The beloved sneaker returns this weekend for the fourth time.
The Air Jordan Five debuted in 1990. Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the Jordan Five took inspiration from Jordan’s biting style. Hatfield also drew inspiration from World War II fighter planes. The iconic shark-tooth shapes on the midsole, along with the reflective material and netting, gave the sneaker a unique look that was perfectly suited to Michael Jordan’s playing style. The Air Jordan Five was meant to capture the ferocity of Michael Jordan, who at the time was becoming the best player the game of basketball had ever seen.
The Air Jordan Five, much like all the other signature sneakers to have released at the time, was a hit upon arrival. The sneaker’s unique look made it a fan favorite. Jordan’s display on the court allowed its popularity to flourish. He was at the cusp of finally winning his first NBA Title, though that would ultimately not occur until the following NBA season (the 1990-1991 season).
The Grape Air Jordan Five released in 1990- within the first wave of Air Jordan Five releases. The colorway was, naturally, the most playful of the original line up as it did not feature the Bulls colors. Inspired by Jordan’s home state Hornets, the purple and emerald blue hues quickly allowed the sneaker to became a phenom.
Funny enough, the Grape Five would find its own legacy away from the hardwood, is it was the only Air Jordan Five that Michael Jordan did not lace up during the sneaker’s original run.
Perhaps most famously, Michael Jordan wore the Grapes and a matching outfit when he graced the Wheaties box with his presence. The sneaker would find itself on the cover of Chris Rock’s Born Suspect album, as well, and even held a presence on television- as it was often spotted in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and in Seinfeld.
The sneaker would not release again until 2006. That meant, the Grape Five had 16 years to marinate in the headspace of sneakerheads. As the time passed, and the natural state of polyurethane crumbling over time took place, there was less and less pairs of the sneaker available. Compound that with the limited nature of the 2006 return, and the Air Jordan Five Grape was suddenly the holy grail within NikeTalk and other sneaker forums of the early 2000s. The 2006 Grape Five retro coincided with the boom in the popularity of Streetwear. The pops of colors fit the colorful direction of the early Karmaloop and online fashion space. The sneaker became the statement piece of an era.
The 2006 Grape 5 was a grail of the early internet sneaker forums via NikeTalk
The Grape Five returned in 2013 in similar form to the 2006 retro. That said, the landscape in both sneakers and streetwear drastically shifted. The original colorblocking did not hold as much weight in the rapidly transitioning world of sneakers. This retro would mark the last time the Grape Five released in it’s original form.
Since that 2013 retro, Jordan Brand has sustained the Grape Five’s legacy through updated iterations of the sneaker including a nod to the Fresh Prince with a laceless 2018 pair. At the peak of the 2020 Sneaker boom, a flipped version of the sneaker released- in which the sneaker traded the white leather upper for a grape purple suede. These sneakers continued the lineage, allowing Jordan Brand the opportunity to ponder on when the next retro iteration of the original colorway could make its return.
That return arrives this week. For the first time in 12 years, the Grape Five returns in the original colorway. This time, the 2025 Grape Five features the beloved Nike AIR branding the original 1990 pair. It will be the first time any OG Grape Five retro features that iconic hit.
The Grape Five’s long legacy was built off of the court completely. His Airness never laced them up, but the sneaker never lost relevance to sneaker and fashion culture. Though the chokehold it had on the internet in the early 2000s has faded- the impressive legacy of the peculiar OG colorway will always be one celebrated by sneakerheads. After all, it is those very sneakerheads that built the legacy of the sneaker.
The Air Jordan Five Grape returns this Saturday, June 21st via SNKRS and participating Jordan Brand retailers.
