The Best Air Jordans of 2024 (So Far)

It’s a great time to be into Air Jordans. The retros have gotten significantly better in the last decade, as Jordan Brand continues to revisit and tweak reissues to look more like the originals. There are more collaborations and special projects, if that’s your thing. And the resale market has cooled down quite a bit over the last two years, which alleviates a lot of the small annoyances that have sometimes come with buying even the most general release of Air Jordans. What are we to do with this wealth of Air Jordans? Pit them against each other, rank them, and bicker about their respective qualities on the internet, of course. For anyone needing something to argue about as we approach the year’s halfway mark, here are our picks for the best Air Jordans of 2024 thus far. Note that a few expected entries may be missing here because of our criteria—Nina Chanel Abney’s Air Jordan 3 didn’t drop just yet, so it’s not making it, and Travis Scott’s signature Jordan shoe isn’t technically an Air Jordan, so it’s off the list.

10.Air Jordan 1 Low 'Shadow'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 5/11/24
Price: $140
I remember a time where people thought the “Shadow” Air Jordan 1 might be one of the best Air Jordan 1 colorways of all time. I think that time has come and passed, but it’s still a good shoe nonetheless. People like it because it’s easy to wear. And making it into a low top only further hammers that point home. The Air Jordan 1 Low is having a moment. Is it because of Travis Scott? Maybe, but also because low-top sneakers, in general, are what’s popular right now. Dunk Lows have have been huge for the past five years. And it’s just much more user friendly to have a low-cut Air Jordan 1 than it is to get into the High version. —Matt Welty

9.Air Jordan 9 'Powder Blue'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 3/23/24
Price: $210
The best sneakers have the best stories, and despite the Air Jordan 9’s simple silhouette, there is storytelling that makes it special. The Jordan 9 was the first model to be released after Michael Jordan’s (first) retirement. The “Powder Blue” 9 is one of the four original colorways, and pays homage to MJ’s college alma mater, the University of North Carolina, making the colorway a part of his legacy. The upper is minimal; the outsole is the highlight of the shoe, featuring Jordan’s attributes written in different languages. I wasn’t born yet in 1994 when the shoe first released, but in 2010 when the “Powder Blue” 9s were retroed, I was a freshman in high school. I was the starting point guard on my high school’s varsity basketball team, and our colors were a perfect match to the “Powder Blue” 9s. I wanted to be “Like Mike,” so I couldn’t pass up on wearing them all four years. The powerful contrast, intricate details, and the story make this pair a classic for me. It's been 14 years since its last release, and Jordan Brand bringing them back for its 30th anniversary in 2024 was not only smart, probably made some of us feel like Mike again. - Breeana Walker

8.Air Jordan 5 'Olive'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 3/2/24
Price: $225
If you’re one of the great many people who forgot about this 2000s Air Jordan colorway and never had the slightest urge to see it come back, we understand. If you’re one of the people who’s been pining for a pair since it released in 2006, welcome to the party. It would be egregious to say that this shoe is a classic on any level, as we at Complex believe in the most conservative use of that term. Still, the “Olive” Air Jordan 5 was a solid retro Jordan in an era of a lot of middling Air Jordans, and was also a decent consolation prize for Undefeated Air Jordan 4 chasers. Those are reasons enough to welcome, if not totally celebrate, its return. —Brendan Dunne

7.Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1 Low

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 3/21/24
Price: $140
There have been some questionable references to Michael Jordan’s legacy that inspired Air Jordan colorways over the years. A quilted nylon Air Jordan 6 inspired by a flight jacket that MJ wore on SNL and a red Air Jordan 1 to match a leather outfit he wore on Letterman back in the day come to mind. Trophy Room’s Air Jordan 1 Low isn’t a new inclusion on this list of bad ideas. Instead, it was an example of storytelling done right. The theme was Jordan’s highly coveted 1986 Fleer rookie card. The sneakers even came in special packaging resembling the packs that the card would have come in back in the ‘80s. The shoe itself incorporates elevated details to make it feel even more special, like shiny red satin on the toe and eyestays, a gold metal Wings logo on the heel, and stitched black Swoosh on each side panel. After the Air Jordan 1 backdoor debacle in 2021, Trophy Room was able to redeem itself a bit with this drop. It seems like a lot of people who wanted these actually got their hands on them. This was a good one all around. The result is not only one of the best Air Jordan of 2024, so far, but one of Trophy Room’s best collabs to date. —Mike DeStefano

6.Air Jordan 11 Low 'Space Jam'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 05/18/24
Price: $190
Even if it’s not seen as the greatest of all time, there’s little debate as to the 11’s placement in the S-tier of Air Jordan models. The best colorway? That’s a tougher question. The original releases all have compelling arguments and noteworthy moments. Concords? The first colorway we saw showcased in that legendary Ahmad Rashaad on-court spot during the ’95 NBA Playoffs. Breds? On MJ’s feet as he won the ’96 Championship following the Bulls’ historic 72-10 season. Columbias? ’96 All-Star Game. But the Space Jam? It existed at the time and was featured in the movie, but never actually came out until the Air Jordan 11’s first retro run in 2000. Yet it’s still held in as high regard as the originals. A low cut version, similar to the Concord Lows that Jordan wore for the ’96 Championship parade, was a layup of a release. Despite being widely available, the shoes sold out fast, and are a worthy alternative to the traditional mid-cut that hasn’t been available since 2016. —Zac Dubasik

5.Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low 'Elkins'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 5/25/24
Price: $150
From both a colorway and storytelling perspective, the “Elkins” Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low marked a tangible departure from what we’ve come to expect from the Houston rapper’s Jordan Brand collaborations. Yes, it was yet another Jordan 1 Low Low, but this time it felt like it actually had something to say rather than just look cool in wearable shades of earth tones. The yellow and blue upper was derived from the colors of his alma mater, Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas. It’s not often we get a look into personal details of Travis’ life, so the aesthetic changes to the line were refreshing on multiple levels. As a bonus, the colorway even ties into Michael Jordan’s own Laney High School colors. That look has been used over the years on Air Jordans including the 14, 1, and most notably, the 5. Travis’ CJ1-Trexx model (not technically an Air Jordan, therefore not eligible for this list) appears to be running back the familiar color themes, so maybe “Elkins” collab exists more as an anomaly more than a change of direction, which is even more reason to celebrate it. —Zac Dubasik

4.J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 'Rio'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 5/22/24
Price: $250
At this point, J Balvin and the Jordan Brand are four sneakers deep into their collaboration and the formula has been fairly consistent throughout: bright and vibrant colors on classic models with touches of the Colombian artist’s signature details. Some pushback on Balvin’s first two Jordan collabs was that they were a bit too loud—the Air Jordan 1 adorned in rainbow canvas and the Air Jordan 2 featuring bright blue and cloud print. But both versions of his Jordan 3 have proven to be the sweet spot with clean hits of Medellin-inspired sunset gradient on the midsole and heel. As far as the “Rio” vs the “Medellin Sunset '' distinction goes, it’s really just a matter of whether you prefer a black sneakers (looking at you, JLP), or a light cream pair. Firmly one of the 5 best Air Jordans of the year so far, it will be interesting to see how this pair stands up six months from now. —Ben Felderstein

3.Air Jordan 17 Low 'Lightning'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 5/30/24
Price: $300
The generation gap in sneakers seems to be as much of a thing as ever. There have been so many early 2000s sneakers that admittedly I thought would be as big of a thing in today’s market as they were back then (can’t believe some of my younger colleagues slept on the “Kiss of Death” Clot Air Max 1s). Enter the “Lighting” Jordan 17s. A shoe I remember 22 years ago that was an old fashioned Saturday morning chase. Wearing sneakers that were exclusive to a competing retailer was a big no-no and while I was working at Finish Line, these dropped in my area only at Athlete’s Foot. I got up that morning, flipped open my T-Mobile Sidekick, and hustled 25 minutes down the road to the Massapequa Mall and came up on a pair in my size. That day I wore them to work at Finish Line, I broke the dress code, and broke a lot of necks.

To see a shoe return 22 years later and to be well-received by both old and new sneakerheads is rare and refreshing. I know the price tag is steep (valid), and pesky fact-checkers will point out the OG pair didn’t come with a briefcase (less valid) but these returning felt like a moment as far as recent Jordan retro releases go. These weren’t peak-era of MJ’s career or sneakers but moreso part of an underrated era that included Flint Grey 9s, Black/Metallic 6 Lows, and a bunch of Mike Bibby PEs that were tracked nightly on NikeTalk. Sometimes you pay because you love the aesthetic of the sneaker (pro-tip leave the blue sticker on the heel—it makes the shoe pop), sometimes you pay because you love the nostalgia of the sneaker. And sometimes you pay for both. —Joe La Puma

2.Air Jordan 4 'Industrial Blue'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 5/4/24
Price: $215
It finally happened. After some 35 years, Jordan finally brought back the blue and white colorway of the Air Jordan 4 from 1989 in all its original glory. The sneaker’s been retroed before, but never in a way that so closely resembled the original—the darker shade of blue, the cut of the silhouette, the “Nike Air” branding on back. With this release, Jordan Brand made sure everything matched the original. Well, almost. The asterisk here (which is either painful or negligible, depending on who you ask) is that they didn’t officially use the “Military Blue” name that’s always been associated with the shoe. Instead, it was introduced as the “Industrial Blue” Jordan 4. Conspiracy theories popped up about the name switch, some of them supported by this website. There were detractors who felt it was a mark against the sneaker, even though the box still lists the color as “military blue.” If you’re genuinely still annoyed by the name, just remember that the moniker doesn’t exist when the sneakers are on your feet. And just be happy that we can have nice things. —Brendan Dunne

1.Air Jordan 4 'Bred Reimagined'

 

Via Complex

Release Date: 2/17/24
Price: $215
To some (myself included) the Air Jordan 4 in the “Black/Cement” colorway is the greatest Air Jordan of all time. Any time it comes out, people are going to want a pair. But what happens when Jordan Brand puts the shoe back on the market, but with some updates? That’s what we got this year with the “Bred Reimagined” sneaker. It takes the traditional black and red Jordan 4 and eschews the nubuck upper in favor of a tumbled leather. Some purists hate it, some people love it. Because at the end of the day, it’s still a black and red Jordan 4. They probably don’t even care it has Nike Air on the heel tab, either, and that’s OK. It was a shoe made for the masses. Jordan produced a boatload of them. After their release, they were everywhere. Every Sneakercon or similar event, they were seemingly on foot of every other person. They’ve cooled down a bit. But they’re still a hugely popular shoe this year. —Matt Welty