Nike's Iconic Fruit-Flavored Jordan 5 Gets a Deliciously Fresh Rebirth
It may be cold outside, but the Jordan Brand's got enough heat to get us through the season — honestly, the rest of the year. The Nike imprint celebrates 40 years in business and has decided to basically unload its archives and give its most coveted classics another life.
This includes the return of the fruity "Grape" Jordan 5 sneakers.
In 1990, a star was born: the Air Jordan 5 "Grape." The sneakers were quite literally famous out the gate, having co-starred on the man himself in the Will Smith-centric series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
A walking moodboard for '90s steez, Will's character (also named Will) owned some of the world's hottest Jordan sneakers.
He often laced up in some serious Jumpman classics, including the Grape 5s.
Sneakerheads even called the Grape AJ5s the "Fresh Prince" Jordans. Then in 2018, Nike dropped a special-edition "Fresh Prince" Jordan 5 sneaker celebrating the show's impact on the sneaker, which is pretty much a pop culture artifact.
Now, the "Grape" Jordan 5, one of the top AJ5s of all time, is back. Early looks suggest a near-OG revival of the Jordan 5 "Grape," including the original Nike Air branding on the heel again (the 2013 retro release swapped this out for the famed Jumpman logo).
Leaked photos also reveal the Jordan 5's familiar clean colorblocking: a crisp white leather canvas with fruit-flavored purple and teal blue hues splashed on the tongue and "shark teeth" midsole. Fans can also expect plenty more traditional AJ5 touches like the mesh-looking midfoot cage and the unforgettable lace trinkets.
Right now, the Air Jordan 5 "Grape" sneakers are expected to hit the streets again in June, 30 years after its initial debut. And there are more AJ5s where that came from.
Jordan also anticipated to revive the great "Black Metallic" Jordan 5 through its Reimagined line. At the same time, a delicious "Gold Ticket" Jordan 5 awaits later this month.
