Shop Air Jordan 2 Sneakers

New season, new sneaker - the Air Jordan 2 

The Air Jordan 2, launched in November 1986, had a luxurious design that had never been seen before in a basketball shoe. Nike wanted to create a bold successor to the Air Jordan 1 and developed more special capabilities for the sneaker. The Air Jordan 1 had made the start. Now it was time to go one better.

The Jordan 2 has been made in Italy from genuine Italian leather and suede on the upper, which highlights the sneaker's ultra-modern look. The prominent "Wings" logo has been applied to the tongue. Apart from the faux iguana skin and the premium suede upper, the Air Jordan 2 had many other premium features. The quick lacing system offered a quick and even fit adjustment. There was an extended polyurethane heel counter for improved stability. Finally, the Air Unit in the heel and the polyurethane midsole provided maximum cushioning. 

The original colours were simple yet elegant to match the NBA's uniform dress code. Bruce Kilgore and Peter Moore, the designers of the sneaker, created a fashionable sneaker that not only looked good on the court but also off it.

As far as on-court performance goes, the Air Jordan 2 has some stories for you. The 1985/1986 NBA season was a really tough time for MJ. In the third game of his then second season, he injured himself with a broken foot. A bitter pill for the rising star as it was the first serious injury in his incredible basketball career. He missed a whole 64 games and was eventually able to return late.

After his injury, however, Michael Jordan was back to full fitness and ready for a fresh start to the 1986/1987 NBA season, as was his sponsor, who gave him a brand new signature sneaker to start in November 1986. Michael played the 1987 All-Star Game and soared to win his first slam dunk contest in these Nike sneakers.

We have the Air Jordan 1 in front of us and immediately see Nike's iconic Swoosh logo. But the Beaverton-based brand had other plans for the second Jordan Brand sneaker. The second Air Jordan was the first sneaker to appear without Nike's typical check logo. The Wings logo was also to be given a different place. Nike moved the winged ball logo from the ankle area to the tongue.

The premium Jordans were then available in two colours and available in high and low top versions. In 1994 they were "retroed" for the first time, a new colourway was released in high and low. Sometime between 1994 and 2001, the original shapes of the Air Jordan 2 were "lost". The exact model could therefore no longer be produced. Solution: the short-lived Nu' Retro Air Jordan 2, released in 2003 in three colours and a wrapped upper with brand new soles.  

Phew, lucky! - Jordan Brand was able to recover one of the original moulds and put the Air Jordan 2 back into production in its original form. In 2004, the Jordans 2 were re-released for their first retrorun.

Three high-top colourways were released along with two low-tops. This included a limited edition "Melo" pair identical to an exclusive pair of sneakers worn by Carmelo Anthony during the 2003/04 NBA season, but without the "Melo" personalisations. In 2005, the Air Jordan 2 Retro Low continued with unique colours for men and women.

The Air Jordan 2 Retro also returned in 2007 and was the first ever Air Jordan to be included in Nike's Doernbecher Freestyle collection. In 2008, the Air Jordan 2 Retro was included in the Jordan 21/2 Collezione 'Countdown' package and a limited edition killer 'Eminem' pair was released as an online exclusive with a limited run of only 313 pairs. 

We had to wait until 2014 before the Air Jordan 2 Retro reappeared. Five colourways were released, including the original white/red colourway last seen in the 2008 Countdown Pack. In 2015, Don C. teamed up with Jordan Brand to create a limited edition Jordan 2. These were inspired by the original. As always, high quality materials were used and the sneakers came in a truly special packaging. 2016 was again promising for Air Jordan 2 fans as Jordan Brand already brought a number of new releases to the sneaker market. Then in 2017, Jordan Brand and Converse teamed up to release a two-sneaker collaboration titled "The 2 That Started It All". 

Although the Air Jordan 2 is one of Jordan Brand's most polarising models, there is no denying how pivotal it has been in Jordan's career. The Air Jordan 2 may not be the most popular model for many, but it was still a major milestone for Nike and for MJ. 

Wow, what a story!

Air Jordan 2 "Chicago" - The Jordan 2 may not be able to match the fame and glory of the Air Jordan 1, but there are still some variants that are at the top of the list of sneaker releases. First and foremost is the popular Air Jordan 2 "Chicago", which, how could it be otherwise, picks up the colour scheme of the Chicago Bulls. Nike last released this colourway in December 2022 to celebrate the AJ2's 35th birthday. It has the same specifications as the OG pair.

Air Jordan 2 "Wing It" - In 2016, Jordan Brand released the two-piece "Poster Collection" consisting of the Air Jordan 2 "Wing It" and the Air Jordan 12 "The Master". Both models are inspired by legendary posters by Michael Jordan, with the Air Jordan 2 mainly in white and the Air Jordan 12 in black.

Air Jordan 2 "Just Don" - As mentioned above, the Air Jordan 2 2015 was part of a larger collection created in collaboration with designer Don C.. To this day, the Jordans are among the hottest Air Jordan 2s with their luxurious materials and high-end details.

Air Jordan 2 "Radio Raheem" - A black upper, blue lines and heel caps and a white sole? That can only be the Air Jordan 2 "Radio Raheem", inspired by the film "Do the Right Thing" by Spike Lee and the character Radio Raheem. Collectors in particular appreciate the uniqueness of this sneaker.

Air Jordan 2 "Infrared 23" - If one sneaker exudes a lot of retro feeling, it is the popular Air Jordan 2 "Infrared 23" with its eye-catching upper in red and black. Hopefully Jordan Brand will bring this sneaker back one day.