on the sides and a visible Air unit in the midsole. These elements came in an all-new look, including a prominent tongue covered in reflective 3M, as well as a set of lace locks. The midsole also features one of the 5’s most iconic additions, a shark teeth motif on the front.
Hatfield took inspiration from Jordan’s personality and play style – as he would throughout their collaboration – and compared his ability to float around the court and attack from different angles to that of WWII fighter pilots. This then led to Hatfield adding the midsole motif, inspired by the nose art on fighter planes.
There’s one last design feature to talk about, the first translucent midsole on any Air Jordan design. This futuristic detail was fittingly taken from Hatfield’s work designing the self-lacing Nike MAGs seen in Back to the Future 2.
Legacy:
Like any classic Jordan, the 5 is of course remembered for its OG colourways. Three of those colourways – the ‘Grape’, ‘Black Metallic’, and ‘Fire Red’ – were prominently featured on the feet of Will Smith on the classic 90s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Jordan Brand also released a special ‘Fresh Prince’ version of the Grape, even gifting two pairs to Smith on his 50th birthday.
The OGs aren’t the only colourways to stand the test of time. The Raging Bulls, originally released in 2009, pay homage to the Chicago Bulls with a red suede upper inspired by the Muleta waved by Matadors.
Of course, we’ve gotta talk about the collabs. Supreme famously dropped three AJ5 colourways, including one in an all-over desert camo upper. These collabs also swapped out the ‘23’ branding on the side with ‘94’, in reference to the year the brand was founded. The Air Jordan 5 was also one of the classic Jordans to get the Off-White treatment. This collab came in ‘Sail’ and ‘Muslin’ colourways, and features unique windows throughout the upper.
From what we can tell, 2023 might be as big a year for the Air Jordan 5 as last year was for the AJ4. This January sees the release of the fiery red WMNS ‘Dunk on Mars’, followed by the Charlotte Hornets-inspired ‘Aqua’ colourway. Later in March the collegiate-themed ‘UNCs’ will be dropping, with rumours of the iconic Burgundy colourway returning in September.
Cop the ‘Dunk on Mars’ and ‘Aqua’, and check out the full range of Air Jordan 5s available on KLEKT.
