We started with the Air Jordan 1 back in the ’80s. Then came the Air Jordan 2, the Air Jordan 3, and the list goes on. So what’s the brand’s latest release? It’s none other than the Air Jordan 36, a sneaker you can by now refer to as perfected and developed to the max. There have been rumors floating around about a suspected Air Jordan 37, but until then, the 36 is the latest sneaker you can pick up online. It made its first on-court debut in March of 2021. It resembles the previous Air Jordan 35 and takes inspiration from the Air Jordan 5 with a support system akin to the Jordan 34. Read on for a brief history of Jordan Brand, Air Jordan 36 features, Jordan 36 colorways, sizing, pricing, and where to buy.
Air Jordan: The Story
Michael Jordan entered the NBA in 1984 and immediately became one of the most well-known players. Nike, which had formed from Blue Ribbon Sports just 20 years before, saw Jordan’s potential and offered him an incredible deal for a partnership. Together, they made the first Air Jordan’s— the Air Jordan 1’s. Michael Jordan had always worn Adidas and had hoped for an offer from Adidas too. However, his decision to go with Nike’s offer was not a regretful one.
In 1984, the Air Jordan 1 was released just for Michael Jordan to wear. It featured a classic red, white, and black color scheme. However, the red was actually banned by the NBA. But that didn’t stop Jordan. He wore the shoes anyway and was fined 5,000 dollars— and every time he wore them again, he was fined another 5,000 dollars.
This act of rebellion and expression caught the public’s attention. The younger generation now viewed the Air Jordan 1 as a statement, not just a sneaker. After a strategic marketing move on Nike’s part, a TV advertisement about the apparently ‘banned’ shoes, sales for the Jordan 1, when released to the public, took the shoe out of stock immediately. The brand only took off from here. When the Air Jordan 3 was designed, it came with the classic Jumpman logo. In later years, Nike tried to separate Jordan as its own entity known as Jordan Brand, knowing that Michael Jordan may retire soon. And eventually, that’s what happened for good (after a couple of brief breaks and returns to the NBA). What was thought to be the biggest obstacle to a brand represented by Michael Jordan proved that the brand could still thrive without Jordan being active on the court.
Air Jordan 36 Features
The Jordan 36 is an advanced basketball sneaker with a long tongue and tongue tab, tall high-top ankle collar, jacquard Leno-weave upper, and Zoom Air Strobel technology to create a shoe that embodies ‘light.’ Leno-weave is a type of weave where two warp strands of yarn are twisted over weft strands to create a durable and flexible material. A ‘light’ shoe also needs to have bounce and cushion support. When Nike thinks of a lightweight shoe, they can’t avoid using Zoom Air technology. The Jordan 36 has the most Zoom Air coverage that Jordan Brand has put in a shoe.
Nike Zoom Air technology uses tensile fibers that compress with every step inside a pressurized Nike Air unit. They spring back up immediately, giving excellent energy return, responsiveness, and bounce. Because it’s pretty literally air inside the midsole, it also makes for an extremely lightweight shoe. You’ll notice that this shoe stepped away from exposing the airbags. The Zoom units on the shoe are enclosed to form a foam ribbon around the midsole. It also features embellishments on the heel and cutouts on the outsole. Available colorways are also advanced and perfected to create the latest well-matched schemes.
Air Jordan 36 “Green Gold”
When you hear green in a sneaker title, you might assume some green accents on a black shoe or a dark hunter green upper. That’s not the case with the Jordan 36 Green Gold. This sneaker is as bright as green with a gold midsole ribbon and Jumpman logo that contrasts with the black on the tongue and laces. It features suede overlays on the tongue and upper’s Leno-weave. The laces are two-toned bright green and black for a Celtics colorway. The large heel tab and stripe are black, and a small black tag on the side of the upper features a thin gold infinity symbol. The Jordan 36 ‘Green Gold’ was released Thursday, April 28th, 2022, in men’s sizes for $185.
Air Jordan 36 “Year of the Tiger”
This unique colorway takes inspiration from traditional Chinese culture and honors the Chinese New Year (this year is the year of the tiger). As of June 2022, an exact release date hasn’t been announced, but it is almost here. It’s one of the most colorful sneakers you’ll find anywhere, with a soft rainbow gradient across the upper and midsole. The two-tone laces are red and black, and the black overlay on the tongue features yellow stitching in the outline of a tiger instead of the classic Jumpman logo. The stitching on the infinity tag is lime green, and the heel tab is black. The tongue and some accents on the midsole are also black. The rainbow gradient on the shoe features a neon color scheme with orange on the front of the outsole. This exclusive shoe will stand out anywhere and likely run out fast after the initial release, so keep an eye out!
Air Jordan 36 “Psychic Energy”
This Chicago Bulls colored release features the classic red, white, and black Jordan colorway. The reptile texture is along the tongue, and the ankle collar and the extended heel tab are black. Ribbon embellishment on the white midsole is bright red matching the red Jumpman logo and the red infinity symbol on the black tag that hangs from the side of the upper. The Leno-weave upper is white. Nike branding is red, and insoles are also red. The Zoom Air Strobel unit is housed over an icy blue outsole. This minimalistic, classic style Jordan 36 was released October 22nd in men’s sizes for $185.
Air Jordan 36 “Infrared”
The Jordan 36 Infrared features a similar colorway to the Psychic Energy— both are red, white, and black. You could say that the infrared is the opposite of Psychic Energy because the all-white midsole on the Psychic is replaced by all-black on the Infrared. The ‘infrared’ colorway is a must-have in any Air Jordan silhouette, and no matter how many times it’s released, it will always remain one of the most popular sneaker colorways. The ribbon embellishment on the midsole plus the Jumpman logo on the tongue is still red, just like Psychic Energy. However, the upper laces, tongue, and heel tabs are all jet black. The midsole is still white along with the outsole, and the insoles are bright red, or ‘infrared.’ It was released on March 3rd, 2022, for $185 in men’s sizes.
Air Jordan 36 “Sport Blue”
The Infrared got the dark-colored release out of the way. Now for every collection’s excellent, light, clean sneaker staple: the sport blue. The midsole is translucent and icy, contrasting with the royal blue ribbon embellishment that matches the color of the Jumpman logo on the tongue. Two-tone laces are black and blue, and the tongue and extended ankle collar are black, along with the concave spot in the midsole. Infinity symbol stitching on the side of the upper is blue. The insoles are slightly darker cobalt with white Jumpman branding. These were released for $185 in 2022.
Air Jordan 35 vs. Air Jordan 36
It might not be the biggest surprise, but the Air Jordan 35 came right before the Air Jordan 36. So what’s the difference between the two? Firstly, the Air Jordan 35 improved on the 34’s Eclipse plate, which is also included in the Air Jordan 36. The 35 launched in September of 2020. The Eclipse plate has two Pebax parts and a Zoom Air unit in the forefoot. The purpose of the plate is for optimal take-off. If you liked the ‘Year of the Tiger’ Jordan 36, you’d like the 35 for its ‘CLOT’ collaboration that explored Chinese heritage through traditional colorways. The 35 also has visible Zoom air pockets in the forefoot and heel and Flightwire elements next to the Eclipse plate.
Air Jordan 36 Sizing
After years of developing the perfect sneaker-36 times to be exact-you’re probably hoping you can order your sneakers true to size. And you’re right— the Air Jordan 36 sneakers run true to size. One thing to note is that the forefoot has a snug fit that may be too tight for some people. If you like snug-fitting shoes, order true to size, but ordering a half size up won’t hurt either. The shoe doesn’t have a lot of padding, but it has TPU heel counters and stiff plastic-like insoles on the inner and an Eclipse plate, made famous by the Jordan 34, for responsiveness. The stitched Strobel unit is covered with cloth-like material.
Pricing and Where to Buy
The Jordan 36 is still releasing new colorways. If you’re really keeping an eye out, you might just be able to get your hands on a pair that hasn’t released yet from the official retailers, but don’t bet on it. These pairs are very limited and sell out pretty much immediately after release. Your best bet will be to purchase the sneakers from an online sneaker marketplace that verifies their shoes. This doesn’t mean you’ll have to get used sneakers— you can get authenticated, brand new in box shoes from these places just like you would from retailers. The Air Jordan 36 was released at a retail price of $185, but you will likely need to pay more to find them now.
StockX is a Detroit-based ‘stock market for things’ where current market trends and bids determine prices— not sellers or StockX. You can even buy NFTs on the site, as well as apparel and accessories besides sneakers. Although the company started in 2016, it quickly made it to the top of the list for sneaker purchases. When you buy a sneaker on StockX, which must be brand new (sellers can’t sell used shoes), it first goes to an authentication facility owned by the company and is marked with a verified green StockX tag. Then, it ships to you, ready to wear. The price depends on colorway, size, and market trends, but the average sale price for an Air Jordan 36 ‘Psychic Energy’ sneaker on StockX is 180 dollars.
Before GOAT was founded, buying sneakers online was a dangerous risk. Because the industry is so big and expensive, there are more than enough fakes floating around. Two friends from Los Angeles experienced this themselves after receiving a pair of fake Air Jordans that they ordered online. This frustrated them enough to want to make a change in the sneaker industry— a safe place to purchase sneakers online where the buyers were protected and sneakers were authenticated. They made GOAT, which is similar to StockX. Sneakers are verified before they are shipped to the buyer. You can buy new, used, instant new (pre-verified), and new with defects (missing lid, damaged box, etc.) You can expect to pay around $200 for a new pair of Air Jordan 36 “Infrared” sneakers on GOAT.
If you want to browse in person, you can stop by one of Flight Club’s retail stores in Miami, Los Angeles, or New York City. Flight Club has been around for many years and is a trusted sneaker marketplace by sneaker heads. Note that orders can only be canceled within three hours of placement, and there are no returns or refunds. You can buy both new and used on Flight Club, and all shoes are authenticated before they arrive at your door. For a pair of the Air Jordan 36 “Year of the Tiger” sneakers, you can expect to pay around $200 new.
How to Spot Fake Air Jordan 36 Shoes
Even the most trusted and complex sneaker marketplaces and verification systems can sometimes mess up. After you receive your shoes, give them a quick look to make sure they’re real. First, look at all the Jumpman logos. It should be printed exactly correctly with no thickness discrepancies. The embroidery should also be near perfect and of high quality. Usually, fakes will have logos misprinted. Look at the tag and find the nine-digit number under the origin country. You can check the number in the Nike website description to make sure they match. Make sure the laces are straight and correctly placed, and the stitching is also straight and not frayed.
Summary
The latest Air Jordan release is none other than lucky number 36 (well, we’re making it a random number now). While some rumors are spreading around about a supposed Air Jordan 37 being created (keep your head up for any more news), the newest you can buy at the moment is the 36. It’s a high-top shoe with a dramatically extended ankle collar, tongue, heel tab, suede overlays, a deluxe Jacquard Leno-weave upper, a complete Zoom Air Strobel unit, and the Eclipse plate introduced in the Jordan 34. The midsole has a concave ribbon embellishment and a small ‘infinity’ tag that hangs from the side of the upper. This 2022 silhouette is known for being ‘light’ and comfortable.
It fits true to size, but you can size up a half size if you want some extra wiggle room in the forefoot. The shoe was originally released for $185 and is available in many colorways, some of which still haven’t dropped. Some popular colorways include Green Gold, which is very vibrant grass green, “Year of the Tiger,” a rainbow gradient inspired by traditional Chinese culture, “Infrared,” a mostly black colorway with some red and white accents, “Sports Blue,” a fresh and clean white design with royal blue accents, and “Psychic Energy,” which is nothing less than the original white, black, and red Jordan color scheme.
You can find the sneaker at a similar price to the retail one on StockX, GOAT, or Flight Club, all of which are trusted sneaker marketplaces that verify the sneakers, so you don’t receive fakes. You will still want to take a peek at the Jumpman logos, tag numbers, laces, and stitching to ensure it’s a truly authentic pair after you receive them.
