Exclusivity, rareness, elusiveness. Whatever it is, sneakerheads absolutely love it. There’s something effortlessly-cool about flexing a pair of kicks that’s hard to get hold of, and plenty of fun in pursuing the chase when tracking down a hard-to-find pair. While plenty of sneakers are difficult to get your hands on these days due to the ever-growing hype behind footwear, there’s some pairs out there that are simply on another level. Whether that’s player-exclusive releases, F&F samples or just plain-old rare pairs, it’s a known fact that us sneakerheads love them. We’re not talking about the most-hyped pairs here, for example, Travis Scott’s Air Jordan collaborations are all hugely hyped, however, they’re not exactly “rare” - if you’ve got the cash spare you could have a pair delivered tomorrow.
We’re talking about the seriously hard-to-find pairs today, and we’re talking about Jordan Brand. Here at Crepslocker we’ve compiled this definitive list of some of the rarest Air Jordans in existence, so if you’re looking to brush up on your sneaker knowledge then this list will likely provide you with a few facts to wow your fellow sneakerheads with. So without further ado, let’s jump right in and check out some rare pairs!
Eminem x Carhartt x Air Jordan 4 Retro "Black Chrome" (2015)
The first pair to appear on our list is an epic three-way collaboration that launched well before it was cool to do so. Created by Eminem, Carhartt and Jordan Brand, this pair of 4s offers up a stunning black and silver colourway, with the uppers crafted from hard-wearing Carhartt canvas fabric. Custom Eminem branding features on the heel tabs, while Carhartt branding is located on the inner tongues. It’s not known exactly how many pairs of these are in existence, as initial pairs were gifted to friends and family of Eminem, although an additional 10 pairs were auctioned off online, with profits going to the Marshall Mathers Foundation.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High "Colette" (F&F) (2018)
Founded in 1997, Colette served as one of Paris’ finest concept stores and fashion boutiques. After 20 years of service, the store permanently closed its doors in 2017, after founder Colette Rousseau retired. To commemorate the store, Jordan Brand launched a limited-edition pair of Air Jordan 1s in 2018 that was gifted exclusively to friends and family of the Colette team. Offering up a blue on white colourway that represents the retailer’s iconic storefront, the kicks boast circular graphics on the heel tabs, as well as “1997” on the left lateral and “2017” on the right.
Air Jordan 11 Retro Premium "Derek Jeter" (2017)
Known for his impressive two-decade long career with the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter retired from the MLB back in 2014. Three years later, Jordan Brand honoured the baseball superstar with his very-own signature Air Jordan 11, a sneaker that was originally launched in 1995 (the same year Jeter entered the MLB league). Decked out in Yankees navy-blue, the sneakers are crafted from premium suede and feature dual Jordan/Jeter branding throughout. Rumour has it that only five pairs of these ultra-rare Jordans exist, with the pairs raffled off via a scratch-off lottery that was held at the Yankee Stadium in 2017.
Air Jordan 4 Retro "Wahlburgers" (2018)
American actor Mark Wahlberg has made no secret of the fact that he’s a huge sneakerhead, in fact he’s even been known to rock some of his rare and limited-edition sneakers in movies he’s starred in. 2018 saw Jordan Brand honour Wahlberg with his very own PE pair of Air Jordan 4s, titled the “Wahlburgers”. Decked out in a green hue, the kicks represent Wahlberg’s hometown of Boston, with both the Boston Celtics and the Boston Red Sox famed for wearing the colour. Only 30 pairs of this hard-to-find sneaker were ever produced, meaning that the odds of tracking a pair down are second to none.
Eminem x Air Jordan 2 Retro "The Way I Am" (2008)
Another of Eminem’s famous Jordan collaborations graces our list and this time around, it’s the rapper’s fabled Air Jordan 2 from back in 2008. Released alongside Eminem’s book of the same name, the sneakers are seen in a black and grey colourway, with lyrics from the hit song scrawled across the uppers in a red hue. Only 313 pairs of these rare sneakers were ever produced, with the original release coming in a special-edition box with a matching T-shirt inside. You’ll be hard pushed to track down a pair of these now!
