8 All-Star Sneakers From Michael Jordan’s Space Jam
Space Jam: A New Legacy has finally hit earth! To celebrate, we thought we’d revisit eight of the All-Star sneakers that featured in OG film! From the generation-defining ‘Space Jam’ to lesser-known gems like the Swingman and , MJ’s interstellar hoop odyssey is jam-packed with 1990s hardwood gold!
Yes, we got a real jam goin’ down.
Welcome to the Space Jam!
Air Jordan 2 Retro
Bill Murray’s ‘game-worn’ retro actually in April 2021.
The sneakers, which featured during the film’s final game, also came with memorabilia including the red Acme Clothing brand tee, Tasmanian Devil tee, and the white socks Murray wore. Housed in their original box, and coming in size 11, the AJ2s were auctioned as part of the ‘Hollywood Legends and Luminaries’ auction, and no doubt benefited from the recent The Last Dance docu-series and LeBron James’ upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Whilst not quite fetching the price of MJ’s real-life, earth-worn signatures (a Air Jordan 1 recently sold for $560,000), Bill Murray’s AJ2 Retro still opened the bidding at a respectable $15,000.
Air Jordan 9
Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck’s perilous mission to retrieve MJ’s proved well worth it. It was the first signature shoe Michael Jordan never actually wore in-game (MJ announced his sudden retirement preceding the 1993-94 season), so why not break them in during Space Jam? Taking aesthetic cues from the baseball cleats Jordan wore during his brief hiatus in the minor leagues, other players of the 1990s (like ) nevertheless continued his legacy, lacing the sneakers in MJ’s absence.
Fun fact: earlier in the film, when MJ announces his desire to pursue baseball, we also see a pair of cleated Air Jordan 9s.
Nike Air Structure Triax
Originally debuting in 1991, Nike celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Nike Air Triax this year, the sneaker belonging to one of Nike’s longest running (pun intended) performance models.
Originally built for runners suffering from over-pronation, the Air Structure Triax features on the feet of Stan in Space Jam (albeit for large parts warming the bench) where the Triax didn’t get a huge workout! Still, it’s one of our favourite models in Space Jam, because the Air Structure Triax is absolutely loaded with early-90s styling.
Jordan also wears the Nike Air Max Triax Extra with his family after a baseball game.
Reebok Swingman
Nike were not the only ones getting some shine throughout Space Jam. Indeed, Reebok’s 1990s hardwood line was impressive, the ‘Bok linking up with Allen Iverson for classics like the Answer while also dropping high-octane hoopers like the and neck-craning .
Reebok also revealed the Swingman in 1995, a versatile performance sneaker that graced the feet of Muggsy Bogues in Space Jam. Featuring a stacked midsole, Hexalite cushioning, and ‘88’ emblazoned on the heel, the Swingman was available in both high and mid iterations.
Converse Aero Jam
The signature sneaker for Charlotte Hornet Larry Johnson, the was made memorable for its React Juice tech and hilarious ‘Grandmama’ TV spots. Featuring a wild detachable lace cover, the Aero Jam continues to be a popular choice for ballers looking for retro fits, the silhouette most recently returning to shelves in 2019.
In Space Jam, the Aero Jam was laced by Johnson after Jordan returns his stolen talent from the Monstars.
Nike Air Max CB 34
may not have been a role model (as he famously declared in his Nike Air commercial), but there were still plenty of Barkley disciples back in the 1990s, as well as plenty of sneakerheads eager to lace his vast collection.
A personality both on and off the court, Barkley’s sneakers were loaded with eccentric DNA, including the bold Air Max CB 34. Emblazoned with midfoot straps, the unapologetically gaudy Air Max CB 34 did as much damage on the court as Barkley’s mouth.
Nike Air Way Up
Clear the airspace!
A sequel to the Air Up, the Air Way Up landed smack bang in the middle of the 1990s, the model originally designed as a takedown model of the . Made famous by the likes of , Dennis Rodman and Penny Hardaway, the Air Way Up enjoyed huge hang-time in the era, buoyed by its famous wings logo at the heel. Retroed for the first time in 2013, the Air Way Up is still one of our favourite high-flying sneakers of the 1990s.
Air Jordan 11 ‘Space Jam’
The one that started it all.
Originally laced during the 1995 NBA Playoffs, and later in Mike’s extraterrestrial space odyssey, the Air Jordan 11 ‘Space Jam’ is still one of MJ’s most coveted sneakers.
Retroed in 2000 and 2009, it was the 2016 retro that really sparked hand-trembling hype in the sneakersphere, the AJ11 replacing the traditional #23 for MJ’s comeback #45 on the heel – the first time for an AJ11 release. It was the biggest release in Nike’s history at the time (surpassing the previously reigning Air Jordan 11 Retro ‘72-10’), the record-breaking AJ11 ‘Space Jam’ from 2016 still boasting a flex bigger than MJ’s superhuman half-court slam!