Air Jordans throughout the years

The OG. The Alpha. The one. The first sneaker that launched a million pairs made its debut in 1984 during Jordan’s rookie season and has been an iconic shoe for more than 30 years.

Made in Italy, the second shoe from Jordan’s signature line was a departure from the first’s classic look. There was no Nike swoosh, but the clean design remains a low-key favorite among some sneakerheads.

The internationally recognized Jumpman logo debuted on Jordan’s third shoe. The unique print that accents the shoe has become highly sought after in the sneaker community.

You can’t look at the Jordan IV without thinking of its placement in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing.” Bugging Out might have had his stepped on, but plenty of people had clean pairs.

Will Smith rocked the fives on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and it’s not hard to see why. The rubber soles and World War II-inspired flares on the side make this one of the most stylish shoes in the line.

This is the golden shoe. Jordan won his first championship in these sneakers. Coincidentally, like this shoe’s place on the line, he would go on to win six titles.

This pair soared in Barcelona, being Jordan’s preferred shoe during the 1992 Summer Olympics. Forget the VI. These are the real golden shoes.

For once Jordan may not have been the most iconic character in one of his commercials. His Airness teamed up with Bugs Bunny to sell his eighth shoe, foreshadowing its pairing in the cinematic masterpiece that is “Space Jam.”

Jordan may have retired, but his capitalistic spirit didn’t. While Jordan was off playing baseball, his most recent shoes were on NBA courts. This was the shoe that proved athlete-specific shoe lines are still viable even when the athlete isn't playing.

The 10s were on MJ’s feet when he dropped the double nickel on the Knicks while donning 45 on his jersey. Hell of a way to return to the NBA.

This is the shoe that keeps coming back. This retro classic is always in demand for its signature design and was worn by Jordan when he won his first championship after unretiring.

After being a Nike product for 11 iterations, Jordan decided to make the XII the first shoe under his own brand. It seems to have been a good decision. Dominating the “Flu Game” in them didn’t hurt either.

This would be the second shoe from Jordan prominently featured in a Spike Lee film, with Denzel Washington rocking a pair in “He Got Game.” Jordan would wear this shoe for a majority of his last championship season.

The Ferrari-inspired design looked great during Jordan’s last championship run with the Bulls. Bryon Russell got a good look at the early prototype of the shoe as Jordan broke him down for one of the greatest NBA Finals moments ever.

MJ's second retirement did not help the design of the 15, which looks like it has a Cro-Magnon’s forehead sticking out on the top. The only good thing about this shoe is that Jordan never wore it on a basketball court.

Designers added a removable cover (or shroud) to the shoe over the laces. The translucent sole returned with this iteration as well.

Jordan signaled his return to the league with a sleek-looking sneaker that cost $200 and came in a metal briefcase. It also included a CD-ROM for some reason.

The 18s were Jordan’s farewell shoe, wearing them during his last season in the NBA. The design was inspired by racecar driving shoes with the return of the cover. Unfortunately, this one couldn’t be removed.

Designers kept the cover over the laces but changed the fabric to mesh. Some sneakerheads don’t like the look but note its comfortable fit.

A levitating ankle strap is the most obvious feature of this shoe, but laser-etching was also introduced with this sneaker. Ray Allen rocked a pair of these while sniping teams with the Sonics.

Available in both suede and leather, the XX1 is recognized as one of the most comfortable shoes in the line.  Not only could you rock these bad boys on the court, they looked just as good in more formal situations.

The design is reminiscent of the Air Jordan II with a new back and a titanium midplate. Some have likened the shoe to a fighter jet.

You know Jordan had to do something special with the 23^rd edition of his shoe line. This cutting-edge shoe featured MJ’s fingerprint on the tongue, unique stitching design and his signature on the toe.

This was the first shoe to be named with the year of production instead of a numeral, and it showed in the design. The split heel was something that hadn’t been seen, and it had a sword-slash pattern that's hard to miss.

The line went really experimental with this ultra-breathable shoe. There is a literal hole on the side of the sneaker, but that didn’t stop Dwyane Wade from being All-Star MVP while wearing them.

These sneakers featured a fully interchangeable insole that allowed for differing levels of comfort. Dwyane Wade added to the shoes’ championship legacy when he won his first championship with the Heat.

The designers of the 27^th shoe in the line used the concept “One Shoe, Three Flights.” The sneaker had three interchangeable booties, two inner-sleeve choices and three midsole options that made this one of the most customizable shoes in the game.

The return to the numerals brought big changes to the shoe. The XX8 had a boot-like shroud that could fold over. Russell Westbrook would be the first athlete to don this lightweight shoe.

The XX9 holds the honor of being the first woven basketball shoe, making this the lightest Air Jordan produced. These were also one of the more stylish pairs that came out in recent years.

Thirty years of iconic shoes, and designers decided to go with a completely new shoe. The sneaker made no nod to previous models, signaling the shoe’s focus on the future.

A designer change birthed a shoe that paid homage to the sneaker's history. For the first time, the Jumpman logo and Nike swoosh lived on the same shoe in this beautifully weaved design.

The Air Jordan II served as the inspiration for the design, but it integrated modern technology to make a truly dynamic sneaker. FlightSpeed technology and an exaggerated collar added explosiveness and support to this luxurious shoe.