While this past June we saw a new “Olympic” colorway of the Air Jordan VI release, another Air Jordan model was also made to commemorate the 2008 Beijing games. That model is the Air Jordan V and it definitely represents the good ‘ole US of A.

This player exclusive is very simple in colorway being white-based with touches of obsidian found on the Jumpmans, inner collar, insole, and gum parts of the sole. The traditional 3M tongue is here as well as the lacelocks. The all over laser-style print found on the upper is a unique touch, as is the USA Basketball logo on the insole and “8/8/08″ replacing “Air Jordan” on the back of the tongue with an american flag right below it.

Checkout the pictures below as that is probably the closest most will come to these. These Olympic edition Air Jordan 5 retro’s are PE’s and will not be released. But fear not all you Jordan V fans out there, you will see a few more colorways of this model in 2009.

Images: UnitedPeopleOfSole

Keys: Jordan, Jordan shoes, Beijing ‘08 Olympics, Jordan V, Jordan 5 Retro, Jordan Retro shoes, Player Exclusives

Tech Info:

08/01/2008 Jordan Six Rings (limited release to urban accounts & Niketowns)

323399 041 Medium Grey/White/Vivid Blue/Concord (girls sizes only)

$100.00-Gradeschool

$60.00-Pre-School (323431-041)

$40.00-Toddlers (323400-041)

Keys: Jordan shoes, Jordan Six Rings, Jordan girls shoes, Jordan Retro

Yes 20+5=25 and not 23. The Air Jordan XX and Air Jordan V will not be packaged together, but that does not mean we cannot see them at the same time. As the Air Jordan 5/18 Collezione inches closer and closer to its release, hype and speculation could not be any higher. The Air Jordan 3/20 Collezione is considered a bonus.

We all got our first glimpse of the Air Jordan III that will accompany the Air Jordan XX in their respective Countdown Package just a few weeks ago. Well now we can lay the speculation on the XX to rest. A new colorway this time around, the Air Jordan Retro 20 will feature a nice all black nubuck colorway. Very much like the regional releases, laser print is found all over the shoe rather than being only on the midfoot strap. Many people had originally thought that we would be seeing a Frankenstein version of the beloved original Stealth XX’s, that my friends thankfully is not the case.

To be honest I actually dig the CDP XX myself. Now don’t get me wrong, i’d much rather have the Stealths, but an all black Jordan is never bad in my book. Plus who could pass on this pack with the black/cement III’s being the other half? I for one know I could not. So for the next few months you can debate all you wish as to whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em. Release on this pack is not until October. This brings me to the cream of the crop, the moment everyone’s been waiting impatiently for — the CDP Air Jordan V.

Is it the Fire Reds from 2006, or is it the White/Black/Fire Red colorway from 2000? While many well reputable people had confirmed which it was, people these days tend to read more into speculation rather than trust. Yes the official colorway description for this shoe is labeled white/fire red-black, but that does not necessarily mean it’s the Retro 5’s from ‘06. Color placement is key, and sometimes you cannot trust the description, you must see the shoe. That was the case with the “Fire Red” Retro 3s from 2007. If you remember the colorway of those had people thinking they were the white/cements for quite awhile. But enough of that, we’re discussing the Collezione 5’s!

They are indeed the V’s from 2000 although with a slight twist. The addition of the #23 stitched on the heel gives them that original Michael Jordan PE vibe. This time around though, no Nike Air. We should all be used to this by now, but we’re not. Hey, at least the 3M tongue is still there! Look at it like this, are you going to wear these? If so, who cares about what’s on the back? Why risk ruining a pair of 2000 V’s or spending more than you’d pay for the pack just to have Nike Air? I for one will gladly take these, wear them, and not care. Meanwhile my 2000 V’s can stay nice and safe, unworn. The XVIII’s with them aren’t too shabby either, coming in a black suede based, varsity red accented colorway.

With a little less than a month until release, everyone’s minds can be finally put at ease. Here is the Air Jordan 5 from the Air Jordan 5/18 CDP! They will be released on August 23rd (no better day than that) and will retail for $310. Keep your eyes peeled on the Release Dates section here for the latest on all your Air Jordan Countdown Packages as well as the Official Thread in our forums.

Bonus pic courtesy of yours truly:

Source: Sole-Locker & KATC

Keys: Jordan shoes, Countdown Pack, Jordan 5, Retro shoes, Jordan 20, Jordan Retro, Jordan Collezione

This is the home colorway of the Air Jordan V retro made for Joe Johnson. The colorway was made to match his Atlanta Hawks team colors. They were worn throughout the 2006-’07 NBA regular season. They feature the number 2 stitched in red and outlined in a taxi color on the heel of the shoe to represent Johnson and his uniform number. This is a great colorway! Too bad for us regular people these were never available. As they are PE’s, they were made only for Joe Johnson and unfortunately never found it’s way into stores.

keys: Air Jordan shoes, Joe Johnson, Air Jordan PE, Player Exclusives, Jordan shoes

Here’s another great looking Air Jordan V retro PE. This player exclusive was made for Joe Johnson. He wore these in 2006 mostly while on the road playing for his Atlanta Hawks team. The red and taxi colors on this black nubuck based Jordan are to match his teams colors. The number 2 stitched on the side are there to represent JJ himself. What buzz these would’ve made if they were released to the public. But unfortunately for all of us, these were only made for Joe Johnson and never available for retail.

keys: Air Jordan, Jordan PE, Jordan Shoes, Air Jordan Player Exclusive, Joe Johnson

This is one of the most amazing PE’s to date! This Air Jordan V was made for Chris Paul. He wore these during the 2006-07 NBA season mostly at home games. The beautiful white, teal, and sunstone colors were inspired by CP3’s New Orleans Hornets team uniform. They feature the number 3 stitched on the side in teal and outlined in sunstone to represent Chris Paul as that is his jersey number. Simply amazing, this just makes you wonder what other Jordan models would’ve made great PE colorways for Chris Paul had he been playing years ago. Nonetheless as these are unfortunately player exclusives, they were made just for CP3 himself and never sold to the public.

keys: Air Jordan, Jordan, Jordan Shoes, Air Jordan Shoes, Jordan PE, Air Jordan Player Exclusive Shoes, Chris Paul

This Air Jordan V Retro was made for Chris Paul. This player exclusive colorway was made to match CP3’s New Orleans Hornets team uniform. It’s a black-based nubuck upper with Paul’s number “3″ stitched on the side in gold and shadowed in teal. The flame on the side of the shoe is also in gold and the icy sole is in a nice teal blue. Chris Paul wore these throughout the 2006-2007 NBA season mainly with his road or alternate jersey. As these are PE’s, they were made just for CP and were never sold or available to the public.

keys: air jordan, jordan shoes, air jordan shoes, jordan, player exclusive, chris paul, pe

Here’s another player exclusive colorway made especially for Josh Howard. They were worn by Howard while a member of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006-2007 NBA season. The colorway was done to match the colors of his Mav’s team uniform and were mostly worn during home games. They feature is number 5 stitched in navy blue and outlined in silver on the side to represent his jersey number. These were only for Josh Howard and were never made available to the public.

Are they coming out? Are they the Michael Jordan Motorsports Team shoes? You’ll find out soon enough. For now - enjoy the wallpapers.

SPACE
Key Tech: Air-Sole unit (heel), encapsulated Air-Sole unit (forefoot)

Use: Hoops, Indoor

Position: Guard/Forward

Colorway Tested: Black/Metallic Silver

Price: $135 for all Retro releases (the O.G. retailed for $125)

Pros: Very good fit with generally good comfort; very good support over and alongside the midfoot; good impact protection with very good court feel and surprisingly good cushioning response; lots of support around the ankle; very good traction; design is as fresh today as it was back in 1990

Cons: Though an improvement over the III and IV, the midsole is still a bit too thin under the ball of the foot for the bigger ballers of today; broad, flat base still imparts a bit of a blocky feel at the heel; hard points along the top edges of the tongue can cause some discomfort along the sides of the ankle; clear portions of outsole yellow with wear

SPACE

PACE

MY JOURNEY STARTS HERE

BACK IN 1990 I WASN’T THE HUGE HOOPS FANATIC that I am now and had only a vague notion of who this Michael Jordan guy was, but the fifth iteration of his shoe captivated me like none before and few since. It’s the first shoe I knew I needed to have the second I laid eyes on. Unfortunately, my empty wallet told another story. But I went back to the old “Odd Lot” store on Main St. in the aptly named Flushing, Queens on the regular anyway, just to stare.

Finally, after a summer’s worth of mowing, a fall’s worth of raking and part of a winter’s worth of shoveling, I had saved up enough to buy that bad ass shoe that called me like a siren to a rocky shore (even today $125 is a lot of money for a kid to spend on shoes; back then it was a fortune). By that time, the only colorway left in my size was White/Grape Ice-New Emerald and, though it wasn’t my first choice (what I really wanted was the White/Black-Fire Red colorway, but that had long sold out), I was glad to have it.

You’d think that after all that longing and all that saving, finally owning the shoe would have been anticlimactic, but the Air Jordan V’s grip on my imagination only strengthened with proximity. After every wearing (back in those days folks actually wore their shoes) I’d inspect each shoe, poring over every seam and crevice so I could wipe away any visible debris with my trusty old (not the same one I used to brush my teeth, of course). Over the course of a few years I wore those sweet Vs into the ground, and I’ve been a shoehead ever since.

Cut to December 2004 and my first time playing in the Air Jordan V since the other George Bush was President. This might sound strange given that I’ve just waxed poetic about how much I loved the Air Jordan V back in the day, but I actually wasn’t looking forward to wearing it again. You see, I was afraid that all of my fond memories of the shoe would be shattered within that coldest of crucibles: time. Here’s a geeked out illustration of my meaning from the TV section of my rapidly deteriorating memory banks: I recently bought a DVD box set of Robotech, an animated series imported from Japan that saw a brief run on local networks back in the mid-80s. Man, when I was a kid I flipped for that show, so I was pumped to watch all 900-minutes of it-straight through and with no commercials. But before I made it even halfway through the first of six discs I was hit by a cold, hard fact: it sucked. I don’t mean that it was bad, I mean that it was god-awful. I seriously would have rather watched a Days of Our Lives marathon than the drivel that was Robotech. So, “poof,” just like that, one of the pleasant memories that imbued my youthful recollections with a cheery, rose-colored hue vanished in a puff of dull, grey smoke.

Would the same happen with the Air Jordan V? Would a shoe I venerated as a kid be exposed as a no talent fraud that only won my affections by preying on my naïveté as an impressionable, unsophisticated youth? Okay, so maybe I was getting a little carried away with all this, but, hey, that’s what us shoeheads do, right?

Well, once I finally hit the court in the Air Jordan V, I was relieved to find that my existential angst was all for naught. No, the V can’t match the performance of today’s best hoops shoes, but it’s still-15 years after its original release-as good as I remembered and well above average.

Like the IV before it, the Air Jordan V improves incrementally on the cushioning provided by its predecessor. Its midsole feels a bit thicker (though still not quite substantial enough under the forefoot by modern standards) and more responsive, with that responsiveness in evidence pretty much right out of the box. This softer out-of-box feel provided by the V’s midsole marked a nice change from the rock-hard start-up characteristic of all prior Jordans.

Where the V takes a big step away from its predecessor is in its cut, which is substantially higher than the IV’s and very nearly in hightop territory. In fact, the inner, or medial, side of the V’s ankle collar extends above the big bone on the medial side of the ankle (aka the medial malleolus), which is what defines a hightop as a hightop. What qualifies the V as a mid in spite of this is that the outer, or lateral, side of its ankle collar dips almost an inch-and-a-half lower, placing it alongside, but definitely not over the big bone on the lateral side of the ankle (called, appropriately enough, the lateral malleolus).

The V is the first Jordan and, to the best of my knowledge, the first hoops shoe to employ this sort of an asymmetrical design around the ankle (for more background on asymmetrical ankle collars, see my review of the Air Jordan XIV on page 152). Given the resulting combination of top-notch support without an overly restrictive feel, it’s curious to me that this hasn’t become a more common feature in hoops shoe design.

That said, the one comfort issue I encountered while testing the Air Jordan V was centered on my ankle, though it was not due to the shoe’s asymmetrical ankle collar. Instead, it involved its tongue, which has a unique, almost crown-like shape. The angular edges along the corners of the tongue form hard points that, depending on their position, could rub against the front of my ankle. Sometimes I didn’t feel them at all, but at other times the hard points made the shoe quite uncomfortable. As with the lace pressure issue that I experienced while testing the IV, this problem could probably be mitigated and possibly eliminated by wearing thickly padded socks or calf-high socks folded over to provide extra padding around the ankle.

The bottom line on the Air Jordan V is that it’s no longer at the top of the performance heap, but that doesn’t mean it’s ready to be put out to pasture just quite yet. It still has plenty to offer on court and, off of it, I’m amazed at how well its form has withstood the test of time. I mean, the circa 1990 Air Jordan V looks more fresh and modern today than just about anything else on offer at your local shoe store-a clear testament to the innovativeness and fundamental integrity of its design. So, 20 years on, I guess I’d say I feel a measure of vindication for my adulation of the shoe back in the days of my carefree youth. My re-acquaintance with the Air Jordan V has proved to me that, even when viewed through more cynical, world-weary eyes, my exuberance for the shoe, though perhaps irrational, was most definitely not misplaced.

—From Issue 7, article by Professor K

Here’s a little twist from the Air Jordan V Retro we all have seen. This one was slightly altered specifically for Toni Kukoc. He wore these in 2006 while still playing for the Chicago Bulls, the team he won three NBA championships with along with Michael Jordan. The #7 was stitched on the side instead of the #23 to represent Toni Kukoc and his uniform number at the time. This specific player exclusive was not available in stores.

One of the best pure shooter in the game, Ray Allen also got some Air Jordan 5 Retro love. This one was exclusive to Sugar Ray in his home colorway for the Seattle Supersonics. They feature his uniform number #34 stitched on the side. These unfortunately were not released to the public and were made only for Ray Allen.

Although his teammate Jared Jeffries had some too, Q-Rich’s Air Jordan 5 Retros are a little different - the colors are reversed on these. They are in his New York Knicks team colorway which he wore with his home uniform. They also feature #23 stitched on the side which represents his jersey number. Too bad that these were not released and remained just exclusive to Q-Rich.

Here’s another Air Jordan 5 Retro Low made special for Mike Bibby. This time it’s in his team’s away colors. They were designed for him to wear on road games to match his Sacrament Kings uniform. They have his uniform number #2 stitched on the side. Again, these were made especially for Bibby himself. Also an interesting note, these are labeled “Women’s” Air Jordan’s even though they are made in a men’s size 12.5. Reason being is that the lowtop version of the Air Jordan 5 Retro only released in women’s sizes.

Keys: Jordan, Jordan shoes, Jordan 5 Retro Low, Jordan V, Jordan Retro shoes, Mike Bibby, Mike Bibby PE shoes

Even though the only Air Jordan V Retro Lows released were in women’s sizes, Mike Bibby gets the special treatment. Since he only wears low-top sneakers, it’s only proper that he would get a few special pairs. Made for him to wear for home games, these were inspired by his Sacramento Kings team colors. They feature his jersey number #10 stitched on the side. These were made only for Mike Bibby and were not available to the public. Much like the black and purple colorway, these are labeled as a “Women’s” model but they are in a men’s size. This is due to the fact that when the Air Jordan V was las retroed, the only lowtop releases came out for women.

Keys: Jordan, Jordan shoes, Jordan V, Jordan 5 Retro Low, Mike Bibby, Jordan PE’s, Jordan Retro shoes

Here is the home colorway worn by Mickael Pietrus. This colorway was made to match his Golden State Warriors team uniform. It also features the #2 stitched on the side which is his jersey number. Unfortunately for us this colorway was not made available to the public as it is a player exclusive.

In 2006, Mickael Pietrus too gets his own Air Jordan 5 Retro. It was made special for Pietrus in his Golden State Warriors team colorways. It also has the #2 stitched on the side representing his uniform number. This is the away colorway. These were not for sale as they are player exclusives just for Mickael Pietrus.

In 2006, while with the San Antonio Spurs, Michael Finley wore these special Air Jordan 5 Retros. This one is in the traditional Spurs colors with Fin’s #4 stitched on the side. This player exclusive was specially made for Michael Finley only and not available to the public.

With the popularity of the Air Jordan 5 Retro in 2006, many Team Jordan players wore it. This one was tweaked for Juwan Howard. It features #5 stitched on the side representing his uniform number at the time. Juwan wore these while he was on the Houston Rockets. These PE’s were not available to the public.

Here’s another special makeup of the Air Jordan 5 Retro. This one is specifically for Jared Jeffries. He wore these in 2006 while on the New York Knicks. They feature the traditional Knicks blue and orange along with the #20 stitched on the side representing his uniform number. Unfortunately, since these are player exclusives, they were not for sale.

In true Knicks inspiration, this player exclusive Air Jordan 5 Retro was made for Jared Jeffries. These were worn by Jeffries in 2006 while he was on the New York Knicks. They feature his uniform #20 stitched on the side as well as a special colorway just to match his teams colors. These were made specifically for Jared Jeffries and were not sold.

Here’s another retro Air Jordan V made special for Fred Jones. This, like the black and silver, is another original colorway, but personalized. Instead of the traditional #23 stitched on the side it has Fred Jones #20 which is his uniform number at the time in 2006. Only Fred Jones himself has these as they were not for sale. We all got the regular version with the #23 on the side in the stores.

This player exclusive Air Jordan Retro V was for Fred Jones. What makes it unique is that it has Fred Jones’ number #20 stitched on the side as well as a ice blue sole rather than the regular clear ice sole. Like all player exclusives this version was not for sale.

Here we have a special player exclusive Air Jordan Retro V for Derek Anderson. Since he, like Mike Bibby, mainly wears lows, these were specifically designed while he was still on the Portland Trail Blazers in 2006 to match their uniform colors. These were only for Derek Anderson and not for sale. Much like the Bibby PE’s, these are also labeled as women’s even though the shoe is in a men’s size.

Keys: Jordan, Jordan shoes, Jordan V, Jordan 5 Retro Low, Jordan Retro shoes, Derek Anderson, Jordan PE’s

The Air Jordan V pictured above is an actual player exclusive for Michael Jordan which was not available to the public. These size 13s featured MJ’s #23 on the heel and are exceptionally rare, having mainly only been seen on MJ’s feet.

Now these are really quite something. These are different from the initial release of this colorway as these have Jordan’s #23 stitched in red on the side. These are the original Air Jordan V PE for MJ himself which a very few number of people got a chance to get these as they were released to the public in the amount of 100 total pairs. Each pair is individually numbered on the inside of the tongue as well as on a sticker on each box. All pairs made were all in MJ’s size 13 as well. These were mostly given out as prizes, to charities and unfortunate children as well. This also marked the first player exclusive to be released to the public.

All good things must come to an end. Lucky for us there’s a thing called “Retro’s.” But back in 1990, that was not even thought of. So, with that being said, this was the final colorway released for the original Air Jordan V. The “Fire Reds” as many call it due to the colorway description, and red be the predominant color on the midsole, differed from the first colorway which featured a black midsole. These, like the “Grapes,” also did not feature the reflective silver 3M tongue like the first two colorways. Instead, it featured a black tongue but still maintained the Jumpman logo in the center of it.

Well what more can you say about these that the picture doesn’t already? The original Air Jordan V “Grapes” have become one of the most popular Air Jordans of all time - number one to some and top five for many others. When they originally released though, many questioned the use of such a non-basketball related colorway. These took a little different design que than the White/Black/Red and Black/Silver colorways as it does not feature the silver reflective 3M tongue. The tongue on these is not reflective, but thats OK, because it does not hurt these in any way, shape or form.

You can’t have an Air Jordan model unless you have at least one home colorway and one away colorway. So with this black-based Air Jordan V you get the away colorway. This, like the white, black and red colorway, also has the reflective 3M tongue. Since it’s initial release in 1990 it has become so popular that it was actually retroed two times. Only difference between the two is the “23″ stitched on the most recent retro.

With the turn of the decade, the ’90s brought a new Air Jordan model: the Air Jordan V. In your traditional Bulls colorway, these sneakers were inspired by the unique “Grey Nurse” paintjob on the World War II British fighter plane, the Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIII. Another unique feature on these is the reflective 3M tongue. Not to mention the unique lace lock technology which was very new and advanced for its time.

The laser print returns in 2007 on the Air Jordan 5 Retro. This was an extremely limited release as the release date changed within two weeks of people knowing, and many people missed out due to this. These were also the newest addition to the “Rare Air” series as they were labeled that on the box tag. Retail on these were $175 just like the laser Air Jordan 4 Retros from 2005. They also feature a camouflage sock lining which features different Air Jordan models incorporated in it.

With the close of 2006, we get the final LS release for an Air Jordan 5 Retro. Matching apparel was released to go with these as the case with all recent lifestyle releases. These feature the signature 3M tongue as well as a nubuck upper. Availability on these was limited to urban accounts and select chainstores.

At first these were some though these were a second Air Jordan “Undefeated” (undftd) exclusive because of the colorway. But, gladly, that was not the case. This colorway is very similar to the “Undftd” Air Jordan 4 Retro which contained orange as well. Another unique thing about these is the materials used which in this case the upper is made of a distressed type of material, which gives it that vintage look, but also maintaing a new shoe feel. As will all LS releases, apparel was released to match these as well.

Finally! The grapes officially made their return in 2006. There was speculation for awhile as to what kind of release these would actually be. It was between a LS limited release and a general release. While there were people who favored a general release, so they had better chances of getting a pair, it was finalized as a lifestyle release at the end. A few reasons behind this was because this shoe is one of the most popular to date and to continue to give it meaning it was released as a limited LS release to keep its popularity upheld.

After six years away, 2006 brings the return of the Air Jordan V Retro. Starting off with this LS release, it retailed for $145. Matching apparel was released to go along with these as well. This was a step in the right direction, as anytime you put black and a Carolina blue-ish colorway together, it usually works out very well. These are nicknamed the “Nubuck’s” for their material. And for those who weren’t fortunate to have a pair of the black and silver Air Jordan 5 Retro’s from 2000, this was the next best thing because, at the time, no one knew that 2007 would bring that retro.

Here’s a unique colorway for everyone. This one was inspired by Michael Jordan’s old high school, Laney High. The same place where Michael was cut from the varsity basketball team on his first try, only to come back and essentially take the world and the game of basketball by storm. Also, for those curious, yes, he did wear the number 23 in high school as well. So the “23″ stitching on the side works well with this colorway. This shoe also unfortunately did not do well in sales when it first came out, and hit sale racks. But nowadays, it has become a very underrated fan favorite.

This was the last Air Jordan V to be retroed in 2000. It was also the last Air Jordan 5 Retro to be labled as a “Retro+.” This was a very simple colorway, which was nice as these were released in the summertime. At the time though, they did not sell very well, and ended up on clearance racks everywhere. This was right before the Air Jordan boom officially started. It only took a little while for people to begin to regret not picking these up when they had the chance as they have become very coveted as of late.