The Air Jordan 1 was made for a then-unknown rookie and launched on 1 April 1985. Esquire says its designer, Peter Moore, built it with input from Michael Jordan, who asked for something eye-catching and low so he could feel the court beneath his feet. Nike expected to sell 100,000 pairs in the first year and shipped 1.5 million in the first six weeks. I love that a shoe designed to sit close to the floor ended up being the one everybody looked up to.

 

That is why I keep coming back to Jordans. Nike's own history says that with training camp weeks away in 1984, the designers reworked existing tooling, recolored it and added the wings logo. A good shape plus a bold palette, then worn by everyone, is still the whole Jordan Brand story, which became its own Nike subsidiary in 1997. Today the colorways go far beyond red and black, and the women's pairs below show it.

 

Start with the low-tops, since they are the easiest sneakers to wear with real clothes. The Air Jordan 1 Low in chocolate brown and the Low SE in deep purple with teal accents are the two I would put with straight jeans. The Triple Stack in metallic silver has a three-tier striped sole that does a lot of the talking, and the Brooklyn Low in pale gray adds a chunky black lug sole. The Method of Make in cream has exposed stitching and layered panels, so I would keep the outfit plain.

 

For more height, the Air Jordan 1 Mid in white with cacao brown and the Mid SE in brown and blush are the soft, wearable ones. The red and soft-pink Retro High OG Nails and Grails is the one for a day when the shoes are the outfit. A quick tip: put your jeans on first and check where the hem lands on the ankle.

The Air Jordan 9 is the shoe Michael Jordan never wore in a Bulls game. Nike's own history says it came out in 1993, designed by Tinker Hatfield, while MJ was playing minor league baseball, and the four original colorways carried words in different languages on the sole, like independence, freedom, athletic and force. Nike also calls it the lightest and most responsive Air Jordan of its time. I love that the sole was written for a global star at the exact moment he stepped away.

 

The shape is what you notice first: a slim toe, perforated panels and the one-pull lacing up the front. The Retro 9 in white, black and red is the original colorway, and the Flint Grey with French blue lace loops is the softer one. The Air Jordan 9 Retro Low in red, black and orange is the loudest and lightest on the foot, and the Change the World pair is the bright one, with orange, purple and pink on white.

 

The newer retros give you more range. Olive with black is the one I would wear with khaki trousers in autumn, Powder Blue and UNC are the blue and white pairs, and Chile Red is a full red patent shoe for a day when the sneakers are the outfit. Gym Red is white with red panels, while Dark Charcoal with University Gold, Photo Blue and Bred are the darker pairs and the easiest with black denim.

 

A tip: nines come in men's sizing, so go down from your usual women's size and try them with the socks you really wear. What I would skip: tucking skinny jeans into a high-top nine. Let the hem fall over the tongue.

Patent leather is the whole point of an Air Jordan 11, and it is why these look dressed up even with sweatpants. The Air Jordan 11 Retro Cherry has a red patent mudguard on white, which looks sharp with black trousers. The Cool Gray is the 2021 edition, with a nubuck upper, patent leather overlay and carbon fiber spring plate, and it goes with almost anything gray or navy. The Rare Air is the 2025 release.

 

Bred is the black patent pair with a red sole that most people picture when they hear the name, and Concord pairs white with black patent and an icy sole. The Pearl, also called Grand Finale, is the soft cream one. The two Retro 11 Lows, one in white with University Blue and one in white with metallic gold, are the slimmer, summer versions.

 

What I would skip: patent elevens on a rainy commute. Gloss shows every scuff, so save them for dry days and clean them with a soft cloth.

Elephant print is how you spot a three from across the room. The Air Jordan 3 Retro Sport Renaissance is navy with red-pink laces, the True Blue is white with cement-gray print and blue accents, and the Retro 3 in orange has orange trim and a bright midsole edge. They wear best with plain denim, so the print gets the attention.

 

The fives are the ones with the see-through sole. The Air Jordan 5 Retro Sunset has sunset-gradient accents and fire red on white, and I would wear it with a gray sweatshirt and cropped trousers. The Retro 5 in black and University Blue is the cooler version, and the gray tongue makes it work with black denim.

 

The sixes sit lower and wear more like everyday sneakers. The Air Jordan 6 Retro Low Metamorphosis is black with iridescent pink-to-berry panels, a lovely thing with a white tee and wide trousers. The Retro 6 Oreo has black panels on white, and the Retro 6 Black in nubuck is the quietest pair on the page.

 

Before you buy, press the heel counter and walk a flight of stairs. A mid or high shoe should hold the heel without rubbing, and a translucent sole should not feel stiff underfoot.

Begin with the lows. If you have never worn Jordans, a pair of Air Jordan 1 Lows is the least risky place to start, and they look as natural with a skirt as with jeans.

 

Next, pick one detail you would notice every day, whether that is the elephant print, the icy sole or the metallic Swoosh. Leave the rest of the outfit calm so that detail has room.

 

Last, wear them once indoors before you take them out. Moore wanted a shoe that let you feel the floor, and the best pair is still the one that lets you forget you are wearing it. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Pikolinos and Sneakers Ate Every Other Shoe.