Ranking 20 Celebrities & How They Styled Their Air Jordans
Celebrities are people like you and me, and if you don't believe that, check their sneakers. Sure, they might have more spending power and access to limited releases than the average Joe, but celebs are sneaker fiends as much as the next person — and sneakers are the great leveler.
Nike Air Jordans are as big with the rich and famous as they are on the street. Some celebrities have deals or stronger connections with Nike's Jordan Brand than others, such as Eminem, who has collaborated on Jordans multiple times. Others, meanwhile, just love one of the most iconic sneaker lines in history.
But do all celebrities pull off their Air Jordan ’fits? To answer that, we’ve put together a collection of celebrities known for wearing Air Jordans and ranking their ability to rep Jordan Brand with style. Check out the kings and queens of Jordan below.
20. Rihanna
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 1s
Editor’s Notes: Rihanna commands a devoted following for her music and DGAF attitude, with her best style moments ranging from dressing like the pope at the 2018 Met Gala to flawlessly incorporating Air Jordans into her ’fits. Her favorite silhouette appears to be the Air Jordan 1, and she has been spotted wearing multiple colorways.
19. Michael B. Jordan
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 1s
Editor’s Notes: First of all, Michael B. Jordan's name makes his inclusion here a no-brainer. Secondly, he’s got the style and ’fits to earn a spot on this list. This Michael Jordan has also starred in a number of Nike commercials and even collaborated with Jordan Brand for Creed II.
18. Jason Sudeikis
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement” and Nike Air Jordan 11 “Concord”
Editor’s Notes: Believe it or not, but Jason Sudeikis is a certified sneakerhead and no stranger to some of the most iconic Air Jordan colorways. If there were ever an ultimate “sneakerhead dad” competition, Sudeikis would be in the running for top prize.
17. Justin Timberlake
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 3 Tinker “JTH”
Editor’s Notes: Justin Timberlake’s performance during the 2018 Super Bowl halftime was a big moment in Jordan Brand history. The singer debuted his “JTH” Air Jordan 3 Tinker just as the sneaker surprise-dropped via Nike SNKRS, with other Timberlake Air Jordan 3 Tinker collabs following.
16. Will Smith
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 5 “Grape”
Editor’s Notes: Will Smith had his own “Fresh Prince” Air Jordan 5 collab in 2018, comprising a laceless version with “West Philadelphia” detailing and a gold friends-and-family version limited to just 23 pairs. The collab's origins go back to Smith’s character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air consistently rocking Jordans in the show.
15. Mark Wahlberg
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 4 “Wahlburgers” PE
Editor’s Notes: The man once known as Marky Mark is a known Jordan head and even has his own Air Jordan 4 PE, the “Wahlburgers,” with a design inspired by Wahlberg's fast-food chain. While customizer Mache made Wahlberg a custom pair in 2017, a year later the actor was wearing an official Jordan Brand PE at the grand opening of Wahlburgers in the Mall of America.
14. Flea
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 1
Editor’s Notes: Both Flea and his fellow Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis have worn various retro Air Jordans during live shows and photoshoots. The pair also featured in a pretty loud Nike ad with tennis wild child Andre Agassi.
13. Dave Mustaine
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 1 “Royal’ and “Chicago”
Editor’s Notes: Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine might have spent his life with a questionable bouffant hairstyle, but in the ’80s the thrash metal OG made shredding in denim, sleeveless tees, and Air Jordan 1s a thing.
12. Chris Paul
Known for: Various Air Jordan PEs and his own Jordan CP3 line
Editor’s Notes: With Carmelo Anthony out of the league, Chris Paul is the biggest NBA star wearing Jordan Brand. While the Houston Rockets man's own Jordan model isn't as popular as Michael Jordan's line, his relationship with Jordan Brand means CP3 often gets to wear the rarest PEs and collaborations before anyone else.
11. Slash
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 1s
Editor’s Notes: The top-hatted Guns N’ Roses guitarist was always the coolest-looking rock star of the ’80s, and when he wasn't rocking snakeskin boots, Slash was pairing Air Jordan 1s with skinny jeans, a sleeveless tee, a leather jacket, and a cigarette permanently dangling from his lips.
10. DJ Khaled
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 3s
Editor’s Notes: Snapchat superstar and hip-hop mogul DJ Khaled is a huge Jordan fan, which is why no one was happier than him when he landed his first collaboration with Jordan Brand. The result was the “Another One” and “Father of Asahd” Air Jordan 3s, both of which now go for thousands of dollars on StockX.
9. Travis Scott
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 1 “Reverse Swoosh” and various Travis Scott x Nike Air Jordan 4s, among others
Editor’s Notes: Travis Scott has become one of Jordan Brand’s biggest collaborators, releasing a co-branded "Cactus Jack" Air Jordan 4 and a reverse-Swoosh Air Jordan 1, as well as rocking his creations at 2019's Super Bowl halftime show and the Grammy Awards.
8. Eminem
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 4s and Nike Air Jordan 2s
Editor’s Notes: Eminem has some of Nike's rarest Jordan Brand collaborations to his name, assuring his place on this list. Some of his Air Jordans include the “The Way I Am” Air Jordan 2, the three-way Carhartt x Eminem x Nike Air Jordan 4, and the “Encore” Air Jordan 4.
7. Aleali May
Known for: Aleali May x Nike Air Jordan 1 and Aleali May x Nike Air Jordan 6
Editor’s Notes: Stylist-turned-sneaker designer Aleali May now has two Air Jordan collaborations under her belt: a colorful, fur-clad Air Jordan 1 and a pastel pink Air Jordan 6. And, as a stylist, there can be no doubt May knows how to incorporate a pair of Jordans into a head-turning ’fit.
6. A$AP Rocky
Known for: OFF-WHITE x Nike Air Jordan 1 “Chicago” and various Nike Air Jordan 1s, 3s, and 4s
Editor’s Notes: Style-wise, A$AP Rocky is one of the most avant-garde rappers. He has a near-endless resume of on-point style moments, and many of those came wearing Jordan retros. While Pretty Flacko now has his own sneaker, the fairly monstrous Under Armour SRLo, the Harlem man definitely deserves his place on this ranking.
5. Kanye West
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 1s
Editor’s Notes: Kanye West and his YEEZY brand might now be joined at the hip with adidas, but his time with Nike showed off the rapper's knack for incorporating Air Jordans into his inimitable looks. West has been seen wearing various Air Jordan models, but is perhaps best known for his styling of “The One That Started It All.”
4. Craig Stecyk
Known for: Nike SB Air Jordan 1 by Craig Stecyk
Editor’s Notes: Craig Stecyk’s work as an artist, writer, and photographer covering skateboarding and surfing made him as big a part of the culture as the riders themselves. Not only did he coin Thrasher's “Skate and Destroy” slogan (taken from the headline of a 1982 article he wrote for the magazine), Stecyk also gave legendary California skate crew the Bones Brigade their name. In 2014, he got his own Nike SB Air Jordan 1.
3. JAY-Z
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement” and Nike Air Jordan 1 “Royal” and “Bred”
Editor’s Notes: JAY-Z's status as an icon is reflected in his style, manner, music, and his taste in Air Jordans. The former part-owner of the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets has often been seen sitting courtside watching his team while wearing any number of OG retro Air Jordan colorways.
2. Bones Brigade
Known for: Nike Air Jordan 1s
Editor’s Notes: Bones Brigade riders Tony Hawk and Lance Mountain were big Air Jordan 1 fans, choosing to skate in them because of their durability and comfort. Mountain has collaborated with Nike several times, most famously on the Lance Mountain x Nike Air Jordan 1, whose top layer of paint chips off the more you wear (or skate in) it.
1. Drake
Known for: The entire OVO x Nike Air Jordan line
Editor’s Notes: Drake famously had a deal with Jordan Brand, which saw the release of numerous co-branded OVO x Jordan Brand sneakers. In 2018, there were rumors Drizzy would be swapping his checks for stripes, but vicious Pusha-T diss track "The Story of Adidon" reportedly put paid to those plans. Since then, the Toronto rapper has been seen rocking plenty of different Nikes, but no official collaboration has followed.
For a deeper dive into Jordans, check the video below.
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