The Air Jordan 10 was designed during Jordan‘s hiatus from basketball, and it featured simple designs and lateral stripes on the soles to honor his first ten professional achievements. As far as anybody knew, MJ had some unfinished business that he was anxious to resolve. Returning for the 1994–95 season, he suited up for the Jordan 10 with the temporary jersey number 45.
It wasn’t only Michael Jordan’s legacy that inspired the creation of the Air Jordan 10. Its better performance on the court was confirmed when Michael Jordan scored 55 points in his first game back in New York City on March 18th, 1995—the memorable “double nickel” game—wearing the shoes for the first time.
To celebrate the sneaker, we rounded up some of the best Air Jordan 10 releases to date, ranging from the model’s debut color schemes to more recent colorways.
Air Jordan 10 Retro Orlando
The Air Jordan 10 OG in the “Orlando” colorway made its retail debut in December 2018, 23 years after its first release as part of Jordan Brand’s five-sneaker City Pack. Staying true to the original design, this pair has a white tumbled leather top with black detailing on the tongue, neck, laces, and midsole. The royal blue accents on the inner of the collar and the outsole rubber are the finishing touches to this tribute to the Orlando Magic’s franchise colors.
Air Jordan 10 Double Nickel
The Air Jordan 10 “Double Nickel,” released in March 2015, pays tribute to the player-exclusive “Chicago” colorway that Jordan wore upon his comeback to the NBA in 1995. After spending some time in the Minor Leagues of baseball, he returned to the NBA and promptly scored 55 points against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. When compared to the 2012 iteration, the 2015 model more accurately captures the look and feel of the original 1995 release of the shoe in terms of its silhouette, materials, and attention to detail.
Air Jordan 10 Retro Shadow
True to the original from 1994, the Air Jordan 10 “Shadow” returned in 2018. The upper is constructed from dark grey nubuck and black tumbled leather, while the midsole and outsole are also black. It wasn’t until the Countdown Pack in 2008 that this particular colorway was released again. The aforementioned iteration had a different shade of gray and included an embroidered number 23 on the side panel.
Air Jordan 10 Retro Chicago
2012’s Retro “Chicago” Air Jordan 10s are a return to the original hue, first released in 1995. There is a white tumbled leather upper with black accents on the tongue, collar, and midsole, staying faithful to the original’s design. Black and red stripes decorate the rubber outsole, which is branded with early accomplishments in Michael’s professional career as an NBA player.
Air Jordan 10 Retro Cool Grey
In 2018, Air Jordan 10s were released again, this time in a cool grey colorway without infrared accents. Instead, the nubuck and leather upper of this model have a grey shade that extends to the tongue, lining, laces, and midsole. The array that is employed on the specially constructed outsole of the shoe are what really separates it from previous iterations of the type. The outsole’s linear pattern has accents of red, white, blue, and yellow.
Air Jordan 10 Steel
Another reissue of the classic 1994 hue, the Air Jordan Retro 10 “Steel” was released in October 2013. The upper is made of white tumbled leather, while the sole is black and the laces are a light steel grey. A history of Michael Jordan’s accomplishments is printed on the sneaker’s outsole, as seen on various other colorways, which is striped in black and light steel grey. Rounding out the design, the midsole is done in a white color.
Air Jordan 10 Retro Lady Liberty
Nike unveiled the Air Jordan 10 Retro “Lady Liberty” for the first time in 2015 during NBA All-Star weekend. This New York-themed colorway was inspired by The Statue of Liberty, and it serves as a nod to the city that was not only Michael Jordan’s birthplace but also the location of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. Jordan’s accomplishments are etched into the cement and teal striped sole.
Air Jordan 10 Powder Blue
The Air Jordan Retro 10 “Powder Blue” 2014, which debuted in February 2014, is yet another re-release of a colorway from 1994. The upper is made out of white and black tumbled leather, while the inside has the titular powder blue color. The sneaker has a black midsole and an outsole with a Michael Jordan career chronology in black and powder blue stripes.
Air Jordan 10 Retro Los Angeles
In the mid-1990s, Nike launched its “City Pack” collection, which included exclusive colorways for a few cities based on that location’s rich sporting history. New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte, and Chicago each got their own unique design for the Air Jordan 10 “City Pack” that debuted in 1995 and was re-released in 2016 as part of a vintage series.
The outsole of the Air Jordan 10 Retro “Los Angeles” is patterned like the Pacific Ocean and imprinted with highlights from Jordan’s career. In lieu of the standard “23/45,” the city of origin—in this instance, “LA”—is embroidered on the ankle of this model, making it consistent with the rest of the family.
Air Jordan 10 Retro Woodland Camo
This Air Jordan staple, decked out in camouflage designs on tough nylon uppers, combines the rough good looks of army fatigues with the classic silhouette of Tinker Hatfield’s tenth design. Camouflage patterns are seldom seen on Retros, but this one with a complete upper treatment and the classic leather lace collar and tongue is making quite a stir. A black and olive Jumpman stands boldly at the heel, while the outsole is a text-based trophy case highlighting MJ’s accomplishments.
