The Best Air Jordans of 2026 (So Far)

Release Date: 02/28/26
Price: $210

The “Wolf Grey” Air Jordan 5 was always a good shoe—one of the best Air Jordan 5s of all time, even. But it also wasn’t a sneaker that was super hyped when it originally released back in 2011, nor one fans had been clamoring to see return. The tonal grey color scheme was something we’d seen on Air Jordans in the past, but it’s more associated with New Balance than Michael Jordan’s signature line. That’s why it came as a bit of a surprise when fans embraced the return of the “Wolf Greys” to the extent they did, lining up and even camping out for the late-February release. It might not have caused quite the frenzy that the “Black Metallic” 5s did a year prior, but people were truly outside for this release. It’s held up in the months since too, and still selling for over retail on the resale market. —Zac Dubasik

Release Date: 02/14/26
Price: $215

Jordan Brand celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Air Jordan 6 this year by releasing a coveted version of the “Black Infrared” colorway that was first seen in a 1999 salesman catalog. The sneaker essentially flips the color blocking of the “Black Infrared,” donning extra infrared accents than usual, specifically on the midsole and heel’s “Nike Air” branding. Jordan Brand also confirmed that this pair’s shape is closer to Michael Jordan’s 1991 pair than ever, which is a plus for sneaker fans and helps make it one of the best Air Jordans of 2026 so far. —Victor Deng

Release Date: 02/14/26
Price: $355

The “Bin 23” series was short-lived, but the legacy it left was highly influential. The line kicked off in 2010, included less than 9,000 pairs total, and was gone ten months later. It represented an elevated take on sneakers that had rarely been seen at that time, and has aged well. The concept, and shoes, have aged so well that Jordan Brand brought it back in 2026—beginning with this Air Jordan 6. The colorway was subdued, boring even, but a closer look reveals that the Bin 23 ethos is alive and well thanks to the premium leather that even covers the midsole. It wasn’t the best Bin 23 release of the year so far—more on that soon—but it was a worthy return of a special series from Air Jordan history. —Zac Duabsik

Release Date: 01/17/26
Price: $230

It’s awesome they got the Air Jordan 17 in the Doernbecher program. The shoe has so many parts, so much you can do a lot to it. And this metallic purple pair, designed by 18-year-old Zach Rumbaugh, might be one of the best Air Jordan 17s of all time. The shoe has the number 38 for how many days he spent in the hospital, and the musical notes from his favorite Beatles song, too. But overall the shoe just looks great. Translucent sole, eye-catching upper. Great job, Zach. —Matt Welty

Release Date: 02/13/26
Price: $230

Jordan Brand reconnected with denim maker Levi’s this year for a quartet of Jordan 3 collabs and they knocked it out of the park. The LA-exclusive was easily the best of the bunch to me, but there’s a real argument to be made about the blue denim pair being at the top of the list too. The “Year of the Horse” and “Black Cement” pair aren’t as exciting, but solid honorable mentions to the best Air Jordan releases in 2026 thus far. —Victor Deng

Release Date: 06/13/26
Price: $355

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who is a bigger fan of the Bin series than me. I waited 22.5 hours for the 13s when they first dropped at Extra Butter in Rockville Centre. I've spent way too much money buying other pairs on Ebay, and I can guarantee you I’ll be doing whatever it takes to get all four pairs this year. Bin 3s are easily the best of the bunch, drawing inspiration from Michael Jordan’s love of fine wines, and featuring a number of never-before-seen details on an AJ3. Fresh features include a leather sockliner, debossed elephant print patterns, and a lasered Nike Air logo on the heel. It comes completely wrapped in a deep bordeaux-flavored hue and housed in a box resembling a premium wine crate. Like all of its Bin predecessors, you’ll find luxe wooden shoe trees, dust bags, and a hefty price tag. Sure, that’s steep but the quality of the sneaker matches. —Ben Felderstein

Release Date: 05/29/26
Price: $155

Travis Scott has been releasing reverse-Swoosh Air Jordan 1 Low collabs for almost seven years now, and if there’s one thing 2026’s “Pink Pack” proves, it’s that he’s still got it—and we still want them. Versions of the “Pink Pack” of Air Jordan 1 Lows have been teased since 2024, and fans quickly snatched them up when they finally released in late-May 2026. Both pairs were great, but we give the slight nod to the “Shy Pink” variation for its versatility. What’s most impressive though is that even after all this time, and rumors that more pairs than ever being available, the project has maintained strong numbers on the resale market. It rivals most of his collabs from the past few years, even at a time when sneaker resale is down. —Zac Dubasik

Release Date: 02/14/26
Price: $205

My expectations for this collab were fairly low when I initially heard the news, but upon seeing the final product, I was sold. This year’s Frankenstein Fragment x Union LA x Air Jordan 1 Highs released in three different variations, including “Sport Royal,” ”Black/Varsity Red,” and “White/Black.” The attention to detail on the project’s vintage theme, specifically with the laces on the 1985 “Royal” pairs now turning purple, helped elevate the project and made it an easy pick for one of the best Air Jordans of 2026, so far. —Victor Deng

Release Date: 04/03/26
Price: $230

We’ve heard the conversation a lot—why bring this sneaker back? There are plenty of opinions around it, but Joe La Puma sat down with Mahfuz Sultan of V.A.A. to help us understand why this shoe got a second life. It gave fans another chance at a coveted pair, and while we live in an era where people feel like “nothing is sacred” in sneakers, this release turned that sacred sneaker into a celebration of Virgil Abloh. The fact that the original prototype of the Off-White x Air Jordan was this colorway was such an interesting callback. What made it even more interesting was that the Air Jordan 1 returned with V.A.A.’s branding instead of Off-White’s, and it still sold out. Resell isn’t as high, but people still want pairs, and the release fulfilled something. There was no chaos, no over-the-top rollout, just a calm drop where a lot of the people who really wanted them were able to get their hands on them. In a way, it restored a feeling that people in the sneaker community talk about. We’ve seen this shoe before, which is why it may not take the No. 1 spot, but it absolutely deserves a place as one of the best Air Jordans of the year. —Douglas Jase

Release Date: 05/22/26
Price: $230

Nothing is harder to pull off than the sequel to a classic. We’ve seen it time and time again with movies, seasons of television, books—even LeBron James MVP awards. Whenever someone drops something legendary, whatever follows will always be compared to the OG. That’s exactly the case for Nigel Sylvester’s “Brick” Air Jordan 4s. Fresh off of a Sneaker of the Year award in 2025 for the “Brick by Bricks,” the “Brick After Bricks” are looking to avoid a proverbial sophomore slump with a statement campaign of their own. Of course, Nigel is never gonna miss when it comes to the rollouts: dropping a giant brick on an old school BMW, giving pairs away via claw machine, and turning Patsy’s Pizza in Harlem into his own personal dining room. If we had to rank one against the other, we think it would be the OG by a fair margin, but in a fairly slow start to 2026, this sequel stands atop the heap…so far. —Ben Feldersein