Originally released in 1994, the Steel 10 returns this weekend.
The Air Jordan 10 was released at an interesting time in Michael Jordan’s life. Jordan had previously retired in 1993, choosing to pursue his childhood dream of playing baseball. Within Nike, the future of Jordan Brand was in the air. No one was sure what would come next- and Michael Jordan seemingly seized to have any input on the future of the Jordan Brand line. In fact, Jordan has been cited as not seeing the Jordan 10 until after it had already released.
The 1994 Air Jordan 10 Steel via NiceKicks
Upon first seeing the sneaker, Jordan made his dislike for the toe cap clear. So much so, the sneaker was pulled from the shelves. A hard task- made easier by the reality that not as many stores carried the sneaker as they did for previous sneakers. The version featuring the toe cap quickly became a collectors item, of course. Much like other sneakers in the early internet era- the toe-capped Steel 10s became the talk of internet sneaker forums. Thus, allowing it to reach grail status. A perfect feat of irony for a sneaker with such a complicated roll out in 1994.
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31 years after initially releasing, the Steel 10 returns this weekend. Despite the fact the sneaker has received the retro treatment twice, in 2005 and 2013, this 2025 retro will be the first pair to feature the infamous toe cap.
As Jordan Brand continues to celebrate it’s 40th anniversary, the focus on telling all sorts of stories continues. Though some stories are as beloved and immortalized as they come others, like that of the Steel 10, are more complicated. That said, the sneaker is an important part of Jordan Brand’s history. And it was about time the sneaker returned in it’s original form.
The Air Jordan 10 Steel returns this Saturday, August 2nd, via SNKRS and participating retail partners. Aquiring the sneaker will not be easy, as it is one of the most limited in-line retros from the brand this year.
The SoleSavy DROPS app will have the latest news related to this drop as this anticipated sneaker returns. There you can find the latest news details as well as release info and raffle management.
Header image courtesy of Sneaker Politics
