When Nike nabbed their deal with Michael Jordan, it started an era of beautiful sneakers. In 1993, the Air Jordan 8 made its fateful debut, turning sneaker culture on its head. The monumental occasion culminated with one of the most memorable moments on the court, the “Three-Peat”, when Michael Jordan won his third championship at the NBA Finals. The fame of the Jordan 8 has continued since that day, and the brand has gone on to create some of the best retro colourways of all time.
1. OVO x Air Jordan 8 Retro “White”
It would be impossible not to love these Drake brand sneakers, especially if you love more neutral colourways that can go with anything. While they initially retailed for $225 when released in 2018, you can find this beautiful White/Metallic Gold-Varsity Red-Blur colourway on StockX, unfortunately, at double the price.
2. OVO x Air Jordan 8 Retro “Gold”
These Gold editions take the AJ8 silhouette to a totally new level. Blanketed in shiny gold leather, unfortunately, this isn’t a pair you can add to your collection unless Drake sells them to you. This pair was gifted to Drake and is rumoured to be worth five figures.
3. OVO x Air Jordan VIII “Black”
Drake loves to create his OVO sneakers and release them as a black and white set. Here, we have the black counterpart to the previously mentioned white, which similarly includes Blur, Metallic Gold and Varsity Red in the colourway. The white pair seems a bit more popular than its shadowy counterpart, as this pair can be found on StockX for around $307.
4. Air Jordan 8 “Black Chrome”
If you have read any of our articles, you know that we stick by the fact that you can’t go wrong with an all-black pair of sneakers. These 2015 sneakers are the retro of the original pair worn by Kobe Bryant during the 2003 playoffs, so they have a fascinating history. Also, all-black isn’t a great description, as they include Chrome in the midsole. You can grab your own pair on Flight Club.
5. Air Jordan VIII “Alternate”
Designed to represent what MJ could have worn during a 1993 Chicago Bulls home game, these stunning sneakers resemble an all-time favourite, the Air Jordan 8 “Bugs Bunny”. This stunning White/Gym Red-Black-Wolf Grey colourway was released in 2017, and you can find your own pair on Kicks Crew.
6. Air Jordan VIII Retro “White Aqua”
This colourway grabbed its spot in history as the first-ever women’s exclusive colourway for silhouette and has stayed there. They are even more loved thanks to their resemblance to Chris Paul’s PE sneakers for the New Orleans Hornets at the time. The beautiful pair was retro-ed in 2019 and includes tones like White/Varsity Red-Bright Concord-Aquatone in its colourway, and you can find it for as little as $121 on StockX.
7. Air Jordan VIII “Aqua”
Thought of as the male counterpart of the “White Aqua” colourway, but not having been intended as such on release, the AJ 8 “Aqua” is the perfect choice for the person who requires a bit more darkness in their collection than what the “White Aqua” offers. Keeping the same Bright Concord and Aqua Tone of the previous pair, this one swaps out the white for black. If you want to add a pair of these to your collection, you can find them on StockX.
8. Air Jordan VIII Retro “Valentine’s Day”
Nike and Jordan Brand love to celebrate the Day of Love each year, and 2018 marked a chance for the Air Jordan 8 to take its turn. With stunning details like “Love me…Love me not…” printed on the inner strap and a heart-shaped Chenille Jumpman logo on the tongue, this fluffy suede pair is a favourite. Valentine’s Day might have already passed in 2024, but you can still grab this pair straight from Nike.com for its original price of $190.
9. Air Jordan VIII Retro SE “Rui Hachimura”
Of course, the Special Edition Washington Wizards’ Japanese basketball player Rui Hachimura’s sneakers would appear on this list, loved for their neutral colourway and homage to Japanese culture and heritage on the courts of the NBA. With a gorgeous Twine/Gym Red-Black-Sesame colourway, you can easily find a pair of these beautiful sneakers on StockX.
10. Air Jordan VIII “Take Flight Undefeated”
Almost impossible to keep on the shelves when it first arrived on the retail scene, this pair is loved for its unique Sequoia-dominant colourway, often being called the Air Jordan 8 “Sequoia” or just “Take Flight” because the original name is a bit of a mouthful. Sporting Black. Wolf Grey and Max Orange complement the Sequoia nubuck; these sneakers can be found on eBay.
11. Air Jordan 8 Retro “Ice Blue”
The name says it all: these stunning women’s sneakers were dipped in a cool blue. The name doesn’t quite account for the Orange Blaze and Metallic Silver that complements the Ice Blue, but we’ll let it slide because this is a beautiful pair of sneakers. It’s no wonder that Tinker Hatfield intended this pair for the lifestyle sector rather than on the court. Looking for your own pair? Find your size on GOAT.
12. Air Jordan 8 Retro LS “Pea Pods”
Nike took its responsibility of making these sneakers enjoyable despite the dark, overarching Midnight Navy very seriously. Green is either a colourway you will love or hate and many people love this pair. With its dark colour and decorative stitching, the colourway of this pair almost looks like the upper is made of denim, only spurred on by the inclusion of Orange Blaze on all the accents. Find your own pair on StockX.
13. Air Jordan VIII Retro “Suns”
Inspired by the Phoenix Suns’, colours splash along the rubber arch of the sneakers. Still, the rest is neutral and highly versatile. The story behind this pair is an insult designed to commemorate the Chicago Bulls’ victory over the Phoenix Suns in 1993. Still, sneakerheads aren’t mad because we get fabulous sneakers. This Black. Bright Citrus, Cool Grey and Royal Blue colourways can be found on GOAT.
14. Air Jordan 8 Retro “Doernbecher”
“Doernbecher” sneakers are always gorgeous, so this pair had to make it to the list. Made through Nike’s collaboration with Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, this pair was made by young Caden Lampert in 2014. Having been diagnosed at age 10 with Guillian-Barre Syndrome, the AJ8 Retro “Doernbecher” commemorates his struggle and victory with the autoimmune disease.
Gorgeous, packed with personality, and employing a Hyper Blue-Electro Orange-Black colourway, these sneakers won’t run you cheap. Still, you can find a variety of sizes on StockX.
15. Air Jordan 8 Retro “Bugs Bunny”
Loved for being the home colourway MJ wore during the 1992-1993 NBA season, this gorgeous retro was released in 2013. Why ‘Bugs Bunny’ you ask? Nike loves to throw it back to their long history of epic moments, and this nickname commemorates the 1990s commercial starring the eponymous character and Michael Jordan together, long before their Space Jam days. This pair is difficult to come by, but you can find a variety of sizes on GOAT.
16. Air Jordan 8 Low “White Metallic Silver”
The only low silhouette pair on the list, the AJ8 Low “White Metallic Silver” has had a chokehold on society since 2003. It’s funny how either the simple colourways or the really outrageous ones always seem to do the best, and the same is true for this beauty. Known as one of the OG lifestyle colourways for this beautiful silhouette, you can find these sneakers on many resale and sale sites, including Flight Club.
17. Air Jordan 8 “South Beach”
Teased for a long while before its eventual release in 2018, we have yet another beautiful colourway that instantly makes you think of a stunning sunset. The colourway, describing White, Turbo Green, and Neutral Grey, doesn’t quite capture all of the beautiful elements of the sneaker, which also incorporates a touch of pink and bright orange. Primarily white with artfully placed pops of colour, if you want to add these sneakers to your collection, you can find them on StockX.
18. Air Jordan 8 Retro “Playoffs”
Yet another classic style, the “Playoffs” colourway takes the classic style of MJ’s 1992-1993 season and translates it to a Black, University Red and White pair that even incorporates a touch of blue on the toe. Thanks to their solidified place in history, these sneakers are still in production and are available straight from Nike.com.
19. Air Jordan 8 Retro “Orange Blaze”
Nike Loves their sneakers with a neutral colourway and a pretty pop of colour, and so do we. This gorgeous pair was released in 2007 and is also known as the AJ8 “Stealth” thanks to their colourway, including White, Stealth, Orange Blaze, and Silver. Easily a neutral pair you could match to any ensemble, you can have a pair from Flight Club.
History of the Air Jordan 8
The year is 1993. Tinker Hatfield has done it again, making a new pair of Air Jordans, with no idea that he would continue to turn sneaker culture on its head. Michael Jordan has accomplished something monumental on the basketball court, pulling off the “Three-Peat” for the first time and winning his third championship at the NBA Finals. It was a coincidence that these sneakers came out simultaneously as this epic historical moment. Still, the association was enough to send the sneaker line back into the stratosphere.
The Air Jordan VIII debuted in February, during the regular season of the NBA All-Star Game. The beautiful design instantly wowed the world, leaving fans wondering where to get their own pair of the brand new Air Jordan VIII.
Design of the AJ8 Sneaker
The Nike Air Jordan VIII was the first Air Jordan in the line at the time to have a much heavier silhouette. The original release of the eighth iteration of the Air Jordan sneakers also featured a more prominent padded collar compared to other sneakers of recent years, like the Air Jordan III and the Air Jordan IV. Like most sneakers in the Air Jordan line, this silhouette focused on keeping the swath of colours as accents on the bottom of the sneaker, mainly leaving the upper plain. While everyone loves beautifully decorated sneakers and colourways, the Air Jordan VIII design elements kept people coming back for more without having to change up the colourway too drastically.
As with many of the sneakers the Jordan brand has come up with over the years, the Nike Swoosh is absent from the more significant details. The Air Jordan Wings logo is also surprisingly absent, leaving sneakerheads to either look at the undersides of the sneaker or the chenille Jumpman logo on the tongue to recognise it as part of the Jumpman brand. The Air Jordan VIII is the only pair in the range to feature the Chenille Jumpman logo.
The Air Jordan VIII was also one of the first Jordan designs that introduced a kind of shroud that covered the laces in the form of cross straps over the top of the sneakers and was also the first sneaker in the lineup that required both laces and a buckle to be totally done up.
The strap’s unique design, the way the outsole is made up of multiple different parts, and the unique collaborations the shoe line has procured over the years have made it one of the most popular Air Jordans of all time.
Let us know in the comments if we have missed any of your favourite Nike Air Jordan 8 colourways on our list of the 16 best.
