The Best Era Of Air Jordan Sneakers?

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So JB turned 30 this year and it got me thinking what was the best era of Air Jordan shoes.

It can include quality, storylines, color ways, design and commercialism. Whatever you think is the BEST era of Air Jordans. There isn't a right or wrong answer IMO because we were all born at different times so our emotional connections to them are different...

What yearly span put out the most heat?

Which models were your favorite and what colors?

I think this is going to be very interesting....
 
85-99. Its all i care for except the xxi. But im biased since i grew up with the originals. My brain doesnt comprehend Jordan in a wizard uni.
 
Outside of his playing years, the XXII's are my favorite.

Either 6-8 or 10-13 are my favorite run. Probably have to give it to 10-13 by just a little.
 
For me,

XI-XIV.

I grew up in it, so I'm biased. But the shoes were the best, and the MJ memories were best, for me :smokin . The last 3 peat. Awesome comeback for MJ, to say the least.

13's are my favs. Of course, Black/Red WITH 3M, none of this retro garbage...the originals had a different feel.

White/Red XII's, Concord or Space Jams XIs. Black/Red XIV's. Black/Red XIII's :smokin .

Can't go wrong with any color. Jordan was doing it. I still remember that shoe scent, opening that silver Jordan box :smokin
 
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personally, it's the 3s through 6s, because that's when me and my friends were little kids going nuts for the shoes. 
 
All the years before 1998. When MJ was a Bull. Before the whole retro era took off and people gave flagship shoes a chance. Back before obsession.
 
Agree with everything before 98. But more specifically the 5 to the 8. MJ was at his highest hype and those models were game changers.
 
Model-wise the 3-6 & the 11-13 are the best models in the jordan line imo.

In an interview, MJ himself actually named the 11, 3, 12, & 13 as his favorite models.

My personal favorite colorways in these models would be:

3- Black Cement

4- Black Cement

5 - Grape

6- Black/Infrared

11 - Space Jam

12 - Black/Red

13 - Flint
 
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There's no question for me that the XX8 was the most comfortable that was put out, they have 0.0 eye appeal, but were a beast on foot. That said for me, and I'm one of the only few, the 8 is the most beautiful model. I still remember begging my old man to get me a pair of playoffs when I started middle school. I had to agree to a lot of crap jobs around the house for him, but those were my 1st pair. Just loved everything about the shoe. The colorway, the straps, the material. We all have that one that got us started and that was my one.

For comfort of the I-XIV era I would go with the XII. Had the OG playoffs and absolutely loved them. It was actually nice because I murdered them playing ball on an outside court and was actually able to go back to the store and exchange them for a new pair under a warranty claim. Times are so different now haha.

If I were to rank my top 5 models, and it's changed a lot since I'm older because I wouldnt have been caught dead in I's when I was a teen, it would be -
VIII, I, XIII, VI, XII (specific colorways: Playoff VIII, Bred I, HHG XIII, Black/Infrared VI, Black/red XII)

The best era for me would either be the VI-VIII (91-94) or the XII-XIV(97-98). Just depends if we're talking comfort or style .
 
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Why are some of these posts referring solely to the models and not the actual years of releases?
 
The best years for Nike, Inc./ Brand Jordan were 1985-1997

During the early years of this era, you could go to any major department store (JC Penny, Castner Knotts, Dillard's Macy's) and buy Air Jordan Sneakers. This was the rise of the shoe store chains (Foot Locker, Kenny Shoes, Athletic Express, Athlete's Foot, Champs) were you could also but the sneakers. If there were set release dates, we didn't know it. The store managers would make the shoe available for sale the moment they were received from Nike, Inc. Air Jordans were far too expensive for people to buy multiple pairs, so it was very easy to save your grass cutting money for a whole summer, and then buy your pair just in time for the school year. Many of the non-Bulls colorways like blue, grape, etc. sat on shelves well into the next model launch so you could catch those at clearance price regularly.

These were the years that Jordan put out the most heat. You had so many different colorways of each model sneaker starting form the OG I. Plus, there were matching tracksuits, tanks and short sets, hats, jackets, gym bags, etc.

The best Quality Jordan models were also produced during these years.
*The OG II, an Italian luxury basketball shoe, was the best quality Jordan sneaker ever produced under Nike, Inc.
*The runner up, would have to be the OG XIII, Brand Jordan's first sneaker. The grade of leather and suede used still hasn't been matched by any shoe from the Brand Jordan Era.

My favorite models are the OG IV and the OG III. It was something futuristic about the visible air pocket and actually playing basketball in a mid top.

My favorite colorways are the True Blue III and the Military IV colorways. I wanted to be like Mike, so I had my parents buy me the white/black/red colorways in both shoes. It wasn't until the retro era that I was finally able to afford to buy the True Blue and Military IV verisons.

My all time favorite model would be this 1999 True Blue IV sample.

View media item 1536499

I've been personally dropping the idea of a general release to Gentry Humphrey for years now. My fingers are crossed for some exciting news in the near future.
 
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^ Those are sick 4's. Seen em before but just love them. Wouldn't mind seeing Motorsport 4's either.
 
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94-00 id say Nike & JB put out their best work.

The first set of retros (94 breds & 94 white cement 3s mold and quality is amazing)

Then the 11s 12s and 13s OGs are ridiculously dope.

I say 00 before he started adding the jumpmans to the OG model jordans.
 
The OG run, that's why everything else exists. Why is this even a question?
 
My favorite Jordans, from the best on down. Note that it stops at 13 because I have never had any interest in Jordan shoes made after he retired from the Bulls permanently in 1998:

XI

XIII

IV
III

VIII

V

XII

VI

VII

IX

X

II

I
 
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