Jordan Brand's 2019 lineup featured an exhausting amount of Air Jordan retros, as is tradition. The year was highlighted by the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's fourth signature sneaker - the Air Jordan 4 - which returned in several different colorways including two of the most beloved styles.
On top of that, Jordan Brand brought back numerous all-time classics, plenty of never before seen colorways, and introduced a collab that deserves to be mentioned in the "sneaker of the year" conversation. There are surely more than 10 Air Jordans from the past 12 months that deserve to be on this year-end list, but I digress.
Scroll down to check out my picks for the 10 Hottest Air Jordans of 2019 along with StockX purchase links so you can cop your pair today.
Air Jordan 6 "Infrared"
The iconic "Black Infrared" Air Jordan 6 that Michael Jordan wore during his first NBA title run made it's always-welcomed return to retailers on February 16, 2019 as part of Nike's annual All-Star game collection. The kicks, which were previously retro'd in 2014, came back to life in OG form this year, featuring the familiar smooth, black nubuck upper, infrared detailing, a full-length Max Air unit in the sole, visible Air bubble in the heel and "Nike Air" logo on the heel.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpd4itiFf67
Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG "Turbo Green"
As always, there were no shortage of Air Jordan 1 releases this year. The iconic silhouette is a fan favorite regardless of the colorway, but there was something particularly special about the "Turbo Green" pair that dropped in honor of Charlotte hosting its first NBA All Star game.
The special edition 1s, which nod to the '90s and the Charlotte Hornets, feature a suede and leather construction highlighted by that vintage-looking turbo green color as well as purple and gold detailing on the tongue's "Nike Air" branding.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Br5KTQ6FtEx
Air Jordan 4 "Bred"
This sneaker could release every single year, and every single year it would be among the best releases of that year. The latest iteration of the "Bred" Air Jordan 4 arrived in May, and it looked just as sweet as it did when it originally launched 30 years ago.
Returning in OG form, the iconic 4s were built on a black nubuck, supported by the familiar grey and red detailing along with the aesthetically pleasing "Nike Air" branding on the heel for the first time since 1999.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwXGmtMnI4q
Air Jordan 10 "Seattle"
The Air Jordan 10 "Seattle" finally returned to retailers in 2019 for the first time since it originally released as part of the "City Series" way back in 1995.
The original Air Jordan 10 "City Series" released while Michael Jordan was away from the game, which is when Jordan Brand picked a handful of NBA stars, such as the Sonics' Kendall Gill, to debut several different Air Jordan 10 PEs on the court. The collection consisted of the Seattle Supersonics colorway, as well as iterations for the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings. The Chicago and Orlando desgins have been retro'd since the initial release - but the white, green and black "Seattle" colorway had never resurfaced until this year.
Air Jordan 7 "Ray Allen"
2019 marked the 23rd anniversary of Ray Allen's draft class, which presented Jordan Brand the perfect opportunity to release a special edition colorway that combined two of Ray's classic "Milwaukee Bucks" Air Jordan 7 PEs. I may be in the minority on this one, but the Air Jordan 7 is a favorite of mine and this particular color scheme just isn't one you typically see on an Air Jordan. Add in the cool story behind the design and it makes the list as one of my top picks of the year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5UNDtJ2J6
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG
Travis Scott and Jordan Brand teamed up for several different sneaker collabs this year, but none was more polarizing than the "Cactus Jack" Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG. All told, this may have been the sneaker of the year. Sure, the low-top version was cool, too - but it doesn't really come close to the AJ1 High.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsxMz4TlR9F
Air Jordan 6 "Doernbecher"
Nike brought back several iconic "Doernbecher" sneaker collabs this years in celebration of 15 years of the Doernbecher Freestyle Collection. Among them, the navy suede Air Jordan 6 which very well could be the best DB x Air Jordan collab of all-time.
The kicks, originally created by Jordan Dark in 2009, feature a number of special details include two significant dates of his battle against cancer - "06/08" for his first day of chemo, and 04/09 representing his last. The midnight navy and varsity red colorway serves as a nod to Dark's high school's colors, while the outsole introduced the first ever all-translucent outsole on the AJ6 silhouette.
Image Via Nike
Air Jordan 4 "Cool Grey"
This past year marked the 30th anniversary of the Air Jordan 4, which resulted in a plethora of AJ4 retros including some of the all-time classics. That included the the aforementioned "Bred" colorway, as well as the can't miss "Cool Grey" design.
The classic 4s are built on a suede, cool grey upper accompanied by a white midsole, and a black outsole - looking just as they did when they debuted in 2004. Additional details include a white Jumpman logo on the tongue and chrome Jumpman logos on the heel tabs, with splashes of yellow appearing on the tongue, outsole and visible air unit in the heel.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByhSI6lJ34l
Air Jordan 34 "Bred"
Jordan Brand designer Tate Kuerbis has described the Air Jordan 34 as the "purest form of a basketball shoe,” and the sneakers are easily among my favorites to hoop in. On top of that, the AJ34 also has lifestyle appeal as an extremely comfortable sneaker you can wear on the daily, making this one of my top picks of 2019.
Billed as one of the lightest basketball shoes ever created by Jordan Brand (size 9 weighs just 13.1 oz), the AJ34 is highlighted by the following features:
- An Eclipse Plate, formed by two Pebax pieces, which helps reduce the overall stiffness and strips down the weight
- A forefoot Zoom Air unit, with herringbone traction pattern - providing optimal explosion off the foot
- Limited Upper - heel counter, tongue, eyestay and midfoot reinforcer - showcasing the purest form of a basketball shoe
- The number 23 is featured in Morse code on the vamp
- Each pair has a unique logo on the heel - this "Bred" iteration utilizes the classic "Nike Air" in red
Air Jordan 11 "Bred"
A sneaker that needs no introduction - but I'll do the deed anyway.
This December marked the first time the Bred 11s hit retailers since they were retro'd in 2012, and they look sweeter than ever before with an OG design that mimics the 1996 edition. Black ballistic mesh upper, a luxuriously glossy black patent leather overlay and some red bottoms. What's not to love?
https://www.instagram.com/p/B42nUPSA6_l
