When we talk about the biggest legacies in basketball, Michael Jordan will pop up somewhere on the list. (The rank depends on who you ask). But beyond basketball, Jordan became equivalent to the hottest sneakers… and the crying meme. For real though, Air Jordans are a staple in every sneakerhead’s collection. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or not, we all have at least one Jordan grail on our list. And one thing you’ll notice is that the color of the sneakers definitely matters! So today, we’re gonna tell you why red Jordans are on top of the food chain. Let’s find out, and check out which are must-haves, shall we?
Why Are Red Jordans This Popular?
It’s 1985, Nike landed a deal with then-rookie Michael Jordan, and they were up to no good since day 1! Their first pair of kicks, the mighty Air Jordan 1, came in the “Bred” colorway. However, the black and red sneakers broke the NBA uniform policy. The rule stated that the kicks should match the uniform and the teammates’ kicks. So, the NBA fined Jordan $5,000 every time he wore the Breds. But Nike being Nike, they turned that into the biggest marketing campaign. And that’s how the NBA accidentally made red Jordans a whole vibe!
Well, at least that’s the story that Nike stuck with until they came clean with the Nike Air Ship. Nevertheless, the Bred Jordan 1 kept its legendary rep. After all, you gotta look great to stay relevant for decades! Another reason for the popularity of red kicks is because this color is one of the official Chicago Bulls colors. So if anything, it subconsciously became the color of Jordan’s legacy! Therefore, having a pair of red Jordans is like owning some of that story. Now, let’s check out the coolest Js, shall we?
How Can You Score More?
If you appreciate the whole backstory of red Jordans, then you either already own some or wanna get some. In the latter case, you’ll need help because many people wanna buy the kicks just like you! So, if you’re wondering what you can do to score a pair of the hottest sneakers, the answer is sneaker bots. An all-in-one sneaker bot can boost your chances of scoring the hottest kicks on multiple sites simultaneously. In fact, it can do all that at superhuman speed, which is a huge asset with drops where time is of the essence!
Now, if you wanna look for the best sneaker bots on the market, we get it. That’s why we wanna save you the long research with one of the top bots around, NSB! From Shopify to Nike SNKRS and much more, NSB can give you better odds at scoring the hottest kicks. So make sure you get your copy now and kickstart your sneaker journey! And now, let’s check out the coolest red Jordans that every sneakerhead should own.
Top 7 Red Jordans
Disclaimer: We’re not going to include the “Banned” Jordan 1 in this list. The colorway is beyond ranking, it’s a part of sneaker history!
Air Jordan 1 Chicago
When we say red Jordans we can’t help but think about the OG colorways! Although they weren’t all red, they certainly made a lot of bangs. Anyway, the Chicagos were the first kicks that conformed to the league’s rules and looked as hot as the OG! The kicks first debuted in 1985 and were an absolute success. However, that wasn’t the last we saw of the pair because Nike retroed them in 1994, 2013, and eventually in 2015.
The Chicago Bulls Netflix documentary “The Last Dance” dedicated some time to the Jordan x Nike relationship. This resulted in the resale value of the 2015 Chicagos going up to $1,700 in 2020. And today, these babies are worth $1,470 on average. Lastly, a game-worn pair of OG Air Jordan 1 Chicago was sold in an auction for $560,000. That’s 5 times the original estimate, just saying. The Chicago broke records multiple times in sneaker auctions, make sure to check them out here.
Trophy Room x Air Jordan 5 Retro F&F
Trophy Room is all about the Michael Jordan memorabilia and the latest Jordan kicks, among other things. But that’s not really surprising, considering that Marcus Jordan, MJ’s son, is the owner. So the collaboration didn’t come as a surprise, but the kicks were a whole other story. The F&F edition of the Air Jordan 5 made it one of the coolest-looking red Jordans. And it gave the crowds a new reason to love the not-so-popular silhouette. The kicks feature a red suede upper and a golden lace lock that completes the luxurious look. The kicks currently resell for $5,707 on average!
Air Jordan 3 Retro DJ Khaled “Grateful”
Another pair of red Jordans that didn’t release. But we had to mention it because it’s a show-stopper! The kicks feature an all-red leather upper and red midsole, with a touch of the famous elephant print. The collab has the name of DJ Khaled’s album and pairs were given randomly to fans who bought the album! You can find the kicks on resale platforms for $10K on average.
Off-White x Air Jordan 1 “Chicago”
Just when Yeezys were peaking and people were starting to worry about Nike, they dropped the Off-White bomb! The late Virgil Abloh took 10 Nike silhouettes and put his own touches on them. The star of the collaboration was the deconstructed Air Jordan 1 Chicago which currently resells for about $5,272. 3 years later, this pair is still Virgil’s most successful pair!
Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game”
Or should we say the “Food Poisoning Game”? Whatever it was, game 5 of the 1997 NBA finals was a memorable game for all basketball fans. But we also love us some kicks with a huge story, and Jordan 12 in its Bred colorway checks all our storytime boxes! Moreover, the kicks retroed in 2003, 2009, and 2016. And you can find the 2016 pair for $408 on average!
Doernbecher x Air Jordan 3 (2013)
Red Jordans for a cause! The Doernbecher Freestyle collab launched in 2004 with Nike giving children every year the chance to design their own kicks. All proceeds from collections sold go to the children’s hospital. And every year has a memorable design that we all love so much that Nike makes them again! That’s exactly what happened in 2013 when they dropped a special edition of the 2010 Air Jordan 3 Doernbecher. The 2013 kicks currently resell for $612 on average.
Air Jordan 11 Playoffs (Bred)
The last pair of red Jordans on our list are not so red but definitely deserve to be on it! The Bred Air Jordan 11 “Playoffs” is one of the kicks that have that nostalgic vibe stuck to them no matter the year. It’s the pair of kicks that started the first title on the way to the second three-peat! The black mesh/patent leather upper looks amazing on the red outsole. You can find the 2019 pair for $380 on average today.
