Best Air Jordan Packs of All Time, Ranked

Year: 2009

The Air Jordan 7 “60+” pack released in 2009 in celebration of Michael Jordan’s 64-point game against the Orlando Magic in 1993. With that in mind, it made sense that one of the included Air Jordan 7s was an Orlando Magic-themed pair that even had pinstriping on the tongue. Interestingly though, the second included pair was the “Raptors” Air Jordan 7 that one might assume was the pair he wore for that performance—except it wasn’t. Jordan actually played in the “Cardinal” Air Jordan 7 that night. It’s also worth mentioning the Bulls lost that game in overtime. We can’t say why that storytelling decision was made, but footwear itself was strong enough to earn a spot on our list of the best Air Jordan packs of all time. —Zac Dubasik

Year: 2008

This is one of best Air Jordan “Countdown Packs.” This is the one I remember people wanting before the 11/12 came out. Sure there was the 9/14 and 10/13, but this one just hit. It was the first time they retroed the “Carmine” Air Jordan 6, and the 16 is a sleeper. A CDP is about the totality of the pairs. The Black/Cement 4 came with the Jordan 19, so not many people cared. Same with the 3/20 pack. But this one was a good balance of new and old. I might want the 16s more than the 6s now, too. —Matt Welty

Year: 2014

Most of the shoes on this list earned their spot amongst the best Air Jordan packs of all time because they feature two shoes that were each standouts. The “Ultimate Gift of Flight” Pack, however, is only here for one shoe: the “Pantone” Air Jordan 11. The “Pantone” 11 was first seen in a “Pantone” series of Air Jordans that was made for display only for 2010’s World Basketball Festival, with the whole series of Air Jordans (which at the time was the Air Jordan 1 through Air Jordan 2010) done in tonal UNC blue. The Air Jordan 29 was a great on-court shoe, but a total afterthought when it came to this pack and could be regularly found on the aftermarket, split up from the 11. The 11 however stands out as not only one of the best shoes from an Air Jordan pack, but one of the best Air Jordan 11s of all time, period. —Zac Dubasik

Year: 2008

There’s no debate that the 11/12 set from the 2008 Air Jordan Countdown Pack is the best among the group, but the 9/14 is an appropriate second. It included the white and black Air Jordan 9 that first appeared in Space Jam paired with a suede black and red-colored Air Jordan 14, which was MJ’s final championship sneaker. While the Jordan 9 is scheduled to return later this year, there has yet to be a retro of the CDP Jordan 14 colorway. —Victor Deng

Year: 2007

The Air Jordan 1 “Beginning Moments Pack” was a big deal when it released in 2007. It was not only one of the first multi-shoe Air Jordan packs ever, it was also the first time the “Black Toe” Air Jordan 1 returned as a retro. As for the black and yellow pair, that’s how the pack earned its “Old Love/New Love” nickname, representing Michael Jordan’s newfound fondness for motorsports. While it wasn’t a huge deal at the time of release, there’s one thing holding this pack back in the rankings now: they’re Mids. Mids didn’t have the stigma at the time that they do now—there was nitpicking, but fans were largely just happy to see the “Black Toes” back in any form. There have been better versions of the “Black Toe” since, but these still have an important place in Air Jordan pack history. —Zac Dubasik

Year: 2010

The 2010 “Infrared” Air Jordan 6 pack’s release timing will always be remembered as questionable. It hit retailers around the same time as the similar-looking and separate “Varsity Red” and “Bulls” Jordan 6 drops, but that didn't deter fans from copping the “Infrared” pack. The pack was the first time the “White Infrared” colorway was released since 1991, and the “Black Infrared” makeup launched for the first time in a decade. Aside from them being great colorways, the Air Jordan 6 will forever be tied to the sneaker MJ wore when he won his first NBA championship. —Victor Deng

Year: 2017

This Atmos x Air Jordan 3/Nike Air Max 1 collab is the only Jordan pack on this list that includes an Air Max sneaker, which also holds weight as to why it’s top four in the rankings. It includes an updated version of Atmos’ beloved Air Jordan-themed “Elephant” Air Max 1 that features subtle Jumpman branding on the insoles and within the translucent outsole. The pack also included a new Air Jordan 3 colorway that incorporated safari print on the upper, replacing the traditional elephant print. It also helps that both pairs look great individually but pairing them together takes it to another level. —Victor Deng

Year: 2009

These were a weird one. In theory, it is one of the best Air Jordan packs of all time. But it’s a bit of an outlier, too. These “Toro Bravo” Air Jordan 5s are great and there was a ton of anticipation on them. Many thought it was going to be as big as the two packs above it. But they weren’t. Here’s why: They dropped right in the middle of the recession, a time when Air Jordan retros went on sale. That doesn’t matter at this point, though, and the red 5s were actually retroed on their own in 2021. —Matt Welty

Year: 2008

From the moment rumors of the Countdown Packs hit the Sole Collector and NikeTalk forums—two-shoe sets of Air Jordans whose numbers added up to 23, in honor of the Air Jordan’s 23rd anniversary in 2008—fans did the math and circled one pack of sneakers in particular: the Air Jordan 11 and Air Jordan 12. They’d have to wait till December for the final drop of the year, but the prize was worth it. The pack included coveted colorways of both models, the “Bred” 11 and “Taxi” 12, the former of which hadn’t released in seven years, while the latter had never returned as a mid-cut retro. There have been plenty of good pairings in the years since, but getting two original colorways of two of the most popular Air Jordan models in one set still stands out as one of the best Air Jordan packs of all time. —Zac Dubasik

Year: 2006

It feels a bit ironic that the number one pack on this list is also Jordan Brand’s first-ever multi-shoe release. The Air Jordan 6/11 “DMP” originally dropped in 2006, celebrating Michael Jordan’s first championship in 1991 and his fourth title in 1996 after returning to the game. Both pairs used a simple black, white, and gold color scheme. The Air Jordan 17 had already made noise with its briefcase, but the DMP presentation was absolutely insane, with a massive slide-out box, a commemorative booklet, and gold dog tags. In a lot of ways, this felt like the blueprint for the PR packages and unboxing experiences we see today. It set a new standard for how sneakers could be presented, not just sold. Twenty years later, it would have been cool to see Jordan Brand revisit the idea with a new pack. Either way all roads lead to the beginning making this the best Air Jordan pack of all time. —Douglas Jase