I think the difference in terminology and shared meaning is generational. I'm probably one of the oldest guys on NT and I've been collecting Air Jordans since the line started in 1985. When I hear "Jordans", I assume that person is referring to an Air Jordan as opposed to a Brand Jordan lifestyle or team shoe. "Retro" just means that a product was re-released at some point, and it can refer to any category of footwear (running, basketball, cross-training).
And you can definitely call any shoe produced by Brand Jordan, "Jordans".
There are a couple of notable exceptions to the rules: the AJ 1 didn't have a Jumpman and the AJ 2 didn't have a Jumpman or a Swoosh.
OP is new to NT and I was trying to show him the ropes.