Air Jordan V

Air Jordan V

Designer: Tinker Hatfield

Released: 1990

The Air Jordan V was a statement of Michael Jordan's aggressive nature on the court. Released in February 1990 for $125, the AJ V featured a sharktooth design on the lateral (outer) midsole that designer Tinker Hatfield drew from a World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane. Hatfield also reflected the attitude of "aggression" both in the traction the shoe offered, and by molding foam into the upper. The AJ V also introduced the concept of "iced" outsoles of translucent rubber, as well as the inclusion of lace-lock toggles. The designer carried over the visible Air-Sole unit from the AJ III and AJ IV, as well as the mesh from the AJ IV. An embroidered Jumpman logo graced a tongue that, in certain colorways, also featured 3M reflectivity on the outside. "Air Jordan" was stitched inside. Another first on the AJ V was an offset ankle collar, designed to boost support while offering flexibility where a player needed it most. The overall cut of the shoe was higher than previous models. The Grape Purple/Emerald colorway was the first time those colors had appeared on a basketball shoe. And it brought even further attention to MJ and his sneakers at a time when his game already was turning heads. During that season, Jordan earned his sixth straight All-Star Game appearance, won his fourth straight league scoring title, and was named to the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team. He and his Bulls were not able to get past Detroit in the conference finals, but they were knocking on the proverbial door to something truly special.