Air Jordan 5 'Fire Red' Black Tongue: Where to Buy

Key Facts at a Glance

Where Can You Buy the Air Jordan 5 'Fire Red' Black Tongue?

The 'Fire Red' Black Tongue dropped September 13, 2025 at $215 in full-family sizing through Nike SNKRS, Foot Locker, Finish Line, JD Sports, DICK'S, and Hibbett. Eight months out, the resale market has cooled and many sizes are trading at or near retail.

StockX and GOAT are your most reliable verified resale options, with Flight Club and Stadium Goods covering the higher end. Foot Locker also restocked the Fire Red Black Tongue earlier this year at the original $215 retail price, which is worth checking before you pivot to resale. Make sure you're searching for HQ7978-101 specifically — don't confuse it with the 2020 Silver Tongue (DA1911-102), which is a separate release.

What Makes This Retro Stand Out?

The 2025 retro is the most OG-accurate Fire Red Black Tongue release since 1990. Jordan Brand brought back the Nike Air heel branding, restored the original 23 typeface and placement on the lateral heel, and tightened the silhouette closer to the original shape. Earlier retros in 2006 and 2013 either skipped the Nike Air branding or modified the heel typeface.

The build sits on a smooth white leather upper with the black fabric tongue that gives the colorway its name, paired with Fire Red across the shark-tooth midsole, lining, and lace lock, and the translucent rubber outsole that reveals a Jumpman graphic. My prior breakdown on why this version makes the silver tongue debate moot covers the design specifics in more depth.

Why Does It Still Matter?

The Fire Red is the AJ5 colorway most associated with early-90s Bulls-era Jordan footage and remains the blueprint for white-based, red-accented Jordans that followed. It's the first colorway most collectors cite when asked which AJ5 they'd keep if they could only pick one.

The 35th-anniversary timing also matters because Jordan Brand stacked 2025 with OG-accurate AJ5 returns — the Grape, the Black Metallic Reimagined, and this Fire Red Black Tongue all dropped in the same calendar year. Sitting alongside the Burgundy, the A Ma Maniere, and the Black/University Blue, this Fire Red anchors the most decorated AJ5 lineup in years.

Should You Buy the Air Jordan 5 'Fire Red' Black Tongue (2025)?

If you missed the September 13 launch and you've been chasing an OG-accurate Fire Red, this is the moment. The cooled resale market means many sizes are sitting at or near retail, and the Foot Locker restock window is still worth a check before pivoting to secondary platforms.

For collectors weighing this against the 2020 Silver Tongue or the upcoming AJ5 Wolf Grey, the Fire Red Black Tongue is the move if OG accuracy and Bulls-era authenticity matter most. Few AJ5 colorways carry this much weight in the line's catalog, and the restored Nike Air heel branding closes the loop on a 35-year wait.