Air Jordan 35 "OG"

The Air Jordan 35 arrived in fall 2020 as the latest chapter in a numbered lineage that had been running for over three decades. The OG colorway anchors the shoe in the visual language of the original Air Jordan line, drawing on the black, white, and red palette that has been central to Jordan Brand’s identity since the mid-1980s. It was the straightforward choice for a debut release, signaling continuity with the broader history of the franchise rather than a departure from it.

Beneath the surface, the 35 represented a meaningful technical update. Nike’s Eclipse Plate system, borrowed from performance basketball tooling, works alongside the forefoot and heel Air units to improve energy return and cushioning response. The upper leans into a lightweight, breathable construction that reflects where performance basketball footwear had been moving across the industry. The overall silhouette is lower and more streamlined than some earlier Jordan models, a reflection of the sport’s evolution toward quicker, more lateral movement.

The 35 also introduced what Jordan Brand described as a data-driven design process, incorporating input from performance metrics and player feedback into the structural decisions of the shoe. Whether that approach translated into a noticeable on-court difference is a matter of debate in the community, but the intent was clear in how the shoe was positioned at launch.

As a performance model released during a disrupted NBA season, the 35 existed in an unusual moment for basketball footwear, navigating both the appetite for on-court product and a broader cultural shift toward retro and lifestyle releases that had been accelerating for years.