The best Air Jordan 5s of all time, ranked
Taking into account collectibility, design, and influence on the sneaker canon, we round up the most notable Air Jordan 1s
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INTRODUCED AT THE START of the 1990s, we find the Air Jordan 5 at the cusp of its namesake’s stardom. Michael Jordan had an unbeatable 1989-1990 season; he outdid his best records, tallying a career-high 69 points against Cleveland and hitting 92 three-pointers across the season, compared to only 58 in all his prior seasons combined. The model’s rise to prominence in pop-culture also came with director Spike Lee’s iconic character Mars Blackmon introduced them to the world.
Concurrently, then Nike designer Tinker Hatfield was ascendent in his own right. Taking Jordan’s iconic jumpman logo, Hatfield spun the airless character and took inspiration from a fighter jet. It’s why the exterior designer represented such a departure from what came before, particularly in the Air Jordan 1 and Air Jordan 4: a central mesh panel meant greater breathability. The interior as well features wall-to-wall cushioning for an especially lightweight design.
Why is the Air Jordan 5 popular?
As for its cult status in the three decades since, collaborations with key luxury and streetwear brands have situated the Air Jordan 5 at an unimpeachable position on the resale market. Unique colourways with limited production quantities tied to Nike store openings also made some models (more on that below) sky-rocket in value. What it offers in design compared to previous and future Air Jordan lines are clean lines in supple suedes and leathers, which make it especially wearable – and able to withstand trends for decades to come.
Taking into account the current the Air Jordan 5s getting the Retro OG treatment – and others you can’t not include – we rounded up and ranked the colourways and styles that still speak true in 2025.
Related:
The best Air Jordan 4s of all time, ranked
The best Air Jordan 1s of all time, ranked
What are the best Air Jordan 5 sneakers in 2025?
10. Air Jordan 5 Retro ‘Raging Bull’
Released: 2021
Our pick of a top tier classic, the model gets its name from Jordan’s basketball team, the Chicago Bulls. The Retro OG was first released in 2009 in the Defining Moments pack, but Raging Bull got its time in the sun again 12 years later in a rerelease. A replica to a T, its red suede uppers feature Jordan’s ’23’ from his jersey, as well as the red shark tooth details in the midsole. While a favourite amongst collectors, it remains an accessible piece with plenty of stock on resale sites.
Collectibility: 4
Design: 7
Influence: 7
9. Air Jordan 5 ‘Burgundy’
Released: 2023
Making its debut in 2006, the burgundy colourway has been a favourite amongst collectors, getting the rerelease treatment every couple of years since. Bearing no homage to its namesake’s basketball team, the model is one of the most wearable, favoured in heavy rotations for its deep wine hue and light blue transparent sole. Iconic but subdued, pair this one with a pair of dark-washed jeans or wide-leg trousers.
Collectibility: 5
Design: 8
Influence: 6
8. Air Jordan 5 x Supreme ‘Desert Camo’
Released: 2015
The first, but not the last, of the Supreme x Air Jordan 5 collabs to make the list, the ‘Desert Camo’ is an icon of the partnership. It’s also the first leather model on the list, featuring an earthy camouflage pattern throughout its uppers and a ’94’ on its heel for the year Supreme was founded. It isn’t a Supreme collab either without the ‘Sup’ somewhere; here being under the mesh panel.
Collectibility: 9
Design: 7
Influence: 8
7. Air Jordan 5 x Supreme ‘Black’
Released: 2015
The other Supreme x Air Jordan 5 collaborated effort to make the list, we placed this one at seventh place simply for its wearability. Design-wise the same as the ‘Desert Camo’ model (featuring the ’94’ and ‘Sup’), the black suede is what made it the most sold in the partnership: it goes with everything. The 2015 collaboration also remains the first and only release to date, so naturally its models command considerable asking price on resale sites – even more so for the black.
Collectibility: 9
Design: 6
Influence: 8
6. Air Jordan 5 Retro OG ‘Grape’
Released: 2025
Minty, ultraviolet; if you were to picture the 1990s in a shoe, it would be the Air Jordan 5’s grape colourway. One of the first releases when the Air Jordan 5 was debuted in 1990, the colourway represented a departure from the model’s conventional red, black and white colourways. At the time, it was described as “adventurous” by designers and sports commentators alike . Though it’s a lot more idiosyncratic: the teal and purple paying homage to its namesake’s home state of North Carolina. Along with the return of American Psycho tailoring, the colourway got itself a Retro OG rerelease in 2025 – all things ’90s are made anew.
Collectibility: 8
Design: 6
Influence: 7
5. Air Jordan 5 ‘Fire Red’
Released: 2025
The ‘fire red’ will exist in the middle ground. Similar to ‘Raging Bull’ (number ten on this list), the combination of white, red and black grounds the entire Air Jordan brand, regardless of collaboration or model. Like a lot of models on this list, ‘fire red’ features Jordan’s jersey of ’23’.
Collectibility: 8
Design: 7
Influence: 8
4. Air Jordan 5 ‘Wolf Grey’
Released: 2011
New Balance may be the champion of grey, but Air Jordan took a stab at it in 2011 with ‘Wolf Grey’ – and the result was memorable in the decade’s lineup. No ordinary grey either, its concrete hue made it a keen favourite amongst streetwear collectors, which inspired the kind of frenzy that predates what we’d see of Off-White years later. And not to stray too far, the colourway features a subtle ’23’ at the heel, only noticable with the white highlight.
Collectibility: 7
Design: 8
Influence: 8
3. Air Jordan 5 ‘Tokyo 23’
Released: 2011; 2025
What’s with the colour yellow and Tokyo? The Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 comes to mind in recent memory, as it shot up in every sneaker trend list when the masses discovered Kill Bill. Would a similar fate await the Air Jordan 5 ‘Tokyo 23’? That’s to say if everyone suddenly got into collecting basketball sneakers.
What warrants it third place? A recent search on the resale market of the model gave us pause: priced like a car, $11,999 on StockX. Driving up that price is its scarcity, but it’s been reported that the Varsity Maize Yellow colourway is poised for a 2025 rerelease.
Collectibility: 10
Design: 8
Influence: 8
2. Air Jordan 5 x Off-White ‘Sail’
Released: 2020
One of the last sneaker collaborations overseen by Virgil Abloh at his brand Off-White, the ‘Sail’ model earns the near-top spot – we’ll never see anything like it again. Featuring uppers with layered textile, Off-White-isms come in the zip-tie tag and Helvetica font print on the inner-facing mesh panel. The hallmark of Abloh’s deconstructivist handiwork comes in the two cut-out holes at the ankle and mid-panels.
Collectibility: 9
Design: 9
Influence: 9
1. Air Jordan 5 ‘Black Metallic’
Released: 2025
The most revered model in all the Air Jordan brand, ‘Black Metallic’ was a particular favourite of Jordan’s (he wore it with white laces). Black nubuck suede is a standout here, so velvety it could be pitched as a high-end make of the Air Jordan 5. What really makes it pop, though, or shine, is the 3M reflective accents throughout the build. Picture it: you’re on the court, and the opposition is absolutely distracted with the glare of your shoes – that’s a winning formula in our books.
Collectibility: 10
Design: 10
Influence: 10
How do Jordan 5s fit?
These shoes are made for hitting the hardcourt, so naturally they’ll be comfortable. Much of this list has been concerned with how iconic the model has been in its hundreds of variations, but all exhibit the same interior built of heavily cushioned walls delivering maximum comfort. Unlike other Air Jordan models without padding, the first wear is seamless in the breaking-in process. What’s more, the sneakers fit true to size, so there won’t be any further expanding of the leather as time goes on.
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