These Are the Best Yellow Air Jordan Retros

Image via GOAT

Michael Jordan may be known for flying but he loves to drive. Feeding his need for speed, the retired all-star founded his own motorcycle racing team in 2004 shortly after his stint in Washington with the Wizards.

By 2006, Jordan was ready to relive his playing days through his new love of burning rubber. The Air Jordan 4 Retro “Lightning”—finally back in 2021—revised the Tinker Hatfield classic in Tour Yellow suede as a nod to the jackets worn that season by Jordan’s racing team.

Some sneaker themes are so good they need to be brought back twice. In fact, sometimes they’re so good that they even crossover to a model removed from that of the original.

Such is the case on the Air Jordan 14 Retro “Thunder.” Released in 2012, six years after the “Thunder” theme debuted on the Air Jordan 4, the Ferrari-inspired signature sneaker made even more sense done up in yellow, a color that—like the previous entry—channels Jordan’s love of motorsports.

Throughout the 1990s Michael Jordan was an American icon with his name and likeness appearing on billboards from coast to coast. By the 2000s, he was a full-blown business with his sights set on conquering new markets and new arenas.

The Air Jordan 5 Retro T23 “Tokyo” from 2011 celebrated Jordan Brand opening its first store in Japan. This Varsity Maize take on the Air Jordan 5 was a far cry from the Black/Metallic makeup Jordan wore when battling the Pistons, providing new flash to the 3M favorite.

In 2007, the Air Jordan line celebrated an important birthday: 23. Like any entity reaching early adulthood, interests were changing and it was expressed stylistically. 

This proved true on the Air Jordan 1 Old Love New Love “Beginning Moments Pack.” Pairing the “Black Toe” Air Jordan 1 with the “New Love” Air Jordan 1, Michael Jordan looked back on his start in Chicago while saluting his later interest in racing. To convey the latter, yellow accents appeared on his seminal signature sneaker as a nod to the jackets worn by his motorsport team.

Filling Michael Jordan’s shoes has been a tall order for all who have tried. One man built for the task was Carmelo Anthony. After leading the Syracuse Orange to an NCAA Title as a freshman, the smooth, small forward signed with Jordan Brand for a six-year, $40 million deal.

The contract coincided with Jordan’s official retirement from basketball. It also dated back to Anthony’s history of rocking retros while at the Jordan Brand-sponsored Oak Hill Academy. In 2018, Anthony saw his high school ascent celebrated with the Air Jordan 13 Retro “Melo Class of 2002.” This spirited sneaker took the retro model often worn by Carmelo as a pro and outfitted it University Gold.

In 2006, Michael Jordan removed himself from the public eye compared to his playing career. Enjoying retirement and investing in motorsports, his pursuits played out on lifestyle launches that acted as exclusives for his namesake Jordan Brand.

The Air Jordan 4 Retro “Thunder” illustrates just how quickly MJ’s portfolio was growing. First released in 2006 and brought back in 2012, the bold black-and-yellow retro release relayed the maturity of a man moving forward with a finger on the pulse of the colors kids craved.

Debuting during the 1984-85 season, the Air Jordan 1 High was an explosion of color for the professional game. Famously, Michael Jordan was fined by the NBA’s then-commissioner, David Stern, for playing in his signature sneakers, which sported three different tones rather than the league-standard two.

The following season, designer Peter Moore used the same formula seen on the Air Jordan 1 High for that of college basketball’s foundational disruptor: the Nike Dunk. Outfitting the Iowa Hawkeyes with bold black, yellow and white Dunks, the likes of BJ Armstrong made noise in the Big Ten with their flashy footwear. Coinciding with the Dunk resurgence, the newly launched Air Jordan 1 High Retro OG “Pollen” unites the silhouette that started it all with a fellow basketball colorway.

Shop all of these yellow Air Jordan retros on GOAT.