SOLE COLLECTOR: Sneakers

Jordan V

Thanks to syndication, the Air Jordan V may be the most widely viewed of all Air Jordans. As the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith tumbled through the air in the intro to the show. He did so sitting on a throne, wearing a pair of Black/Black/Metallic Silver Air Jordan Vs. The Jumpman may not have been visible, but the fans – they knew. There was no mistaking the Air Jordan V.

The Tinker Hatfield-designed V saw dramatic changes from the IV. The entire shape had drastically changed. The cut was now higher, and the mesh used on the midfoot and tongue was clear. The mesh wasn’t the only thing to go clear, though. The outsole featured two large, clear sections – one of which displayed a Jumpman logo, visible through the translucent sole. The outsole wasn’t all looks, though—a herringbone pattern on the outsole stepped up the traction in a major way. The cushioning was again improved upon while still using the encapsulated-Air-up-front and visible-Air-in-the-heel combo. The Air Jordan V would also mark the introduction of the use of lace locks in the line. A plastic-enclosed lock gave a new way to keep your shoes from coming unlaced on the court. Along with the Black/Black/Metallic Silver colorway, the White/Black/Fire Reds shared another new feature – the use of 3M. The top of their large, angular tongues sported a 3M material that literally made them glow.

The additional original colorways included the White/Red/Black and White/Grape Ice/New Emerald. Many questioned the use of “Grape Ice” and “New Emerald” as colors on a basketball sneaker, but this was only the beginning for non-hoop-related colorways. Mars Blackmon was once again featured in the ad campaign, most memorably questioning just what exactly made MJ the greatest player “in the universe.” With MJ improving upon his already incredible scoring average in the Vs, upping his play to a staggering 33.6 points per game that season, it’s easy to see how Mars thought it must have been the shoes.

2000 marked the first Retro 5s, and fans were waiting with open wallets. With the new feature of clear soles came the other new feature – not necessarily intended – of yellowing soles. Even if you were lucky enough to have held onto a pair of the originals, chances are the once sparkling soles were now an, ahem, “interesting” shade of dark yellow. The Retros now gave fans a chance to own the White/Black/Fire Red and Black/Metallic Silver colorways with soles as bright as the day they originally released in 1990. Retro+ colorways also released, including one as homage to MJ’s days at Laney High School. 2006 brought an onslaught of Retro 5s. The Grape Retro 5s, a shoe consumers didn’t totally “get” during its original run, brought such demand that their prices shot up almost immediately – many retailers even got in on the action, charging far higher than their $135 retail price. Early ’07 saw a return of the Black/Metallic Silver/Fire Red—this time featuring the number 23 embroidered on the heel, just like MJ wore during the V’s original run.

Tinker had another hit, and had completed what is arguably the greatest trilogy in the history of sneakers with the Air Jordans III, IV and V. As evidenced by its recent Retro popularity, the V still holds a very special and prominent place in the eyes of the fans.