Jordan 6

Air Jordan 6

By 1990, Michael Jordan had established himself as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Meanwhile, Tinker Hatfield had elevated his sneaker line to the point where each release was met with global acclaim. However, one accolade still eluded them: the NBA championship. Going into the ‘90-’91 season, Jordan was more determined than ever to win the title, and Tinker was keen to provide him with the tools to do so. The result was the Jordan 6 – a technically brilliant basketball trainer that took MJ all the way to the top.

The Air Jordan 6 made its first on-court appearance in the 1991 All-Star Game, when Michael showed up in the Black Infrared. This nubuck-covered sneaker was released alongside three primarily white, leather-clad colourways known as the Sport Blue, Maroon and White Infrared, each with colourful highlights on the midsole and branding effects. Completing the original set was the Carmine, whose contrasting red and white colour scheme gives it a distinctive look.

After Michael won the NBA title wearing the AJ6, his sneakers reached new levels of popularity, and in 2000, the first Jordan 6 Retro designs emerged. There was the Olympic, which was named for its use of Team USA’s colours: blue and white with red accents, and the Midnight Navy, whose colour-blocking is similar to the 1991 shoes but with a darker shade of blue highlighting its white upper. Two years later, the debut Jordan 6 Low and women’s colourways were released. Three low-tops came out in 2002: the largely white Coral Rose, with its pink and grey accents, the Chrome, which is black with hints of Metallic Silver, and the elegant University Blue edition.

After some quiet years, 2006 delivered the celebratory Defining Moments Pack (DMP), which featured a black and gold Air Jordan 6 honouring MJ’s 1991 NBA triumph. The following year, Jordan Brand commemorated all six of the player’s championship wins with the updated Jordan 6 Rings model. Drawing together key aspects from every shoe he wore during those incredible seasons, its first colourway features the classic Bred colour scheme of white, black and red.

In 2008, a Concord version of the Rings was created alongside new editions of the Jordan 6 OG. There was another Olympic model, this one made in celebration of the Beijing event, and a retro Carmine colourway that came as part of the Countdown Pack. MJ’s career was remembered again via the Rings model in 2009, when the Hall of Fame was introduced, its black outer dotted with red highlights and honorific details. Around the same time, Nike’s charitable partnership with Doernbecher Children’s Hospital yielded an Air Jordan 6 with a blue suede upper and a bold red tongue.

After nearly two decades of success, 2010 saw a proliferation of Jordan 6s. Along with a new cleated version, a Winterized Rings model was released in one all black colourway and another suave beige iteration named Rocky Tan. The Infrared Pack then brought back two of the OG colourways, and the Varsity Red offered a variation on the classic black sneaker. On top of this, three designs honoured the teams involved in MJ’s 1991 NBA triumph. The Pistons features a black upper with red and blue elements, the Lakers a grey and black outer with purple and yellow stitching, and the Bulls white, black and red hues. Completing the notable releases of 2010 are the black and white Oreo, with its speckled effects, and the Motorsports, which references Michael’s racing team.

2012 brought the Golden Moments colourway – another Olympics-inspired shoe with an all white upper, golden elements and an insole representing the United States flag – and the Pink Flash or Rainbow, so called because of the colour gradient on its midsole. In 2013, the Rings Hornets colourway came out, before Jordan Brand further expanded the colour range of the Air Jordan 6 in 2014. It did so via the Infrared 23, with its striking all red upper, the Game Royal, which has turquoise and pink highlights, the deep green Champagne Bottle and Cigar editions, both of which sport a champions ring lace lock, and the eye-catching Slam Dunk, whose upper displays Japanese anime graphics. Meanwhile, the Brazil uses charcoal tones alongside vivid lime green accents, and the AJ6 Spizike History of Jordan employs rich red leather across its upper. A number of kids’ exclusives were also released in 2014, including the white and purple Grape and the shimmering silver Valentine’s Day.

In 2015, the Jordan 6 was adapted into a Golf shoe with a specialised sole unit, and several conventional low-tops came out, including the Ghost Green, whose white and blue outer references the Seattle Seahawks, the White Infrared, which emulates the OG high-top, and a low-cut version of the 2002 Chrome model. 2016 then brought some stylish high-tops as the Black Cat colour scheme made its first appearance on the silhouette, having already been applied to many other Jordans, and the Pinnacle came in an unforgettable glistening gold. Several suave designs marked by their use of dusky tones also arrived, including the Cool Grey, the Cement Grey and the Green Glow, together with a rich purple one called Purple Dynasty.

2017 was similarly prolific, the year starting with the iridescent Gotta Shine or Chameleon colourway and the girls Heiress – both made to celebrate the NBA All-Star Weekend. Elsewhere, the UNC brought the pale blue of Jordan’s North Carolina alma mater to the AJ6, and two Gatorade sneakers were made: the leather-clad Orange and the suede-covered Green. Another sneaker to make use of plush suede was the dapper Wheat, while the Flight Jacket switched to a silky nylon upper. The Alternate 91, sometimes known as the Alternate Hare due to its similarity to an AJ7 worn by Bugs Bunny in a 1992 Jordan commercial, went for a more traditional look, and the Pantone brought a certain grace to the AJ6 via its light blue tumbled leather upper. As well as these, the Hyper Jade and Hyper Pink provided a white and a black version respectively, both with brightly coloured Jumpman logos, and the Mint Foam low-top offered a design with a charcoal-coloured upper adorned with hints of pastel green.

2018 began with the Chinese New Year edition, whose floral highlights celebrate the Year of the Dog. This was joined by the Tinker and the charming Diffused Blue, which was created to honour NBA star Jimmy Butler, as well as a Rings version of the Space Jam. In 2019, a fan-favourite AJ7 colourway known as Flint Grey was applied to the Jordan 6, earning itself the nickname Flight Nostalgia for its return to an older colour scheme. More Rings models came out, including the South Beach, which has pops of neon blue, pink and yellow upon its black and white outer, the Confetti or Paint Splatter, whose midsole is dotted with multi-coloured speckles, and the Black Ice, with its sleek upper. Meanwhile, the Reflections of a Champion used 3M reflective fabric on its silver upper, and the Washed Denim employed its titular textile in two shades of blue. Other notable 2019 releases include the Green Abyss, whose canvas sidewalls feature a colourful graphic, and the Turbo Green, with its bright teal underlayer and contrasting black overlays.

Moving into the new decade, 2020 saw the release of yet more Rings models, including a take on the Defining Moments colourway, and the suave 3M, with its all-grey upper and translucent outsole. Alongside these came memorable Air Jordan 6 Retros such as the Singles Day, whose upper graphic elegantly blends flowers and basketballs, and the Citron Tint, which is also known as the Floral after its yellow rose adornments. Then there was the Tech Chrome, whose flanks are layered with Light Smoke Grey suede, and the Hare, whose Neutral Grey and white upper pays homage to a popular AJ7 colourway.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Air Jordan 6 in 2021, Jordan Brand went all out, releasing sneakers in various styles and dropping new models like the Little Flex and the 17 23. A black and white edition of the Rings known as He Got Game was released alongside another light pastel pink one called Atmosphere. The low-top Dongdan also appeared, its striking colour gradient giving it a summery aesthetic, as did high-tops like the Gold Hoops, which incorporates a chain of golden rings over its white and Barely Rose upper, and the AJ7-inspired Bordeaux, with its refined colour scheme. Elsewhere, the Electric Green recalled an Oregon Player Exclusive from 2018 via its black nubuck upper and neon green accents.

This powerful run of Jordan 6s continued into 2022 with a second version of the Washed Denim, and other designs like the Magnet and College Navy Georgetown, the UNC Home, which exhibits an appealing tonal mix of white, black and University Blue, the Red Oreo, with its speckled University Red features, and the Mint Foam, which is sometimes called Tiffany Blue for its teal accents. Marquette University and Howard University both received their own Player Exclusive models based on vintage varsity jackets, and a low-top version of the Atmosphere was created along with the Lunar New Year, whose off-white upper is highlighted with flashy golden elements. More Rings colourways came along, with the Playoffs and the Cherry both employing the iconic Jordan colours of black, white and red. In 2023, there were further designs with classic colour schemes, including the Toro Bravo, whose all-red suede upper was influenced by a similar AJ5, and the Aqua, which resembles an OG AJ8 colourway. In the same year, the Cool Grey presented a classy mix of grey and white leather, and the Brown Kelp introduced a waterproof Gore-Tex membrane to its upper, before 2024 supplied the brightly coloured Yellow Ochre.

As the Air Jordan 6 proved its popularity time and again, it was used in various creative collaborations. One of the most exclusive was Jordan Brand’s 2014 partnership with American rapper Macklemore, who designed a total of five colourways, all of them highly limited. 2019 was a particularly important time for the Air Jordan 6’s collaborations as Travis Scott created the Medium Olive, adding a pocket to the lateral ankle, a Cactus Jack logo to the heel and glow in the dark panels to the sole unit. Fashion-forward retail brand Social Status also put its mark on the AJ6, making an animal-inspired sneaker for 2019’s All-Star collection. Fashion blogger and model Aleali May then designed the graceful Millennial Pink, and French football team Paris Saint-Germain developed the Iron Grey, whose dusky upper is adorned with custom PSG branding. The following year, Jordan Brand worked with the organisers of Paris’ Quai 54 streetball event to make two colourways – the Purple and the Sail Gum – before Travis Scott crafted a second AJ6 known as British Khaki for its earthy colour scheme. Then, in 2023, PSG made a low-top version of the Iron Grey, while images surfaced of a chic AJ6 produced in collaboration with Nicki Minaj and based on her 2014 album The Pinkprint.

The Air Jordan 6 is a remarkable silhouette in so many ways. It is packed with performance technology, it has a powerful aesthetic, and it has become an important part of popular culture. Most of all, though, it will be remembered as the shoe in which Michael Jordan won the NBA title for the very first time. For this, the Jordan 6 will forever be regarded as the ultimate symbol of Jordan’s success and an icon of sneaker history.