For years, the advice with Air Jordans was simple: buy on release day or pay more later. Over the last few seasons that stopped being true. So many retros came out, in such large numbers, that classic colourways were easy to find at or even below retail weeks after they dropped.
That window is about to close. Nike has announced it will cut back Air Jordan retros from 2027 and return to a scarcity model, with fewer releases and fewer pairs of each. Here is why now is the best time to buy retro Jordans, and the pairs we would pick first.
Why Now Is the Best Time to Buy Retro Jordans
Right now the market is unusually well stocked. Most of the big colourways of the last few years were made in large numbers, and plenty of them still trade close to what they cost at retail. Once Jordan Brand produces less from 2027, the supply of new pairs drops, and the pairs already out there are the ones people will be chasing.
Nobody can promise that prices will rise. But fewer pairs and fewer re-releases are exactly what kept the strongest Jordans in demand in the past, and the current gap between supply and demand is unlikely to last.
The Three Big Releases Still to Come in 2026
Three of the most important colourways in the archive release before the cuts take effect, and it may be years before any of them returns.
| Air Jordan 1 Retro 'Royal' (2026) | Air Jordan 4 OG 'Bred' (2026) |
| Releases 10 October. The first Royal in almost a decade, with textured blue leather and a box built around the 1985 Flight Guy photograph. | Releases 28 November. Back on the OG mould and back in nubuck, with Nike Air on the heel. For many collectors the most anticipated Jordan of the year. |
| Air Jordan 11 'Space Jam' (2026) | |
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Releases 12 December for the film's thirtieth anniversary, modelled on the first retro from 2000 with JUMPMAN JAM on the tongue.
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The Reimagined Series
The Reimagined series takes classic colourways and gives them a twist, usually an aged, vintage finish or a new material. It has produced some of the best Jordans of recent years, and most of the pairs are still easy to find.
The Air Jordan 1 High OG 'Lost and Found' (2022) set the template: the Chicago colourway with cracked leather and a yellowed sole, made to look like a pair forgotten in a stockroom since the 1980s.
The same idea runs through the rest of the series. The Air Jordan 1 High 'Reimagined Royal' (2023) moved the Royal into black and blue suede. The Air Jordan 3 'White Cement Reimagined' (2023) added tumbled leather and a cream midsole to one of the cleanest Jordans ever made. The Air Jordan 4 OG 'Reimagined Bred' (2024) swapped nubuck for black tumbled leather and became one of the most popular Jordans of its year.
2025 continued the run. The Air Jordan 1 High OG 'Black Toe Reimagined' (2025) replaced the Wings logo with AIR JORDAN text taken from a 1984 photoshoot. The Air Jordan 1 High OG 'UNC Reimagined' (2025) gave the Tar Heels colourway cracked sail leather and a faded sole, and the Air Jordan 5 OG 'Black Metallic Reimagined' (2025) added reflective 3M piping to the 1990 original.
Retro Jordans Worth Buying Now
Beyond the Reimagined series, these are the retros we would pick up now, from classic Jordan 4s to recent December Jordan 11s.
| Air Jordan 4 Retro 'Black Cat' (2025) | Air Jordan 4 OG 'White Cement' (2025) |
| Tonal black nubuck, named after one of Jordan's nicknames. One of the brand's strongest releases of the first half of 2026. | One of the four original 1989 colourways, with Nike Air on the heel and the speckled cement grey that defines the model. |
| Air Jordan 12 'Flu Game' (2025) | Air Jordan x Undefeated 4 'Deep Green' (2025) |
| The pair Jordan wore while ill in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals, when he scored 38 points against the Utah Jazz. The 2025 retro stays close to the original build. | The 2005 original was Jordan Brand's first collaboration with another label, made in just 72 pairs. This version brings back the MA-1 flight jacket idea. |
| Air Jordan 5 Retro 'Tokyo' (2025) | Air Jordan 5 Retro 'Fire Red' Silver Tongue (2020) |
| Bright yellow nubuck, a reflective silver tongue and 23 written in Japanese on the side. Once one of the hardest Jordan 5s to find. | The white and Fire Red Jordan 5 with the reflective silver tongue, one of the most recognised colourways of the model. |
| Air Jordan 11 Retro 'Gratitude' (2023) | Air Jordan 11 Retro 'Legend Blue' (2024) |
| White leather, black patent and gold details. A December release that already feels like a classic. | The white and icy blue pair Jordan first wore at the 1996 All-Star Game, back for the 2024 holiday season. |
| Air Jordan 1 High 'Shattered Backboard' (2025) | Air Jordan 11 Retro 'Space Jam' (2016) |
| Back for the first time in ten years, in the colours of the Italian team jersey Jordan wore when he shattered a backboard in an exhibition game. | If you want a Space Jam before December, the 2016 pair is the one collectors rate highest, with 45 on the heel. |
How to Buy Retro Jordans on KLEKT
Most retro Jordans fit true to size, although some people go half a size down on the Air Jordan 11. Check the size guide on each product page before you buy.
On KLEKT you can buy brand new pairs or save with used pairs through KLEKT USED, and each product page explains how KLEKT's authentication process works. The upcoming releases above are already listed, so you can pick your size without waiting for a draw. You can browse the full Air Jordan range on KLEKT.
Retro Jordans: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Jordan Brand releasing fewer retros?
Over the last few years so many retros were produced that many classic colourways sold below retail. From 2027 Nike wants to return to a scarcity model, with fewer releases and fewer pairs of each, to make the retros feel special again.
Will retro Jordan prices go up?
Nobody can guarantee that. Prices depend on how many pairs are made and how quickly they sell. But fewer pairs and fewer re-releases have historically kept the strongest colourways in demand.
What are the Reimagined Jordans?
Reimagined is a Jordan Brand series that brings back classic colourways with a twist, usually an aged, vintage finish or a new material such as tumbled leather or suede.
Which retro Jordans release next?
The Air Jordan 1 'Royal' releases on 10 October 2026, the Air Jordan 4 OG 'Bred' on 28 November 2026 and the Air Jordan 11 'Space Jam' on 12 December 2026.
Do retro Jordans fit true to size?
Most do. Some people go half a size down on the Air Jordan 11. Each product page on KLEKT has a size guide.
Check out retro Jordans on KLEKT.
Images: Nike / Jordan Brand / KLEKT
