The 11 Best Jordan 11s

Year: 2001

You’d think with Jordan’s ties to his Tar Heels we would have seen Carolina blue for the patent, but instead the same Columbia blue that was featured on the otherwise all-white joints that MJ sported during the ’96 All Star Game was brought to this drop. Regardless of the slight difference in colorway, this was definitely a must have in 2001 and a tough and expensive find today.

Year: 2010

Happy Anniversary to the Jordan brand, 25 years of dropping heat. To commemorate the accomplishment, this XI was specially designed to capture the Jordan brand — everything pure white except that signature Jumpman logo on the upper heel. Needless to say this drop was clean and a popular pickup amongst the sneaker fiends all over.

Year: 2001

Yeah we know, this was a women’s release back on April 14, 2001, but don’t act like you didn’t own a pair (or at least want a pair). Even though these were technically for women, it wasn’t a surprise to see most men wanted a pair for themselves. The Citrus sole was the perfect colorway between yellow and gum, causing this drop to be loved by both the males and females.

Year: 2001

Released on the same day as some of the other lows on this list, the varsity red color scheme was both simple yet clean for people to wear during the summer months. It was nice to see a low XI that was consistent with the patent design but could be worn with shorts. (It would have been even nicer if they released the Bred ones that MJ wore in the '96 Playoffs, but — well, it's not too late?)

Year: 2006

Using the OG Concord colorway as a base, this Jordan was released as a part of the defining moments pack — pairing the Jordan XI with a black and gold Jordan VI. The VI was meant to commemorate Jordan’s first championship and the XI was to honor Jordan’s first championship after his retirement. The gold added flash, but wasn't the right look for the purists.

Year: 2001

At the time, these didn’t get much love, often appearing at outlets and being sold for less than retail. Low XIs on the whole definitely didn’t see as much attention as the mids, and the snakeskin pattern was something new, so many sneaker lovers didn’t take to the drop of the patent and addition of an actual print instead. Hopefully back in ’01 you didn’t sleep on this unique pair from Jordan because finding a pair today will have you reaching deep into your pockets.

Year: 1996

We saw MJ rocking these icy joints while a member of the Eastern Conference All Stars in the ’96 All-Star game where not only was Jordan rocking the best kicks, but he also locked up the MVP trophy (like he needed more hardware). White patent isn't the easiest look to pull off, but it's a showstopper if you can. The public got to see this release hit shelves shortly after Jordan showed them off in the All-Star game and the rumor mill has begun about a re-release sometime in 2012.

Year: 2001

Even at the age of 40, Mike was taking kids half his age to the hole with ease and of course draining shots off his patented fadeaway. Jordan broke out the Cool Greys as a member of the Washington Wizards at his second home, where he gave some of his most epic performances — Madison Square Garden. His Airness went off for 39 points, not bad for an old man. As for the shoes, the all-grey-everything style soon became a staple for Jordans.

Year: 1996, 2000

Rumors circulated that only five or six pairs were known to exist until 2000 — when fans first saw these they weren’t on the court but rather in the movie "Space Jam," hence the nickname. (Although technically they should be called the "Nick Andersons," since MJ premiered them on the low in the '95 Playoffs.) The few pairs that were available back in the mid '90s had the "23" stitched on to the heel, while the retroed version saw an ironed on number. The all-black upper paired with an icy sole and royal blue hits on the Jumpman and outsole make them an easy sellout every time they re-appear.

Year: 1995

With MJ’s return to basketball, Tinker Hatfield came up with one of his best designs ever. The Air Jordan XI received flashes of patent leather around the entire shoe which had never been seen before, and the first colorway's black and white scheme emphazised it to the max — they were formal shoes for the hardwood. Jordan wore these during the Bulls’ ’95 playoff run where he was fined each game for wearing a sneaker that wasn’t all black — but we’re pretty sure Nike took care of that.

Year: 1996

Another ring, another finals MVP trophy — Michael wore this pair of Bulls-inspired 11s when his team defeated the Seattle Supersonics to win the 1996 NBA Finals. What made this ring even sweeter was Jordan won the championship on Fathers Day — his first ring after his father James was murdered. The all-black uppers matched the rest of the Bulls's footwear (no fines here), but the translucent red soles gave MJ that little bit of extra that he always wanted and showed off the carbon flex plate to its best advantage. The best there ever was, the best there ever will be.