The Best Air Jordans of 2025

10.Air Jordan 4 'Black Cat'

Release Date: 11/28/25
Price: $220

To some folks, this might be the Jordan of the year, and the only sneaker they really wanted. I understand that. It’s funny in some regards, because Black Cat 4s were never that important until after the pandemic when Gen Z (and Joe La Puma, who is a Gen Z-er at heart) got ahold of them. They became the must-have sneaker for a lot of people and they were bootlegged to heck and back—mainly because they were reselling for over $1,000. They came back out, put Nike Air on the back, and sold out at a time when Air Jordans sit on shelves. That’s all you need sometimes. —Matt Welty

9.Air Jordan 1 High 85 'Bred'

Release Date: 02/07/25
Price: $250

Despite being one of the most important and beloved shoes of all time, the pitchforks were out for the 2025 release of the “Bred” Air Jordan 1 85. First, there were criticisms of the shape, material, and build of the shoe—much of it coming from fans who weren’t even born until decades after the original released, who had never seen the original—nor the new retro—in person. Then there was controversy over availability, with reportedly only 10,000 pairs available. But the “Bred” Air Jordan 1 85 turned out to be pretty accurate, once the realization was accepted that the shoe wasn’t necessarily all that luxurious to begin with in 1985. Everyone loves tumbled leather on Air Jordan 1s, but that’s just not how they were made back in the day. As for the availability, they were hard to get, but resale prices aren’t as outrageous as expected considering the already high $250 retail price. In the end, it was the most accurate version yet of a shoe that built the foundation of an entire industry, and that alone is enough to earn it a spot on our best Air Jordans of 2025 list. —Zac Dubasik

8.Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 1 Low

Release Date: 08/16/25
Price: $165

It’s hard to top the 2025 that Nigel Sylvester had. It’s no secret that Nigel’s “Brick by Brick” Air Jordan 4 is the 2025 sneaker of the year, but he followed that drop up with another hit that’s easily been one of the most popular drops of 2025. Releasing for the first time during the 2025 version of Nigel’s multi-city Go Ride event, the Air Jordan 1 Low “Better With Time” chopped the top off of his first AJ1 collab and switched up the color palette, substituting the original creamy off-white with a crispy black. Nigel took over three cities in one weekend for this sneaker’s release, starting in NYC, then flying to Miami, and then finishing things up in Mexico City. Thousands of fans flooded the streets of the three locations to go on the ride out and also enter for a chance to win a pair of the “Better With Times.” On top of the IRL activation, Nigel picked key moments to get the sneakers into the spotlight, including after each of Carlos Alcaraz’s wins in his ‘25 US Open campaign, and on the feet of Roman Reigns during an episode of Monday Night Raw. Since this AJ1 Low drop, it’s probably the sneaker that I’ve seen in the streets the most, and it’s certainly the sneaker that I have personally worn the most. —Ben Felderstein

7.Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17 Low

Release Date: 10/17/25
Price: $255

Easy Otabor took on a real challenge by making the Air Jordan 17 his first collaboration. There’s always been this stigma that only Jordans 1 through 14 matter, but Easy used this project to give everyone a history lesson. His pair is a reminder of how special the 17 actually is. Every detail hits. The color patches on the traction pay homage to athletes who wore the sneaker before like Kobe Bryant and Mike Bibby. The “Beach” color served as a nod to RSVP alum Don C and Virgil Abloh, and honored Jordan Brand’s first Black designer Wilson Smith III. The shoe keeps it simple with premium leather, but the story runs deep. The packaging wasn’t an add-on, it was its own experience and felt like something you’d find in a museum. You really have to sit with it to understand the full picture, but it’s part of what makes it one of the best Air Jordans of 2025. Hopefully this opens the door for the other Air Jordan 17s he was rocking earlier this year. —Douglas Jase

6.Solefly x Air Jordan 3

Release Date: 12/05/25
Price: $230

The SoleFly x Air Jordan 3 “Fruits of Our Labor” is the most recent release on this list, but the sneaker’s execution, storytelling, and rollout prove that this collab deserves a spot as one of the best Air Jordans of 2025. Fans first caught a glimpse of the sneaker at the Miami Hurricanes' season opener game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in August, where Miami sports icons and SoleFly founder Carlos Prieto were spotted on the sidelines wearing the shoe.

The sneaker was officially unveiled in November, when the Miami sneaker boutique confirmed that the project was, in fact, a tribute to the humble migrant communities in Florida. For the rollout, SoleFly highlighted Miami-based Latin American restaurant Palacio De Los Jugos by releasing the sneakers early at its store. If nothing else, this is also a good-looking shoe that can pass as a Miami Hurricane PE, albeit with the Solefly branding on it. —Victor Deng

5.Air Jordan 5 'Black Metallic Reimagined'

Release Date: 02/08/25
Price: $210

The “Black Metallic Reimagined” Air Jordan 5 was one of the best sneakers halfway through 2025, and if we’re narrowing it down to just Air Jordan releases like we’re doing here, that sentiment definitely still stands in December. The latest retro of the OG colorway was part of the brand’s “Reimagined” series, taking classic Air Jordans and applying new tweaks to them. This version instead recalled how Michael Jordan himself wore the “Black Metallic” Jordan 5 in 1990 by swapping out the traditional black shoelaces with white. The 2025 pair also had 3M edging on the upper, which is a nice subtle update that makes the shoe pop without annoying the sneaker purists too much. —Victor Deng

4.Travis Scott x Fragment x Air Jordan 1 Low

Release Date: 11/15/25
Price: $155

Travis Scott and Hiroshi Fujiwara’s second collaboration on the Air Jordan 1 Low didn’t exactly break any new ground—although the short little multicolor shoelace thing tied to the other shoelaces was a kind of cool touch. From a design standpoint though, it basically took the first one, removed a little black, changed a little blue around, and called it a day. Yet somehow, six years and nine colorways into Travis Scott’s Air Jordan 1 Low collaboration, the silhouette looked as good as ever. And after all that time, fans still wanted it. How many? Enough that there were 4.4 million entries, setting a sneaker raffle record in the process. There are surely fans that are over the sneaker at this point, but the good news for Travis Scott is there are plenty left to take their place. The hype is still strong for this partnership, but the quality of the shoe, despite its simplicity, is what made it one of the best Air Jordans of 2025. —Zac Dubasik

3.Awake NY x Air Jordan 5

Release Date: 08/17/25
Price: $210

When you talk pink in New York, names like Fat Joe and Cam’ron come up instantly. The Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 taps into that same playful, youthful energy. Some people will say the black pair is the better colorway, but bubblegum pink just gets people talking more. The details are loud too too, from the “A” on the netting to the “23” on one heel being swapped for “NY.” Angelo Baque really made this one so people could be outside, by making basketball tournaments to win pairs and even held an NYC block party; the rollout felt just as thoughtful as the shoe itself. If the rumors of an upcoming Air Jordan 6 are true, it will have some big shoes to fill. —Douglas Jase

2.Undefeated x Air Jordan 4

Release Date: 8/28/25
Price: $230

Some of you folks out there are actually unhappy that this Undefeated x Air Jordan 4 retro exists. And to those people, I truly don’t have many words for you. We all know the lore. 72 pairs. The first Air Jordan collab in history. It debuted in a 2005 issue of Complex Magazine with Vince Vaughn on the cover (you might not know this part, but I have an agenda to push over here). The list goes on. But this was a sneaker that real people like you and me simply could not own. It was reserved for the Fat Joes and the Mayors and the Lil Yachtys of the world. Twenty years later, Jordan and Undefeated decided to open the vault and bring back one of the most important sneakers to ever exist, and created a quantity that let the masses get in on the fun. UNDFTD did the right thing too and switched the retro up a bit to preserve the feelings of the OG owners, most notably swapping the Jumpman out for Nike Air on the neel.

Beyond the actual sneaker itself, the rollout was spot on as well, kicking things off in Chicago, and having other special pop-up drops in New York, LA, Tokyo, and other cities along the way. Look, I’m 30 years old and I’ve been collecting sneakers for well over half of my life. It’s safe to say this shit means something to me. I’m sorry if your mythical pair of OG Undefeated Jordan 4s is worth a little less than $50,000 now, but if it gives almost 100,000 of us a chance at owning literal history, then that’s a win in my book. —Ben Felderstein

1.Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 'Brick by Brick'

Release Date: 03/14/25
Price: $225

I feel like I’ve spoken about the Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 like 100 times this year. And that’s OK, because it’s the best sneaker of the year and the best Air Jordan of 2025, at least to the overall Complex viewpoint. Nigel Sylvester has been at work for over a decade—from Nike 6.0s to Nike SB Dunks to Air Force 1s to finally working with Jordan Brand. The Jordan 1 wasn’t my personal favorite, but it has aged well. Last year’s 4RM proved that great colorways and great storytelling can transform any shoe. And then Nigel got to work on an actual Air Jordan 4. He made it look like a brick, called it “Brick by Brick,” and brought out a big brick in New York City. He even put “Bike Air” on the heel and had a durable material on the toe.

Nigel also made an appearance at ComplexCon when it restocked after being named Sneaker of the Year, which just added to the lore of the shoe. Nigel is doing all the right things right now. He’s Jordan’s golden boy. Even his Air Jordan 1 Low is on the list, so he can’t lose. Let’s see what he cooks up in 2026. —Matt Welty