Jordan 5 Retro

Originally launched as part of a 2009 Defining Moments Pack created to celebrate Jordan’s amazing career, this Jordan 5 Retro references his powerful playing style through its nickname: Raging Bull. It is delivered in a uniquely styled box with a wood-print finish that acts as a wonderful precursor to the refined sneaker held inside. A classic AJ5 underpins the shoe, its combination of opaque black sections and areas of translucent white rubber bringing high-quality traction through the herringbone grip lines in the latter and the raised oblong structures each side of the midfoot. Jordan lettering has been pressed into the center of the feature, and a Jumpman richly decorated in deep red tones is encased behind the see-through rubber in the forefoot.

A black toe cap completes the outsole while also beginning the midsole as it wraps up over the front of the foot. Here, there is a band of black stitching that ends at the back of the toe, giving way to the rest of the polyurethane midsole, which is mostly black. The main exception to this dark coloration is the white shark-tooth design appearing just behind the forefoot on each side. Though a single tooth highlights the medial midsole, its lateral side has a row of them, all tipped with a flash of Varsity Red, for a bold look. Meanwhile, the heel contains a clear window that reveals the softening pocket of Air cushioning that pads out the inside of the midsole.

The upper is made from fine suede panels, all coated in an eye-catching Varsity Red tone. This includes the underlayer of the forefoot and collar, as well as the overlays of the toe, quarter and heel counter. White paneling has been inserted into each side of the quarter panel, its lattice-like structure allowing breathability along the flanks. Above this, black pieces of TPU with diagonally positioned eyelets accommodate the Varsity Red laces that tie up over more white mesh. While this last material makes up the bottom half of the tongue, the top half exhibits a reflective silver fabric with a black Jumpman logo in its center.

More TPU eyelets have been set into each side of the collar, and a plastic toggle that incorporates both clear and red parts helps to keep the laces from coming loose. The collar itself has mismatched sides that bubble outwards to protect the ankle, while its inner layer is lined with a black fabric that is velvety soft to the touch. The same material has been used on the back of the tongue, which has a white Air Jordan patch, and a Jumpman leaps in contrastive white over the black insole. Elsewhere, another of these logos has been carefully sewn into the heel counter using black thread. Lastly, the number 23 stands out on the lateral heel in Varsity Red embroidery with a delicate black outline that visually lifts it off of the shoe’s suede exterior. This completes the unforgettable AJ5 Raging Bull with a final nod to the legendary Michael Jordan.