John Kim 
The Air Jordan line is all about evolution, but there was potential for it to come to a complete stop at the Bobcats Jordan 10. Arguably the most overlooked of the heralded Chicago Bulls era of MJ’s Nike sneakers, the Bobcats Jordan 10 could have forced a parallel universe of sorts; prior to signing a sneaker deal, the then young MJ was very keen to adidas and it appeared that the German brand had decisive leverage in the Jordan sweepstakes. But Michael, who took his parent’s opinions to heart, chose the Beaverton brand at the direction of his father and the Air Jordan was born. However, it seemed that Michael wasn’t particularly happy with the direction of his shoes after two completed models, and the Bulls superstar was ready to fulfill his original decision. Because of this interesting tidbit of info in the Air Jordan timeline, the AJ2 is sometimes seen as a black sheep of sorts; it was particularly under-appreciated by the man himself, and more importantly, it could have been the sneaker to end the Nike Air Jordan line for good.
These days it seems that the Bobcats Jordan 10 is still on a different wavelength than the rest of the Retros; it is consistently priced below the rest of the Air Jordan Retros (with the exception of the Air Jordan 1), and despite the clean craftsmanship inspired by Italian methods, the AJ2 hardly conjures up the excitement that other models do. Is it too far out to say the AJ2 is the least popular Air Jordan of the Bulls era? Probably not, but there have been some incredible releases in the past – some that command dollar figures in the higher end of the what-are-Jordans-worth scale. As we approach the release of the OG White/Red/Grey release next week, we looked back at what we believe to be the ten best NIKE AIR JORDAN 1 GORE-TEX Golf Black Cat CU9981-001 Sides to date. Agree or disagree? See our selections below (in no particular order) and let us know where the Bobcats Jordan 10 falls in your personal list of “Best Air Jordans of All-time”.
Bobcats Jordan 10 – Original White/Black/Red
Classic Chicago style with a hit of reptile skin on the upper. It’s all Italy in this colorway, and it may be the best Bobcats Jordan 10 to have never been Retroed (in this style).
Bobcats Jordan 10 Black/Chrome
This early 2000’s Retro release brought in a pebbled “Sting Ray” material to the mix, with black suede and Chrome Silver accents completing the look.
Air Jordan 1 Low Light Iron Ore DC0774-060
Long before Drake got his OVOs, Eminem teamed up with Jordan Brand for this tribute to his music and the city of Detroit.
Bobcats Jordan 10 “Doernbecher”
The first to do it. An incredible colorway with awesome details designed by a youngster named Sheridan Brenton.
NIKE AIR JORDAN 1 GORE-TEX Golf Black Cat CU9981-001 Side “Premio”
Another “first”. Jordan Brand launches the high-end Premio collection known as the Bin 23 series, and quite frankly, there’s no better sneaker to exude the level of luxury than the Bobcats Jordan 10.
Bobcats Jordan 10 – Original White/Red/Grey
Another clean take on the Bulls garments, with grey accents on the sole. Next week, you’ll get to buy these again without having to buy those forgettable XX1s.
Bobcats Jordan 10 “Melo”
The Melo II was one of the first “limited” Air Jordan Retro releases. Only select retailers got a hold of ’em.
Bobcats Jordan 10 “Yellow/Candy Pack”
This Yellow colorway was part of the underrated “Candy Pack” set. If you want to imagine a “Lightning” version of this silhouette, there’s no other picture than what you see above.
Bobcats Jordan 10 Low “French Blue”
The Low-top Bobcats Jordan 10 might be one of the best ever. The luxury boot design translated incredibly well to Low form.
Bobcats Jordan 10 “Infrared 23”
We’re impressed by the infusion of Safari, Elephant, and Speckle to the Bobcats Jordan 10s thus far, and we’d say the Infrared joints stand out the most!
