The second signature sneaker for Michael Jordan, we're taking a look at the lineage of the Air Jordan 2.
Originally released in 1987, the Air Jordan 2 was designed by Bruce Kilgore. The sneakers were made in Italy, providing a premium feel to them. They released in two colorways, available in high and low top. In 1994 they were retroed for the first time, one colorway was released in high and low. Somewhere in-between 1994 and 2001, the original molds to the Air Jordan 2 were lost and broken. This would result in Jordan Brand not being able to retro the Air Jordan 2 ever again. Their solution, the short-lived Nu' Retro Air Jordan 2, which was released in three colorways in 2003 and featured a shrouded upper, sitting atop a new sole.
All was not lost as Jordan Brand was able to recover one of the original molds to the Air Jordan 2, and they would be re-released for their first retro run in 2004. Three high top colorways were released along with two low tops. This included a limited edition "Melo" pair, which was identical to a player exclusive pair Carmelo Anthony wore throughout the 2003-04 NBA season, without the "Melo" personalizatons. In 2005 the Air Jordan 2 Retro Low continued with one-off colorways for both men and women.
The Air Jordan 2 Retro would return in 2007 and become the first Air Jordan to be included in Nike's Doernbecher Freestyle collection. In 2008, the Air Jordan 2 Retro was included in the Jordan 21/2 Collezione 'Countdown' Pack, and a limited edition 'Eminem' pair was released as an online exclusive, limited to 313 pairs. 2010 would mark the second retro run of the Air Jordan 2. Eight colorways would release including the original white, black and red pair for a third time. Jordan Brand would also switch things up on the Air Jordan 2 this time around, replacing "Nike" on the back heel of all the non-OG colorways with "Jordan," and "Air" on the back of the "Bin23" and "Silver Anniversary" pairs.
We would have to wait until 2014 before we would see the Air Jordan 2 Retro again. Five colorways were released, including the original white/red colorway, which was last seen in 2008s Countdown Pack. In 2015 Don C teamed up with Jordan Brand on a limited edition colorway of the Air Jordan 2. Inspired by the original, they feature premium materials and came in special packaging. 2016 looks promising for Air Jordan 2 fans as Jordan Brand has a slew of releases already planned.
With remastered Air Jordan retros in full swing, let's take a look at the history of the Air Jordan 2 from its first release up to the most recent retro.