The Air Jordan 6 35th Anniversary Is Here: How Should It Celebrate?

No one, and we mean no one, loves an anniversary like Jordan Brand. That’s in stark relief now, with the company just putting the finishing touches on a 40th birthday that treated consumers to all-time classics and once-untouchable grails. Running underneath that widespread effort was a more specific plotline: the Air Jordan 5 blowing out 35 candles, an anniversary that saw it reissue “Black Metallic,” “Grape,” and “Fire Red,” revisit its own ultra-limited fare in the “Tokyo 23,” and mint some future classics like the transformational Awake NY one-two punch.

Now, the AJ5’s official time in the sun has set, and it’s a new dawn for its successor, the Air Jordan 6. With the far-ahead mill of product previews and unauthorized leaks, we’ve already gotten some sense of what’s wrapped up for the AJ6’s birthday: the “Reverse Infrared” and “White/Infrared” return to its earliest days, the “Oreo” visits its retro highlights, and, surprise, surprise, Angelo Baque has cracked the invite list once again.

Yet we can never count on Brand Jordan pulling out some unexpected stops. Case in point, the aforementioned “Tokyo” was a late-breaker, only tipped off a few months before it hit public hands. Towards the top of the year, we figured we’d dip into the archives ourselves and pick out the Air Jordan 6 colorways we’d most like to see hit the shelves in 2026.

Air Jordan 6 “Doernbecher”

For many Jordan Retros, their Doernbecher Freestyle colorways are some of their most legendary and best received. The Air Jordan 6 is no exception, as Jordan Dark’s laser-etched suede design proved not only a highlight for the AJ6 but arguably a pinnacle of the charity-driven initiative as a whole. On top of callouts relating to his personal journey through cancer diagnosis and recovery, the luxe overhaul tied to Jordan’s diehard Atlanta Braves fandom, pinning trademark navy and red with NLCS-winning gold trim.

It may not be Beaverton’s go-to play, but Doernbecher re-releases aren’t out of the question. Obviously, the first example that comes to mind is for this shoe specifically, as minimal quantities hit SNKRS in 2019 for the 15th anniversary of the Freestyle partnership. Further back, Cole Johanson’s Air Jordan 3 saw a quick turnaround, included in the 2013 cadence after a sell-out reception to its original 2010 launch.

As mentioned elsewhere in this list, the narrative justification for this Retro would surely require some massaging; the shoe’s origin story might prevent it from ever becoming a genuine GR. However limited or complex a return may be, if done right, a new age of the Air Jordan 6 “Doernbecher” would be a show-stopping way to celebrate the silhouette’s history.

Air Jordan 6 “Sport Blue”

The Retro market is bigger business than ever, and a future in which no original Air Jordan stands without a modern equivalent isn’t too far off a possibility. Perhaps sooner than later, we’ll be looking down a landscape where every OG has multiple editions to compare and contrast. In 2014, the Air Jordan 6 “Sport Blue” finally checked off one of those boxes for Jordan Brand, quelling a fanbase that had been wistfully looking at the sporty 1991 colorway and filling out fancasted wishlists in subsequent years.

For those with a hawk-like eye on the details, the 2010s edition may fall short in some areas; shifting to clear traction rather than icy blue and planting “Nike Air” on the back, something Jordan Brand has been increasingly willing to do even on non-OG pairs, would get closer to replicating the originals. Last uncorked for the 23rd anniversary, checking back in on the white/blue classics for another banner milestone would only be fitting, bolstering its fiery counterparts with another dose of ’91 DNA.

Air Jordan 6 “Lakers” / Air Jordan 6 “Pistons”

You’ll have to forgive us for fitting two pairs into one seat, but the Air Jordan 6 “Lakers” and “Pistons” are best discussed together. Fans of Mike’s line stretching all the way back have always been well accustomed to seeing Bulls-style editions pace the catalog, but the turn of the decade was a prime time for competing teams to get some (tough) love.

Partially of a piece with “Defining Moments” kicks like the Air Jordan 7 “Magic” and Air Jordan 1 “Celtics,” the Jumpman poured the colors of teams from His Airness’ most well-fought bouts onto his signature line. As Jordan’s first championship-winning silhouette, it was only right to look to the final two teams he felled en route to ring #1.

Aside from looking beyond Chicago, either one is notable for how they applied the rival squads. Hollywood’s built off a darkened script not wholly divorced from the “Oreo” or “Motorsport,” but utilizes yellow and purple contrast stitching to touch Tinseltown. In similar fashion, the Air Jordan 6 “Pistons” built the Bad Boys’ trademark blue and yellow in trim, additionally adding gaudy patent leather on its base, then an unprecedented move in the AJ6 canon.

Air Jordan 6 “Beijing / Olympics”

Our newswire is now lined with Asia-exclusive or Asia-focused Retro looks; the “Dongdan” series has included a numbered J every year of its existence, while pairs like the Jordan 3 “Seoul” or Jordan 11 “China” gabe fans in the East variations entirely to themselves. The Air Jordan 6 “Beijing” was a trendsetter in that regard, dropping without that established history before it, crafted to represent the five colors of the Olympic rings in celebration of the 2008 Olympics.

Even with the boundary-pushing designs we’ve seen come out of Jordan Brand in modern times, the Air Jordan 6 “Beijing” remains one of the more experimental applications the silhouette has ever seen. The multi-color overhaul of its jagged sole hasn’t been touched in the 17 years since this pair’s release. In our view, replicating that true-to-form would be a far better homage than attempting to one-up it.

Of course, any shoe that’s so specifically tied to a moment in time comes with complications when trying to plop it into another context. Efforts to grow the game on a global scale could make for a fitting narrative canvas, and if our lobbying falls short for this year, 2028 is just around the corner. Just look at the “Paris” colorway from the last quadrennial for proof that Jordan Brand knows the AJ6 is still fit for the international stage.

Air Jordan 6 “Motorsport”

In the years since he hung up his hoops shoes, Michael Jordan has expressed his competitive spirit in an unexpected lane: racing. Before shifting over to the world of NASCAR, it was the AMA Pro Road Racing circuit that was the apple of his eye, and team riders often were treated to exclusive gear as a bonus.

The Air Jordan 6 “Motorsport” surfaced via that channel, breaking from traditional AJ6 design by borrowing its older sibling’s elephant print for its collar. However, the colorway didn’t remain exclusive for too long. A public launch came about just under a year later in February 2010. Outside of that zoological touch, the Motorsport’s classic composition of white leather and a jet black sole unit makes it a bit of a surprise that we haven’t touched the shoe in nearly two decades.

We should note that in 2019, the “Motorsport” entered the sometimes maddening lineage of small-size-exclusive or almost-there re-releases (here’s looking at you, Air Jordan 9 “Olive Concord”). The kids-only Air Jordan 6 “Alligator” reprised its black-on-white scheme in eerily similar fashion, with the obvious exceptions of its reptilian titular materials and a run of only TD, PS, and GS sizing. Whether it carries that shifted look into a return or not, it’s time to bring the Air Jordan 6 “Motorsport” out of the garage for another spin.

Air Jordan 6 Low “University Blue”

Really, few silhouettes are lacking odes to MJ’s college days, and in the years since the Air Jordan 6 Low “University Blue” landed, the model as a whole has been no exception. A “Black Infrared” flip with the Tar Heel’s colors launched in 2017, while a “Carmine” style “UNC” hit the shelves in 2022. Yet that 2002 formulation has never made its way back, either adapted to a High or in its original form.

Maybe bridging its blocking onto the High would give it wider reach, but the return of the Air Jordan 17 and Trunner LX showcases how Jordan Brand has increasingly developed faithful homages to that era. With a “Blackout” colorway for the AJ6 Low already in the chamber, leveraging an earnest Y2K edition could be just what the doctor ordered to re-establish the silo’s shorter cut, recently relegated to Golf duty for most of this decade.

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The post The Air Jordan 6 35th Anniversary Is Here: How Should It Celebrate? appeared first on Sneaker News.

The post The Air Jordan 6 35th Anniversary Is Here: How Should It Celebrate? appeared first on Sneaker News.