What Would You Pay for the Entire Jordan Bin 23 Collection?

When Jordan Brand was ahead of the curve… and nobody was ready to catch up

The Jordan Bin 23 Collection is quite an anomaly in sneaker history. It represents the most premium quality Jordans we’ve ever seen… significantly higher quality than even the “Remastered” Jordans from 2015 that promised to restore original specs. The Bin 23 shoes featured construction and materials that made them feel less like mass-produced sneakers and more like luxury goods.

Each pair came with high-end shoe trees, premium dust bags, and packaging that was genuinely everything the sneaker community had been asking for when it came to premium versions of our beloved Air Jordans. The presentation alone set a new standard. Open a Bin 23 box and you weren’t just getting shoes… you were getting an experience that justified the price premium.

But here’s the thing that makes the Bin 23 Collection so fascinating looking back… it was also one of the biggest commercial failures in Jordan Brand history. And the reasons why tell us a lot about sneaker culture, consumer psychology, and what happens when a brand gets too far ahead of its audience.

What Made Bin 23 Different

First, let’s talk about what you actually got with a Bin 23 release.

The collection was only made in a handful of silhouettes over the years. The set includes the Jordan 2 (II), Jordan 5 (V), Jordan 13 (XIII), Jordan 9 (IX), and Jordan 7 (VII). But even more oddly, the colorways were nothing close to original Jordan colorways that people actually wanted. Instead of giving us premium versions of the Chicago 1s or Bred 11s, Jordan Brand created entirely new color combinations that had no connection to Michael Jordan’s on-court history.

The Jordan 2 Bin 23 came in a black and brown combination with premium leather that put every other Jordan 2 retro to shame. The Jordan 5 featured a rich leather upper in understated tones. The Jordan 13 used butter-soft leather and premium suede. The Jordan 9 and Jordan 7 continued the pattern… exceptional materials, perfect construction, colorways that nobody had asked for.

Each shoe was meticulously constructed with attention to detail that simply didn’t exist in regular Jordan retros. The leather was thicker, softer, and more supple. The stitching was cleaner. The build quality was consistent from pair to pair. These weren’t shoes that would crease badly or fall apart after a few wears. They were built to last.

The packaging elevated the experience further. Instead of the standard Jordan box, Bin 23 shoes came in premium presentation boxes with magnetic closures. Inside, you’d find genuine cedar shoe trees… the kind you buy separately for expensive dress shoes to help them maintain their shape. Premium dust bags protected each shoe. The attention to detail extended to every element of the unboxing experience.

In many ways, the Bin 23 Collection was exactly what sneakerheads claimed they wanted. Better materials. Better construction. Better presentation. A product that justified a higher price point with genuinely superior quality.

So why did it fail?

The Problem with Being Ahead of Your Time

What’s interesting now when looking back at the 2010-2012 Jordan Bin 23 Collection is realizing it could have been one of the most successful series Jordan Brand ever produced. To some collectors, it still is. But to the broader sneaker market, it feels like the collection was quickly forgotten.

Why? Three reasons stand out.

First, the colorways were too different. Sneakerheads are nostalgic creatures. We want the shoes Michael wore, in the colors he wore them. The Bin 23 Collection asked consumers to pay a significant premium for colorways that had no connection to Michael Jordan’s career. That’s a tough sell when someone can buy the “Space Jam” 11s or “Bred” 4s for less money and get the nostalgia they’re actually seeking.

Second, the economy wasn’t ready. The Bin 23 Collection launched in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Unemployment was still high. Consumer confidence was shaky. The sneaker resale market was a fraction of what it would become just a few years later. Most sneaker enthusiasts simply couldn’t afford to spend $300-$400 on a single pair of shoes, no matter how premium they were.

Third, Jordan Brand didn’t educate consumers on why these shoes cost more. The average sneakerhead in 2010 wasn’t well-versed in leather grades, construction techniques, or why cedar shoe trees and premium packaging added value. Jordan Brand released these shoes and assumed the quality would speak for itself. But most people never even held a pair in their hands to feel the difference. They just saw the price tag and moved on.

I’d argue that the sneaker community just wasn’t really ready for higher-priced Jordans at the time (though, we all claimed we’d pay more for OG quality), no matter how much more bang for the buck they had compared to regular releases. Jordan Brand was ahead of the curve when it came to the Bin 23 Collection… so much so that the economy, at least in regards to sneakerheads’ purchasing power, couldn’t support it.

The Limited Production Problem

Adding to the Bin 23 challenges was the production strategy. These weren’t widely available releases. Jordan Brand manufactured them in extremely limited quantities, which meant most people couldn’t buy them even if they wanted to. They showed up at select retailers, sold out quickly to a small group of collectors who understood what they were getting, and then disappeared.

That limited availability meant most sneakerheads never had the chance to see Bin 23 shoes in person. They couldn’t walk into Foot Locker and compare the Bin 23 Jordan 5 to a regular Jordan 5 retro. They couldn’t feel the leather quality difference. They couldn’t experience the premium packaging. Without that hands-on experience, the value proposition was lost.

Compare this to how Nike approached premium product later with initiatives like “Remastered” Jordans in 2015 or the “Craft” series in recent years. Those releases were still limited, but they were available at significantly more retail locations. They had marketing campaigns explaining why they cost more. They had YouTube reviews showing the quality differences. Nike learned from the Bin 23 experience and adjusted their strategy.

What Bin 23 Got Right

Despite its commercial failure, the Bin 23 Collection was important for several reasons.

It proved that Jordan Brand could make exceptional shoes when they wanted to. Every complaint sneakerheads had about declining retro quality… thin leather, sloppy construction, poor fit… was answered by Bin 23. The shoes demonstrated that the problems with regular retros weren’t inevitable. They were choices made to hit lower price points and higher profit margins.

It established a template for premium releases that Jordan Brand would return to repeatedly in the following years. The tiered pricing strategy Nike uses now… standard releases at $170-$200, premium versions at $250-$350… was pioneered by Bin 23. The idea of adding special packaging, better materials, and limited availability to justify higher prices became standard practice.

It created a small but dedicated collector base willing to pay significantly more for genuinely better products. The people who bought Bin 23 shoes when they initially released understood what they were getting. Many of them still consider those shoes among their best Jordan pickups ever. That audience still exists today and is arguably much larger now than it was then.

The Resale Market That Never Developed

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Bin 23 Collection is what happened on the resale market… or more accurately, what didn’t happen.

In an era where limited Jordan releases routinely sold for 2-3x retail price on the secondary market, after the initial buzz, Bin 23 shoes often sold for about their original retail price just a few years after release. In rare instances, you could find deadstock Bin 23 Jordan 5s for $200 or so when they had retailed for $175. Bin 23 Jordan 2s sat on eBay with minimal interest despite their exceptional quality. Of course, now 15 years later they’ve done the typical Swoosh effect pricing on the aftermarket.

The resale market’s rejection of Bin 23 told the story clearly: sneakerheads didn’t value quality and craftsmanship as highly as they claimed. They valued recognizable colorways, cultural cachet, and the ability to quickly flip shoes for profit. The Bin 23 Collection offered none of those things.

Today, that’s starting to change. As the sneaker market has matured and more collectors have developed an appreciation for genuine quality over hype, Bin 23 shoes are slowly gaining recognition. Prices are starting to rise as people realize how special these releases were. But it’s a slow appreciation, not the immediate resale frenzy that Jordan Brand probably expected.

If Bin 23 Launched in 2026 Instead of 2010

Here’s an interesting thought experiment: what if Jordan Brand released the Bin 23 Collection today instead of fifteen years ago? Well, we’re sort of gonna find out. House of Heat says the Bin 23 Air Jordan 6 is coming this spring.

The sneaker market in 2026 is radically different. The resale market is exponentially larger and more sophisticated. Platforms like StockX and GOAT have educated millions of people about quality differences between releases. YouTube reviews and Instagram posts can reach millions of potential customers instantly, showing them exactly why premium materials justify higher prices.

Consumer purchasing power among sneaker enthusiasts has increased dramatically. Current recession aside, the average sneakerhead today thinks nothing of spending $300-400 on a single pair of shoes. The “Remastered” Jordan releases at $220+ retail became the new normal. Collaborations with luxury brands regularly hit $500+ retail prices and sell out immediately.

Cultural attitudes have shifted, too. In 2010, most sneakerheads prioritized quantity over quality… buying five pairs of $100 shoes rather than one pair of $500 shoes. Today, there’s a growing segment of collectors who appreciate craftsmanship, willing to pay more for fewer, better shoes. The influence of menswear culture, Japanese quality standards, and luxury fashion has filtered into sneaker collecting.

If Jordan Brand released Bin 23 today with the same quality standards, pricing, and limited availability, I believe they’d be significantly more successful. The market is ready now in a way it wasn’t in 2010.

The Complete Collection Question

Which brings us back to the original question: what would you pay for the entire Jordan Bin 23 Collection?

The complete set… Jordan 2, Jordan 5, Jordan 13, Jordan 9, and Jordan 7, all in deadstock condition with original packaging… represents one of the most interesting collecting opportunities in Jordan Brand history. You’re not buying hype. You’re not buying recognizable colorways. You’re buying the best-constructed, highest-quality Jordans ever produced in a limited run that most people missed entirely.

The entire collection occasionally appears on eBay or through private sales. Prices vary wildly depending on the seller’s knowledge and the buyer’s understanding of what they’re getting. I’ve seen complete sets listed anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500. For five pairs of exceptional shoes with premium packaging, that’s actually reasonable compared to buying five pairs of hyped Jordan retros.

For collectors who prioritize quality over hype, the Bin 23 Collection represents incredible value. These are shoes you can actually wear without worrying about them falling apart. They’re built to last decades, not just survive a few Instagram photos. And as more people discover them and prices rise, getting a complete set becomes increasingly difficult.

The Legacy of Bin 23

The Jordan Bin 23 Collection matters because it showed what’s possible when Jordan Brand actually tries to make the best shoes they can, regardless of cost constraints. It matters because it proved that sneakerheads will buy premium products… just not at any time, at any price, in any colorway.

It matters because it was a commercial failure that taught Jordan Brand valuable lessons about how to position and market premium releases. Everything Jordan Brand has done since with premium tiers… from Remastered to Craft to various collaboration strategies… was informed by what they learned from Bin 23.

And it matters because a small group of collectors got to experience what Jordans could be if quality was the only consideration. Those collectors still talk about their Bin 23 shoes with reverence. They know they own something special that represents a brief moment when Jordan Brand was willing to prioritize perfection over profit margins.

So what would you pay for the entire Jordan Bin 23 Collection? The better question might be: what is it worth to own a piece of sneaker history that most people missed entirely?

The entire collection is still occasionally available through online marketplaces and private collectors. But be aware… you’ve got to pay to play. And honestly? If you appreciate genuine quality and craftsmanship in sneakers, it might be one of the best investments you make in your collection.

Because the Jordan Bin 23 Collection isn’t about hype or nostalgia. It’s about what happens when Jordan Brand builds shoes the right way, even if the market isn’t ready to appreciate it yet.

Sometimes the best sneakers aren’t the ones everyone remembers. They’re the ones everyone forgot to notice in the first place.

Related Reading:

• The Evolution of Jordan Retro Quality – How Jordan Brand has approached quality over the decades
• Premium vs. Standard Jordans: What You’re Actually Paying For

Do you own any Bin 23 Jordans? Share your thoughts on whether they lived up to the hype in our Substack community.