The return of a popular non-OG colorway is upon us.
Michael Jordan’s love for cars is no secret. The Last Dance documentary series not only gave us a glimpse into Jordan’s mindset during the heart of the Bulls’ Dynasty run, but it also provided a good look at his taste in cars throughout his years as a Bull. His love for automibiles eventually lead to Jordan entereing the world of NASCAR, forming the 23X1 team with NASCAR legend Denny Hamlin in 2020.
Jordan in his Ferrari 550 Maranello via Streetopia
Long before he ditched the hardwood for pavement, though, Jordan wore his love for the world of automobiles on his sleeve. Or, in the case of the Air Jordan 14, on his feet.
As we know, the Jordan 14 was designed by Tinker Hatfield. Hatfield loved drawing influence from Jordan’s life and interest. For the Jordan 13, he channeled Jordan’s nickname of the Black Cat. For the 14, though, he turned his attention towards Jordan’s love for sports car- specifically, the 550 Maranello that makes an appearance in The Last Dance.
Jordan nails the championship sealing shot in the 1998 NBA Finals, courtesy of the NBA
The Air Jordan 14 was, at the time, rated as the most comfortable Air Jordan ever. Much like a sports car, the low cut allowed for speed and control. The iconic Jumpman logo sat on the ankle- with the emblem resembling a luxurious car logo. The sleek lines along the tumbled leather of the upper, the edgy midsole, and the visible carbon fiber only further pushed the car aesthetic forward. The far departure from the previous Air Jordan model was much welcomed, especially after Jordan laced an early prototype of the sneaker during the 1998 NBA Finals. The ‘Last Shot’ sealed the Bulls’ Dynasty, and etched an at the time unreleased sneaker in history.
The 2014 Ferrari 14 courtesy of Flight Club
In 2014, fifteen years after the original Air Jordan 14 hit shelves, Jordan Brand released a special Air Jordan 14. The sports-car influenced lines along the upper were no where to be found. In it’s place was vibrant red suede- which drew it’s inspirations to classic sports cars in a more obvious way. So much so, the sneaker was immediately nicknamed the “Ferrari” Air Jordan 14, despite the fact the sneaker was not a collaboration with the Italian automobile automaker.
An all red sneaker can be polarizing, but it fit right into the trend cycle of the early 2010s. The way today every brand is racing to their vault to release a mesh running sneakers, brands in the 2010s were actively trying to release a predominantly red sneaker. The Balenciaga Arena and the Independence Day Air Max 90 were among the upper echelon of red sneakers. Thus, the arrival of the Ferrari 14 was right on time. It not only found a new way to celebrate the legacy of the Air Jordan 14, but it fed the hunger of sneaker fans looking for another on trend sneaker.
Over a decade since originally releasing, the officially nicknamed “Challenge Red” Air Jordan 14 releases this week. The 2025 retro is essentially a 1 to 1 recreation of the 2014 pair. The trend cycle has long changed from obsessing over all-red sneakers. That said, the Air Jordan 14 carries a lot of weight in the sneaker space. A sneaker introduced in a legendary moment, that was later turned into an icon of a popular trend cycle, looks poised to speed past the competition in front of it.
The Air Jordan 14 “Challenge Red” releases via SNKRS on June 14th via SNKRS and participating Jordan Brand partners.
Official Images courtesy of SNKRS
