The History of the Air Jordan 2

From 1 to 14, every sneakerhead is aware of the enduring classic status of Michael Jordan’s signature shoes, each cemented with a steady output of retros and collabs. However, for the longest time the Air Jordan 2 hasn’t received the same level of attention, regarded as somewhat of a misfire which risked the future of MJ and Nike’s collaboration. 
In 2022, the Jordan 2 has gotten a noticeable push from Jordan Brand, receiving its fair share of high profile collabs. To cap things off, the year is set to end with the release of the Air Jordan 2 OG Chicago. In the spirit of this release, here’s a quick look at the history of the Air Jordan 2.

Following the legendary success of the Air Jordan 1, the late great Peter Moore went to work on its follow up. This time, Moore would be joined by Bruce Kilgore, designer of the timeless Air Force 1. 
To set itself apart from the AJ1, the design of the Jordan 2 took on a whole new philosophy, luxury fashion. This was in part inspired by MJs own sense of fashion and flair, like wearing gold chains on the court. 

This luxury approach led to the white leather upper being sourced from Italy. with panels on the sides coming in a faux lizard skin texture. The shoe also featured minimal branding, and was the first Jordan to remove the Nike Swooshes. ​

One of the biggest hindrances to the Jordan 2’s success was its price tag. The shoes launched in 1986 with a retail price of $100, equivalent to over $250 today. While a mix of materials may not seem too out of place today, the inclusion of luxury features on what was still unmistakably a basketball shoe felt confusing to many. 
But what did MJ think of the shoe? The first two entries of the Jordan line both had their fair share of speed bumps. Jordan famously broke his foot in ‘85, and upon his return he wore a hybrid shoe, the Jordan 1.5 which featured the AJ2’s thicker cushioning. When it came time to actually wear the Jordan 2, Michael turned in a record breaking season. 

However, despite the success Jordan still wasn’t happy. The thickness of the Italian leather upper just wasn’t practical, and the even thicker midsole meant he could feel less of the court than in the AJ1. 
There came a point after the AJ2s where MJ was strongly considering leaving Nike. After a hardball negotiation period, Jordan was eventually won over by Tinker Hatfield’s design for the Air Jordan 3. Equally frustrated with the process was Peter Moore, who left Nike and eventually joined adidas, establishing their American HQ and EQT line alongside fellow Nike alum, Rob Strasser. 

Due to the events of 1987, the Air Jordan 2 is at times solely blamed for MJ’s near departure from the line. Though it’s not without its fans, it hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as the other OG Jordans from MJ’s time on the court. The Air Jordan 2’s middle-child status was seemingly cemented when its original design samples went missing. This happened sometime around 1994, ironically the same year its older brother got its first set of retros.  
However, hope was not lost for this underdog, and got its own line of retros in 2004. Since then it’s received releases of old and new colourways, and of course, collaborations. In 2015, the AJ2 got one of its most high-profile collabs with Don C, shaking up the luxury design with a quilted upper in neutral beach and bold blue colourways. 

Of course, as a classic Jordan, the AJ2 would not go ignored by the legendary Virgil Abloh. 2021 saw the release of the Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Lows in Black/Blue and Chicago colourways. These pairs featured all the iconic Abloh touches, and came with cracked midsoles, creating the look and feel of an aged original pair from the 80s. Union LA also put their own retrofuturist spin on the Jordan 2 as part of their ‘Future is Now’ capsule. 

Finally, as 2022 draws to a close we’re getting a retro of the Air Jordan 2’s classic Chicago colourway. With this retro being released in between the ‘Reimagined’ pairs of the Air Jordan 1 Chicago and the upcoming Air Jordan 3 White Cement, the AJ2 has at last been given the opportunity to share the limelight with its siblings.