The Complete History of the Air Jordans I – XX8

Flight school.

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Air Jordans have been an intricate part of the sneaker game since they were first introduced in 1985. Whether it was the Jordan 1 getting banned, MJ dunking from the foul line in the Jordan 2, or making us believe he could fly in the Air Jordan 3, our memories our filled with Air Jordan history. But even when Michael was captivating crowds with his acrobatic performances his sneakers didn’t always fly off the shelves. Getting a pair of Jordans during his active career was much easier than grabbing a pair now (with some exceptions). The selling out of every release is relatively new to the history of Jordans. With the new generation of "sneakerheads" and the craze about Jordans over the past few years, there is often an argument that some of the buyers never even saw Jordan in flight or know anything about the history of Air Jordans—we got you. Next time you’re chopping it up with a group of your peers you will have a better understanding about the sneakers Air Jordan history you are grabbing and its place in the sneaker culture. Especially for those debates about who had the greatest sneakers. Sorry, Kobe and LeBron. But whether you're new to the sneaker game or an old 'head who has been putting in work for years, there's a lot to learn when it comes to Air Jordans and their history. Hit the jump to check out The Complete History of the Air Jordans I – XX8 and feel free to share your thoughts and Jordan stories in the comment section. 

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Air Jordan I

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Air Jordan II

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Air Jordan III

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Air Jordan IV

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Air Jordan V

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Air Jordan VI

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Air Jordan VII

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Air Jordan VIII

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Air Jordan IX

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Air Jordan X

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Air Jordan XI

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Air Jordan XII

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Air Jordan XII

Year released: 1996
Price: $135
Designer: Tinker Hatfield
Most Popular Colorways: Taxi, Obsidian, White/Varisty Red, Playoffs, Black/Red (Flu Game)
First Retroed: 2003 

The Air Jordan XIIs went back to traditional leather uppers (inspired in part by Japan's Rising Sun flag and in part by a women's boot), but kept innovations from the XI including the carbon spring plate. They were also the first Jordans to feature Zoom Air. The XIIs were also considered the most durable of the Jordan line and featured various dope colorways including the timeless “Flu Games" which were well-received by sneakerheads during each release.

They were worn not only by Jordan but his teammates: Scottie Pippen, Bill Wennington, and Luc Longley adopted the Jordan XIIs as their go-to shoe during parts of the '96-97 season. Jordan himself compared it to "putting whitewalls on a garbage truck" when the big men rocked them. Pippen loved the comfort and cushion of the XIIs so much, he ditched the Max Air system in his first signature kicks for player exclusive Zoom Air fitted-joints—like Mike. 

 
 
 

Air Jordan XIII

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Air Jordan XIV

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Air Jordan XV

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Air Jordan XVI

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Air Jordan XVII

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Air Jordan XVIII

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Air Jordan XIX

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Air Jordan XX

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Air Jordan XXI

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Air Jordan XX2

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Air Jordan XX3

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Air Jordan 2009

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Air Jordan 2010

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Air Jordan 2011

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Air Jordan 2012

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Air Jordan XX8

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