The Air Jordan 5 released in 1990 and is among the most design-forward sneakers in the Jordan line. Tinker Hatfield drew direct inspiration from the P-51 Mustang fighter plane — the AJ5's shark-tooth midsole detailing and reflective tongue were unprecedented in basketball footwear.
The AJ5 is the Jordan where Hatfield's willingness to take visual risks fully materialized. Clear rubber soles (a first for Jordan), laces that connected to 3M reflective tongues, and mesh quarter panels that wrapped into the molded counter — the AJ5 looked like no other shoe on the market.
Michael Jordan era:
MJ wore the AJ5 during the 1990-91 season, his first NBA championship campaign. The "Fire Red" colorway is most associated with this title run.
Signature colorways:
- Fire Red — the 1990 OG, black tongue with 3M, red accents. Worn during Jordan's first championship
- Grape — white upper with purple accents, eternally popular
- Metallic Silver — white leather with reflective silver tongue
- Black Metallic — black leather counterpart
- International Flight — white upper with red/black/purple branding
Notable collaborations:
- Off-White "Sail" and "Muslin" (2020) — Virgil Abloh's deconstructed takes
- Trophy Room (2021) — designed by Michael Jordan's son Marcus Jordan
- DJ Khaled "Grateful" (2017) — promotional AJ5 collab
- Supreme (2015) — perhaps the most lusted-after Supreme collab, "Red Camo" and "Desert Camo"
Retail:
$225 for standard High OG retros.
JustFreshKicks covers every Air Jordan 5 release — retros, collaborations, Trophy Room releases, and new colorways — with confirmed release dates, images, and launch links.