The Five Best Air Jordans Ever – Cause I Said So

 •  Bloggers  •  by XXL Staff  •  41 Comments

Yup, Don Cusack in High Fidelity in stores and on iTunes, blah, blah, blah… Promo, yada, yada, yada…

Now that that’s out of the way, as an ex sneaker collector I still follow what’s going on in the world of footwear pretty avidly. I wasn’t one of those people who copped not to rock either. Nah, I wore every pair. My collection hit about 100 pairs or so, but I have long since stopped collecting. Not only is storing them an issue but it makes moving around a task.

Nowadays you’ll probably catch me rocking a pair of Van’s (Era, Authentic or Chukka) because I’m really drawn to simplicity, but aside from that I still have a soft spot for Air Max’s and Jordan’s. In general, I’m all thumbs up when it comes to AM’s (just so long as they’re not 97′s—YUCK!), but when it comes to Jordan’s I get pretty picky. Anybody who cares anything about sneakers knows that Jordan’s are touchy and with all the hybrids they’re putting out, things get even more dicey. Spizikes have become widely accepted but for the most part Fusion 8′s, Flight 9′s, Rare Air’s and all of these other mash-up’s are like the KFC Famous Bowls of footwear.

The shoes these hybrids borrow from are timeless classics, so allow me to take some time out to discuss my favorite Air Jordan models. We’re gonna leave color way out of the discussion, though. Here goes…

JORDAN 3

Man, these are just the ultimate when it comes to Jordan’s. I will NEVER forget when I saw them in Kid-N-Play’s “Gettin’ Funky” video and just lost my shit. I idolized these shoes and still do to this day. These are the only Jordan’s that I never got to own and that’s probably part of why I love them so much. They are the backbone of the Spizike model also, and I kinda feel like that’s why that ‘hybrid’ is so universally accepted. I missed out on the True Blue release so… :/

JORDAN 1

The first and last AJ model with a Swoosh on it is my second pick. Based on the build and outsole, the shoe exists in the same space that the Dunk Hi exists in but it’s definitely in a class of its own. The newer models are made of some pretty nice materials and the molded tongues make that problematic sliding tongue a non-issue. I’m not too crazy about the Low’s but that’s because I like how the ankle’s look on the Hi’s.

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  • Casey

    LOL at even comparing IVs to Flights

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  • katt

    AJ XI is the best SHOE ever made in the black/white/varsity red colorway, period. XXL, be careful stepping out of your element with this one. people gon get fired up.

    Anonymous, i dare you to disagree!

  • katt

    by the way Tanya, i was late too, when i was a kid i though “who would pay over $100 for space boots?”

  • ThatDude

    Yeah man the 11′s are my favs, always have been and I think he was right they were a little ahead of their time…I fux with the 6′s and 4′s real heavy and lately I really been feeling the 13′s, I didn’t have any when they initially came out (why I don’t know) but now they are creeping up as some of my favorites

    Side Note: the 8′s were kinda ill too but I really only like them in the all black and silver re-releases with the chrome joint on the tongue

  • katt

    co-sign that XIII comment, those should’ve made the list, i think the 8′s are overrated though. they look good on the shelf but dont go with shit outfit-wise

  • AZ40

    Nigga I’m too poor to afford Jordan’s!!,but really the 3′s is hot

  • Dee El

    Man, Don!! This is a dope dope dope drop!! Fresh to death. Can’t beat dem leahums (11′s) for real!!

    Dee El sends
    P.E.A.C.E.

  • TRAFFIC

    6

  • Rob Markman

    The Aqua 8s are my personal fav. But the 11s and 6s round out the top 3!

  • ff1one@yahoo.com

    i like your blogs, but you are way off. Those aren’t the best by any means.

  • NAPTOWNNUISANCE

    I think the red and balck versions of XIII and the XXIII were the hardest by far, the hall of fame six rings XXIII are straight nasty.

  • M. Baby!

    I’m a Jordan fanatic. My goal is to collect at least 1 pair of every number. I have about 6 or 7 more left to go. My top 5 Air Jordan of All Time:

    1. Air Jordan XI (Black/Red)
    2. Air Jordan VI (Black/Red)
    3. Air Jordan V (Laney)
    4. Air Jordan IV (Black/Red)
    5. Air Jordan XII (All of the colors)

  • yoprince

    never been crazy about sneakers like that really, mainly b/c my parents weren’t co-signing that foolishness.

    by the time I had my little part-time job in HS, all i needed to cop were clean AF1s, POLO boots, constructions, and Prada American Cups that I would never wear now, lol.

    nowadays, VANS, Chucks, a pair of SBs, Air Maxes to jog in. still rock some Polo Boots in the winter. top siders for the summer. but now that i’m older I like to let my sneaks and boots get some character on ‘em. they’re all pretty old, i like ‘em that way. we used to laugh at the white kids for that.

    but yea the AJ 11′s and 5′s are the best, at least aesthetically.

    hybrids are wack. i think less of people i see wearing them.

  • Flyte The Flyest

    The 11′s killin anything else he brought out, but the 8′s hard too.

  • Ayre

    I have a soft spot for the 5′s, I got them a week early from a neighbor who worked at a Herman’s before they first released, and everybody at school jocked me.

  • ThatDude

    Yo the homie Ayre brought i back to Hermans…WOOOOOOO And katt I feel you fam on the 8′s I was just fuckin with those all black joint for like when you got the mean sweats on or something like that and you just need some nice joints on your feet, but if you trying to wear em with jeans and shit like most Jordans them shits are no beuno!!!

  • ThatDude

    (Had to make a minor correction or 2 my bad) Yo the homie Ayre brought i back to Hermans…WOOOOOOOW good shit. And katt I feel you fam on the 8’s I can just fuck with those all black joints with the silver/chrome touch for like when you got the mean sweats on or something like that and you just need something nice on your feet, but if you trying to wear em with jeans and shit…like most Jordans them shits are no beuno!!!

  • Brooklyn

    my favorite jordans were always the 4′s, 5′s, 11′s, 13′s, and 14′s. the black and red 11′s will always have a special place in my heart because they were the first pair of jordans that i ever got back when i was a kid. my father was paranoid that some nigga was gonna stick me for them and didn’t want to get them but i begged and begged until he decided to buy them for me.

  • chaos

    How can you leave the 13′s off

  • Anonymous

    one word

    SPIZ’IKES

  • http://www.bboycult.com $yk

    Not really a J’s fan…had the II’s and VI’s, that’s it.

    I’m into the Air Max 90s & 95s..

    • chucky

      yo the 3′s are coming out again in february so be on the look out for them

    • jonny bizness

      $yk in england the 90′s and 95 have been a staple for all inner city kids 4 a while have u seen the colourways that we got ova here.i’m rocking the lunar air 180s some green and blue ones but the jordan 6′s hold a special place in my heart cos they came out when i first got into hiphop and i used to go 2 the sports shop just to admire them my mom couldn’t afford them 90 quid in 1990 was a defo no no

  • Dub

    @$yk I feel you, I’ve been more of an Air Max dude, but the two pair I got were the Grape Jordan 5′s and the Chambray 7′s. Still rock the Chambrays but the Grapes are done…

  • Notorious AGC

    ill stick wit the 1´s i see yall east coast cats dress fuckin weird XD wearin timbs in summer XD

  • flyer than you

    the 1s man!..they were the 1st jordans obv..and then dunks were modeled after them my 2 favorite pairs i be rockin! get ur shit right 11s came out too many times too many different styles and those phony ones but u know what i got em too! lol all good but 1s and 5s r the most orignal and jordans all in all r straight (retros only).

  • http://www.smokingsection.net mz

    the I’s were modeled after dunks, not the other way around

  • AG11

    I feel the same way about hybrids. Except for the Dub-Zeros, those are fuckin’ dope, I got all the colorways for those, but the Black/Beige and White/Gray/Black are the best.

  • http://xxlmag.com Mr. Mississippi

    I think the original black IV’s, all the original colors of the 9′s, original colors of the fives and the baby blue 11′s. Also the black and red six’s nice too. I don’t care for the fusions and the those other hybrids. They look stupid and it’s almost like a slap in the face to the originals.

  • swype-matic

    Wow, i was never a fan of jordans much, but the jordan 11′s were the ONLY cold ones on that list, and its no coincidence that those were the ones i had

  • SKS

    My favs are the 17′s…white/red and the north carolina blue/white low tops

  • mrLex

    You put 9′s instead of the 13′s. You’re stupid.

  • that nigga

    How do you have the 6 & 4 honorable mention? I dont rock Jordans anymore but I can say I had every pair when I was in high school and college hoopin. ANd those Patent Leather one’s, dont even know the number but Some chic copped the for me and I returned those horrible pair of sneakers. Your list sucks.

  • Simple like ABC, 123

    Air Jordan XI (White & Columbia Blue)
    but where are the…?

    Air Jordan X (94 Beyond..)
    Air Jordan VII (Barcelona Olympics)

  • 23Mike23

    First of all, the best ever are the 13s (any color), then the 6s(Olympic), followed by the 3s (Pures/black cats)& 8s (Aqua)…I used to haate the 11s too, until the space jams got retroed and i fell in love…

    i was born in the early 90s, so my taste prob a little different from all yall who was around when jordans first came out!

    & P.S. How in da hell the 4s make the list??trash

  • Rabbit

    Not really into the j’s like that. im more preppy. i rock polos, loafers, creative recs and vans slip ons. but the # 5 and 7 are my favorites

  • jordans

    where the 7′s at

  • jumpman23

    whatta bout 7s ? ? ? citrus , bordeux , dmp , olympic , gotta atleast get top honorable mention .

  • M.zap19

    Aye I’m 10 years old and a girl I got the real Jordan 4 breads not a copy hoping to get the 11 breads and the fire red 5′s these are sick p.s THE BEST TOP 3 ARE 5′s fire red, Jordan 4 breads and 11 breads best EVER MADE….. i ain’t stupid look up there they are all right there i know my shoes.

  • M.zap19

    I’m not a big fan of the 7′s but they all right not trying 2 hate on them thow i would rck those shoes Jordans 4 life