The Air Jordan 9 will forever be remembered as the Air Jordan sneaker that was released during Michael Jordan’s first retirement from the NBA in 1993.
The sneaker is part of Tinker Hatfield’s legendary resume of Air Jordan designs, but isn’t linked to MJ’s time with the Chicago Bulls. Instead, he went on to pursue a career in baseball, wearing cleated versions of the Jordan 9 during his short stint with the Birmingham Barons. It’s also notable for being the model being worn by MJ on his statue at Chicago’s United Center.
The original Air Jordan 9 lineup only included a small but mighty quartet of colorways, and there are a number of retro pairs that certainly deserve their flowers. We considered several benchmarks, ranging from how the colorway looks, to the history behind the styles, as well as how well they were received by the public.
Ahead of this week’s release of the 2026 “Space Jam” Air Jordan 9, we ranked the best Air Jordan 9s of all time.
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Air Jordan 9 ‘Bentley Ellis’
Year Released: 2012
The Air Jordan 9 “Bentley Ellis,” aka “Crawfish,” dropped in 2012 as part of the Kilroy Pack, which played off the idea that Michael Jordan secretly kept hooping under different identities after his first retirement. Bentley Ellis was one of those fictional players. I’ve always liked how Jordan Brand fully committed to the bit with this pack instead of just throwing random new colors on the 9. Even without knowing the backstory, this is one of those weird early-2010s Jordan colorways that just works, and while the whole pack is noteworthy, this is our favorite pair out of the bunch. —Douglas Jase
Air Jordan 9 ‘Doernbecher’
Year Released: 2012
The Air Jordan 9 “Doernbecher” was designed by 11-year-old Oswaldo Jimenez. Inspired by his Mexican heritage and “Pollito” nickname, the pair features gold feather detailing, his favorite number 17, and a red-and-green outsole paying tribute to his hometown of Querétaro, Mexico. These have always stood out to me because of how well the wing-inspired details work with the Jordan 9 and the brand's identity. It honestly feels like a colorway Jordan Brand could’ve come up with on its own, but the story really takes it home. —Douglas Jase
Air Jordan 9 ‘Powder Blue’
Years Released: 1994, 2010, 2024
Easily the second most recognizable color scheme for Air Jordans after the red, black, and white for the Chicago Bulls is the white and university blue makeup. The latter pays tribute to MJ’s alma mater, the University of North Carolina, which for the Jordan 9, took on the form of the “Powder Blue” colorway. MJ wore the sneaker in several ad campaigns in the early ‘90s while also wearing his UNC threads, and remains one of the more notable moments of him in the shoe. —Victor Deng
Air Jordan 9 ‘Kobe’
Year Released: 2016
While not a one-to-one recreation of Kobe Bryant’s PE, this Air Jordan 9 was a clear tribute to the unattainable relic. Bryant’s version, which featured an 8 on the heel and a different shade of purple, was made during his legendary 2002-2003 sneaker free agent season. This sneaker was finally released to the public in late 2016, just months after Bryant’s NBA retirement. That historical significance, combined with the relative rarity of seeing an Air Jordan in Lakers colors, makes the “Kobe” Air Jordan 9 one of the best in the model’s history. —Zac Dubasik
Air Jordan 9 ‘Charcoal’
Years Released: 1994, 2010
The “Charcoal” Air Jordan 9 is only one of two OG colorways that donned the Chicago Bulls-esque black and red color scheme. While MJ never wore the sneaker during its original run when he was a member of the Bulls, it’s easy to imagine that this would be the pair he’d have on during the 1993-94 season. It’s also worth mentioning that the style has only released in 1994 and then in 2010, but there are early leaks suggesting it’s coming back in 2027. —Victor Deng
Air Jordan 9 ‘Flint’
Years Released: 2002, 2026
The Air Jordan 9 “Flint Grey” originally released in 2002 during the model’s first retro run, pairing a clean white leather upper with Flint Grey overlays and hits of French Blue. I think this colorway is a perfect snapshot of those early-2000s Jordan Brand releases. It’s a colorway you really can’t go wrong with, and we finally saw it return this past January. It was a pretty quiet release this year, and you can still find pairs for around retail, but it’s still such a good shoe. —Douglas Jase
Air Jordan 9 ‘Cool Grey’
Years Released: 2002, 2012, 2025
If it wasn’t for the “Olives,” the “Cool Grey” Air Jordan 9 would be my favorite colorway of the model. It was one of the first Air Jordans I’ve ever owned and despite it being a retro, it was the only Jordan 9 colorway MJ actually wore in an NBA game—albeit in a Washington Wizards jersey. The nubuck and patent leather construction upper also worked really well with the all-grey color scheme and it stands out as one of the best Jordan 9 releases ever. —Victor Deng
Air Jordan 9 ‘Bin 23’
Year Released: 2010
The Air Jordan 9 was the second shoe to release in the ‘Bin 23’ series when it launched back in 2010, following the Air Jordan 2. The white and gold colorway was reminiscent of a coveted low-cut Marshall Faulk PE from years earlier. Limited to just 1,331 pairs, it’s not surprising that the sneaker still fetches over $1,000 on the resale market, but just finding a pair is hard enough at this point. In addition to being rare, what helped earn the ‘Bin 23’ AJ9 a spot on our list of the best Air Jordan 9s of all time is an on-court moment for the ages. On the night that Ray Allen broke Reggie Miller’s 3-point record, Allen warmed up wearing the sneaker in a mismatched pair along with an Air Jordan 11 PE. —Zac Dubasik
Air Jordan 9 ‘Space Jam’
Years Released: 1993, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2026
Remember when Michael Jordan’s fictionalized children helped Bugs Bunny retrieve MJ’s Air Jordan 9s in the classic 1996 Space Jam film? That sneaker was a simple white and black colorway of the model, and for years after its introduction, it wasn’t commonly nicknamed after the movie. As time went on though, that eventually changed, to the point that for the 2026 retro, the sneaker even has Space Jam-themed packaging to mark the 30th anniversary of the film. Some fans even have this colorway as the best Air Jordan 9 ever, but it just doesn’t look as good as the no. 1 entry on this list. —Victor Deng
Air Jordan 9 ‘Olive’
Years Released: 1994, 2002, 2012, 2024
The “Olive” Air Jordan 9 was “misunderstood” when it was released in 1994. This was a time when the idea of an earthtone Air Jordan was very abstract. Sure, we’d seen plenty of examples of non-Bulls colorways at that point, but this looked like something more suited for a boot than a basketball shoe. Despite having somewhat of a cult following, the first retro release in 2002 didn’t go too much better, and hit sale racks again. Lifestyle colorways were more common by that point, but it simply didn’t connect. But by the time the “Olive” 9 retroed again in 2012, there was genuine anticipation. Rather than being seen as the “weird” one, it stood out for being the most unique—in a good way. Today, the brownish-green upper feels as modern as ever, in an era where similarly colored Travis Scott collabs are coveted. The Air Jordan 9 lacks on-court moments thanks to it coming during Michael Jordan’s baseball run, and it features a relatively simple design, but the “Olive” colorway was something truly ahead of its time. That’s what makes it our pick for the best Air Jordan 9. —Zac Dubasik
