2025 marks 40 years since Michael Jordan first stepped onto the court in the Air Jordan 1, and Nike has been rolling out nostalgia bait for months. You’ve already seen the newly-shaped Bred 1 and the Air Jordan 5 Grape (Will Smith’s Fresh Prince favorite) return to shelves. Hype levels were sky-high. Then Jordan Brand pulled back the curtain on its 40th flagship model, and collective jaws stayed firmly in place.
Sneaker lore warns, “Never buy Jordans above the 14s.” Aside from the occasional Jordan 17, that rule has aged better than most kicks. The 40 keeps the trend alive. They’re a lot blander than most expected. Of course, social feeds lit up with one-liners:
“They look like adidas.”
“Old man shoes.”
“What in the orthopedic hell are those!”
If memes could kill, this pair would be DOA.
When the Jordan 38 arrived two years ago, I grabbed a pair the moment they dropped. Photos promised elegance, but real-life wear delivered pain and plastic vibes. Great on the hardwood, awful for the streets. The 40 feels destined for the same fate. It seems focused on performance first and street appeal last.
Jordan Brand brags that the 40 is the first Nike sneaker to combine full-length ZoomX foam with a full-length Zoom Strobel. ZoomX kicks back 85 percent of the energy you put in, so expect lively cushioning and springy transitions. A new traction pattern cut at 40-degree angles helps you stop on a dime, while a premium leather shell hides 360 degrees of webbing to lock you in.
Designers spliced DNA from seven classics:
AJ 5 tongue
AJ 3 heel clip and eyelets (with the first “Nike Air” hit since the AJ 6)
AJ 13-inspired reflectivity
AJ 14 bone-line stitching
AJ 18 iridescent window
AJ 15 microwebbing bearing Jordan’s signature
AJ 12 Jumpman on the toe
On paper, that mash-up should sing. Instead, it doesn’t. There’s no Tinker Hatfield magic here. No daring lines. It’s just a technical Frankenstein that forgot to bring the wow.
“This is the definitive performance basketball shoe on the market… This shoe helps you get buckets and look good while doing it,” Jason Mayden, chief design officer of Jordan Brand, wrote in a press release.
“I can’t wait to take the court in the Air Jordan 40 this season… That attention to performance will take my game to the next level,” Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic forward, expressed in the same promo.
That’s great news for Paolo. But you still need kicks that shine off the court.
Nike has had a rough year in sales. The Air Jordan 40 probably won’t be doing them any favours. It’s not the type of sneaker I see fans lining up to grab. And given that they cost $200, the same amount as some of the best retros, guess what I’m picking up?
The Air Jordan 40 “The Classic” colorway releases on July 12. “Blue Suede” follows on August 20 and “Dusty Rose” on September 20.
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