The Basketball Shoe That Defined a Generation Turns 30!

2025 has been a big year for sneaker fans like me. It marks the 40th anniversary of the original Nike Air Jordan. Special edition colorways have been steadily released throughout the year. But 2025 also marks the 30th anniversary of what I believe is the best Air Jordan release of all time!

Sports Illustrated reports that Nike has celebrated the Air Jordan 1 with an ad campaign called '40 Years of Greatness'. It's hard to deny the importance of the first Air Jordan shoe. Basketball shoes and fashion would never be the same. But in this sneakerhead's humble opinion, the peak of the Air Jordan shoe line would come 10 years later in 1995, with the debut of the Air Jordan 11.

As Nice Kicks points out, when MJ put on the Jordan 11s for the 1995 NBA Playoffs, heads turned. Patent leather on a basketball shoe? They were sleek, glossy, perfect. They were a combination of style and substance, just like Jordan the ball player.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Jordan 11, Nike is releasing the iconic shoe in some never-before-seen colorways!

You can check out when the new Jordan 11s will hit stores HERE.

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30 years ago, I was a 21-year-old kid enjoying the Chicago Bulls dynasty led by Michael Jordan. I certainly didn't have the money then to buy a pair of Jordan 11s. But earlier this year, I found a pair of Jordan Retro 11 Lows for the right price and pulled the trigger!

Find me another basketball shoe, Air Jordan or otherwise, that looks better than the Jordan 11!