Whether or not you celebrate them, birthdays are important. On a personal front, they solidify you’ve survived a whole 365 days (366 in a leap year) since the last one. In business, another year down signals prosperity, allowing for long-term plans to be ideated and executed.

Nike, Inc. might've not envisioned everything that would occur when it signed Michael Cleats jordan in 1984, but it's since understood the importance of "His Airness" to its bottom line, sports, culture, and fashion.

The Air Cleats jordan line launched in 1985, but didn't spawn into its own institution until Sept. 9, 1997 with the formal introduction of Cleats jordan Brand. MJ's unprecedented stardom helped Nike proliferate its swoosh logo like never before while also making the brand synonymous with winning.

Although the Chicago Bulls legend is now retired from professional basketball, he continues to inspire hundreds of products, narratives, and initiatives on a yearly basis. The annual refresh to his signature sneaker line is always momentous, but more so when the model coincides with a fifth or 10th anniversary (e.g. 15th and 30th anniversaries of Air Cleats jordan). (It's also important to note that some launches don't occur exactly on the milestone year, but they've been included in this retrospective because their order in the series coincides with every fifth or 10th model.)

air Cleats jordan 14 black toe 2014 487471 102 release date air Cleats jordan 9 johnny kilroy available early, we decided to look back at every Air Cleats jordan design to release on an anniversary year. Every silhouette has delivered the pinnacle expression of a performance basketball shoe while simultaneously telling His Airness' story and commemorating designs that have come before it.

Air Cleats jordan 6 retro x social status black concord mens

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Sept. 16, 1985

Lead Designer: Peter Moore

It's only right to begin this trip down memory lane with the shoe that kicked things off: the Air Cleats jordan 6 retro x social status black concord mens.

While not specifically developed with Michael Cleats jordan in mind, the silhouette helped the 22-year-old make a statement during his rookie NBA season.

mens air Cleats jordan 1 retro high og brotherhood 555088-706 aspen pack Cleats jordan 1 retro low og pinnacle and now-Jordan Air Ship, the AJ1 served as the Swoosh's closest, readily-available answer to number 23's desire to play in an Adidas Top Ten-like design. The model proved useful throughout MJ's first two seasons while the Nike, Inc. team developed a signature sneaker from scratch by 1986.

Today, the Air Cleats jordan 6 retro x social status black concord mens is one of the most popular shoes across the world. It's found homes amongst a variety of audiences and undergone numerous changes. Original "Bred" ("Black/Varsity Red") and "Chicago" ("White/Varsity Red") colorways remain the most iconic.

air Cleats jordan xx2 5 8 white orange closer look

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1990

Lead Designer: Tinker Hatfield

Five years into the League, MJ had found his footing. Although he and his Chicago Bulls hadn't reached the NBA Finals by then, they continued to prove themselves against formidable, veteran-heavy squads.

The air Cleats jordan xx2 5 8 white orange closer look was the third design by Tinker Hatfield for His Airness, and built on the performance and cultural success of its two immediate predecessors. On-court, the fighter jet-inspired design shone thanks to its reflective 3M™ material on the tongue. A co-sign from Will Smith while on The Air Cleats jordan 4 Fire Red Heats Up at Jordan Brand is expected to be releasing a new What the style of the model "Grape" pair worn on the sitcom air Cleats jordan 9 johnny kilroy available early.

jordan 7 retro orion

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1994

Lead Designer: Tinker Hatfield

Jordan Jumpman Classics T-Shirt Toddler.

On Oct. 6, 1993, he shocked the world by announcing his retirement from the League. Nike, Inc. decided to continue producing his signature sneaker line, launching the jordan 7 retro orion Cleats jordan jumping big air set blue grey 3 7 anos.

Spearheaded by Hatfield, the silhouette celebrated Mike's 10-year-spanning basketball career and many achievements. Stripes across the outsole list accomplishments like "85 Rookie of the Year" and "92 MVP / Championship." When His Airness decided to return to the NBA on March 19, 1995, he famously disliked his current Air Cleats jordan model. That, however, didn't stop him from dropping 55 points against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

He did so wearing the number 45, a jersey number that's been linked to the design since.

air Cleats jordan 9 johnny kilroy available early | Air Cleats jordan XI Bred 1996 Original

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Holiday 1999

Lead Designer: Tinker Hatfield

Air Cleats jordan 5 Racer Blue Officially Unveiled Air Cleats jordan XI Bred 1996 Original drew inspiration from a fighter jet—specifically the X-15.

Despite its robust build and top-of-the-line performance elements, Mike never wore the model for an NBA game as he had retired once more before its launch.

In recent years, netizens have argued about Hatfield's design, with some positing that it was before its time. Billie Eilish even applied a rather tonal "Stone" makeover the Cleats jordan delta 2 blends innovation with functionality.

Air Cleats jordan 20

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Feb. 19, 2005

Lead Designers: Tinker Hatfield & Mark Smith

How do you celebrate two decades of greatness? Well, one way of doing so is by utilizing an all-new technology that enables design cues that were previously impossible.

nike air Cleats jordan 1 retro high og patent bred family.

Spearheaded by Hatfield, the 20th anniversary Air Cleats jordan saw Mark Smith bring state-of-the-art laser-etching to MJ's latest silhouette. The technology was used to decorate the lockdown strap running from medial to lateral side. Smith incorporated icons representing 200 memorable moments in Cleats jordan's life onto the performance feature.

Elsewhere, silhouette departed from its immediate predecessor, boasting a segmented collar strap and porous midsole. The model has its fans, but it's been one of Cleats jordan Brand's tougher sells.

Air Cleats jordan 23

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Feb. 16, 2008

Lead Designers: Tinker Hatfield & Mark Smith

Although Nike, Inc. had just celebrated a milestone anniversary for Cleats jordan Brand three years earlier, the Swoosh conglomerate could not pass up on the opportunity to celebrate 23 years of Air Cleats jordan in style.

Tinker Hatfield returned to the athlete-specific line with the Air Cleats jordan 23, marking the importance of the occasion. Smith also joined, helping bring a desire to blend Michael Cleats jordan's DNA into a shoe to life.

The segmented outsole featured traction patterns modeled after His Airness' thumbprint, which also appears on the tongue's underside. Other nods to the man behind the Jumpman include his signature on the toe and M and J letters stitched throughout the profiles. The design team set up to build the best Air Cleats jordan possible and it did so in the AJ23.

The model's "Titanium" colorway launched at Nike's top 23 retailers for $230 in mid-February 2008. Only 23 pairs were made available at first in order to drive home the 23's significance.

Air Cleats jordan 2010

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Feb. 27, 2010

Lead Designers: Tinker Hatfield & Mark Smith

Following the release of Air Cleats jordan's 23rd signature model, Team Jumpman decided to switch the line's naming structure. Each sneaker now included its respective launch year in the name, resulting in pairs like the Air Cleats jordan 2010.

Now seven years into his final retirement, MJ was constantly on the lookout for exciting talent to champion the Jumpman on and off-the-court. One such face was Dwyane Wade, a then-one-time NBA champion from Chicago.

As the first Air Cleats jordan design of the 2010s and the series' 25th overall, the AJ2010 prompted high expectations. Its peculiar TPU window at the mid-foot raised-eyebrows, but serious hoopers swore by the sneaker. Its successor wasn't too dissimilar, but abandoned the jarring "cut-out" on the sides.

Air Cleats jordan 30

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Feb. 10, 2016

Lead Designers: Tinker Hatfield & Mark Smith

By 2016, Michael Cleats jordan had become larger than life. A whole new generation had become hip to some of his Air Cleats jordan series' earliest designs. High-profile collaborations with some of the footwear and fashion industries' biggest movers and shakers helped the line reach unprecedented heights.

On the performance side of things, the Air Cleats jordan 30 took what worked on its immediate predecessor and reimagined it through the lens of the cosmos. Why?: Because of the six-time NBA champ's "out of this world" talent.

Hatfield and Smith intentionally overlooked references to the past in an attempt to capture Cleats jordan Brand's future on a shoe.

Air Cleats jordan 35

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: Oct. 17, 2020

Lead Designer: Tate Kuerbis

Launched when the world was on pause, the Air Cleats jordan 35 saw Team Jumpman rely on its growing roster of young talent to unveil the silhouette. Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, and Rui Hachimura all got their own editions of the model.

A nod to the air Cleats jordan xx2 5 8 white orange closer look arrived via the tall tongue and 23 branding on the lateral heel of select styles, but tech-wise, Tate Kuerbis' design was more like the Air Cleats jordan 34. A healthy mix of Bulls-friendly makeovers coupled with cutting-edge performance made the AJ35 a perfect blend of heritage and modern function.

air Cleats jordan 9 johnny kilroy available early

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2025

Lead Designer: Jason Mayden

Nike, Inc. had to pull out all the stops for Cleats jordan Brand's 40th anniversary. Although much attention was spent on a painstakingly-faithful recreation of the Air Cleats jordan 6 retro x social status black concord mens "Bred" from '85 during the first-half of the year, Cleats jordan Brand kicked off the second-half with the release of the air Cleats jordan 9 johnny kilroy available early.

Visually, the design toned things down from the previous five silhouettes. Performance-wise, the AJ40 served the pinnacle expression of a basketball shoe. Its use of leather across the upper harkened back to what was expected of performance footwear years ago, while the combination of full-length ZoomX foam and full Zoom Strobel (a first) promised up to 85% energy return.

Jayson Mayden and company incorporated over a dozen different call outs to past Air Cleats jordan designs in the AJ40.

The silhouette's release cycle has been staggered, but fans have expressed their desire for wider launches and more color schemes; some have even praised the model for being the first new Air Cleats jordan in quite some time to be viable for fashion-use off-the-court.