What is it about the Air Jordan 2 that makes it so despised? Or beloved? “Those are trash,” some say whenever a pic of the 2 pops on IG. “Those are fire!” say others. So which is it? For me, the Air Jordan 2 is a respectable model for many reasons. It’s not my favorite, but I definitely don’t think it’s one of the worst Jordans.
For the record, I wrote a comprehensive history of the Air Jordan II for HighSnobiety a few years ago, so I can certainly confirm that I’ve done my research on this model. We’ve seen a bit of the resurgence in the Air Jordan 2 over the past few months thanks in part to Virgil Abloh’s new take on it, as well as a rumored upcoming release with Union LA collab for 2022. As expected, the reactions on social media to these new Air Jordan 2’s have been mixed. “Oh y’all like 2’s now, smh,” is a common one.
Air Jordan 2 Beginnings
When the Air Jordan II first dropped in late ‘86 and early ‘87, it was a very different silhouette compared the Air Jordan I. With a higher price tag and nicer materials, Nike boasted that the Air Jordan II was “made in Italy,” and was the best basketball sneaker available.
One main reason that hindered the popularity of the shoe was that Michael Jordan got hurt very early on in his sophomore season. With His Airness on the sidelines, Nike had to patiently wait for Jordan’s foot to heal before they could properly market the sneaker in games again. Jordan’s injury, along with the incredibly different design, really caused people to think negatively about the shoe compared to other early Jordan models.
Retros
I remember when Nike started retroing Air Jordans in the mid-’90s, it was definitely not cool to own them. I still have some of the old Eastbay catalogs from that time period, and the Air Jordan II’s went on sale, then sat on those pages, month after month for YEARS. You could still buy an Air Jordan II two years later in the Eastbay catalog for just $59.99.
It’s not that Nike hasn’t attempted to retro the AJII over the years – in fact, I was flipping through a Japanese sneaker magazine recently and was surprised to see how many have actually dropped over the last 10-15 years. Some of the notable retros include the Melo’s, the Candy Packs, and the Don C collabs. They are all pretty good-looking sneakers.
Upcoming Releases
Designer Virgil Abloh, who is always trying to mix things up and can do no wrong in Nike’s eyes, spent a ton of time researching the Air Jordan II in an effort to bring it back with a “cracked” sole – just like you’d see on an original pair. Abloh even took to social media and challenged those who questioned his design, which I both respect but also now question. Why is Abloh so concerned about what others think about his designs? Is he self-conscious? Is he worried they won’t sell well? Or, is he just trying to explain to folks why he did what he did?
More to Come
A few weeks later, we received news that UNION is planning on dropping two new colorways early in 2022. Again, “Oh y’all like 2’s now smh,” was a common sentiment on social. I would expect nothing less from people when it comes to the Air Jordan II.
As I said in a post a few weeks ago, my main hope at this point is that Jumpman puts the same energy that Virgil put into the II to bring back a true retro version in the OG colorways. I’d love to see them spend the time and effort to replicate it perfectly, and make it in Italy again. If it costs $400, so be it! My passion is always to see old sneakers come back to life in as close to their original form as possible. And, we know Nike can really do pretty much anything when they put their mind to it.
So with that, I’m hoping Virgil’s new AJII’s sell out instantly, and the new UNION collab does really well. Hopefully the younger generation will take more notice in this infamous model, and we’ll see some OG colorways come back.
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