Source: Sotheby’s / Sotheby’s
For years now the popularity of the Air Jordan 11 had been steadily falling off as uncalled for color ways and over saturation had killed off their value on the secondary market and ultimately overall interest in the silhouette, but this year that won’t be the case.
A year after the Air Jordan 11 “Gamma” had holiday shoppers in a chokehold, making it damn near impossible to cop a pair even as stock numbers circled a massive 2 million pairs, Jordan Brand is set to bring back another classic grail in the Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam” this coming December. We expect these to be just as highly sought after as its “Gamma” predecessor.
According to Sneaker News, the official images of the upcoming pair have been released, and judging by the looks of things, it’s going to be as close to the original “Space Jam” 11s from the late 90s as can be. While the re-issued Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam” of 2016 featured a high-cut patent leather look with the “45” etched on the heel tab instead of “23” (which many sneaker heads did not appreciate), it was actually more faithful to the original pair than the retro versions of 2000 and 2009.
Per Sneaker News:
When the shoe returned again in 2016, Jordan Brand selected the “Space Jam” to debut its Remastered initiative, rebuilding the Air Jordan 11 with a shape and construction more faithful to Michael Jordan’s original on-court pair. It was a fitting choice for one of the brand’s most revered silhouettes, and the community responded in loads because it turned out to be Trevor the “largest and most successful shoe launch in the history of Nike” as of 2017.
With 2026 marking the 30th Anniversary of the film, expect all the stops to be pulled. While we don’t know what Jordan Brand has planned in terms of marketing, we do have a first detailed look at the upcoming 2026 pair. Again, the product team is sticking true to original shapes and materials, keeping the “23” at the heel-tab. and the JUMPMAN JAM on the tie-bar on the tongue. Details surrounding the shoe’s packaging have yet to be disclosed.
Now that we’re getting a re-release with the “23” on the heel tab, you can bet your bottom dollar sneaker heads will secure multiple pairs of these, hence making these another potential impossible cop come December.
No word yet on what kind of stock numbers we can expect, but given Jordan Brand’s holiday history when it comes to its Retro 11 releases, we’d expect anywhere from 1 to 2 million pairs to be readily available on Dec. 12.
Check out the upcoming Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam” and let us know if you’re planning on copping in the comments section below.
