35 Years Later, Nike's Fine "Black Metallic" Jordan Shoe Still Shines Bright
2025 marks 40 years of the Jordan brand, and its anniversary releases are 10s across the board — not exactly surprising coming from the brand that established sneaker culture as we know it. The Air Jordan 5 "Black Metallic Reimagined" is one such celebratory drop that embodies the history of the brand while adding subtle upgrades to usher the sneaker into a new era.
Kitted with the reflective tongue and metallic accents that made the ‘90s sneaker a certified classic, the Reimagined Jordan 5 "Black Metallic" is reminiscent of its 1990 predecessor.
Both versions of Nike's pioneering AJ5 sneaker share the same shark-tooth midsole, red Jumpman logo, and translucent outsole, all in line with legendary designer Tinker Hatfield's original vision for the basketball shoe.
Upgrades to the sneaker are subtle, including lightened edges to highlight the sneaker's design lines. Instead of the traditional black laces seen on the original AJ5, the Reimagined AJ5 "Black Metallic" wears white laces, a nod to the way Michael Jordan wore the shoe during a 1990 playoff game.
2025 is a big year for the Jordan brand, which is turning its recent output into a series of mini-birthday parties for itself and, by extension, its sneakerhead fans.
To help celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Nike label is commemorating the milestone with several other notable sneaker drops, including a "Grape" AJ5 and a new version of the rule-breaking "Bred" AJ1 that started it all.
In addition to these releases, Nike paid special tribute to its debut Jordan 1 with the launch of its "Unbannable" campaign.
The two-minute short film takes a look into an alternate reality in which Nike never paid the $5,000 fines garnered by Michael Jordan when he wore the brand’s black and red Air Ship on the court, a violation of the league's policy requiring shoes to be 51% white.
Nike turned Jordan’s defiance into a marketing opportunity, launching the Jordan 1 with a series of commercials censoring out the shoe — a move that only made it that much more popular.
Using humorous what-if scenarios, Nike's Unbannable campaign explores what may have happened if Jordan never broke the NBA’s sneaker policy. Had he complied, we might be living in a world with no Jordan brand — and likely no sneaker culture, at least not as we know it.
Thankfully, Jordan Brand and the Reimagined Air Jordan 5, available February 5, do very much exist.
