From the Vault: ''Jordan 5 Premio Bin23''

Few sneakers have a more interesting backstory than the ''Jordan 5 Premio Bin23''. Today we’ll be taking a look at how the colorway and Jordan Brand’s now-defunct ''Bin23'' program came to be, and how the collection was way ahead of the luxury sneaker curve.

When Michael Jordan retired from the NBA for good in 2003, Jordan Brand needed to get creative in order to keep sneaker collectors interested in Air Jordans. One of the ways it did so was by collaborating with music artists like Eminem and up-and-coming retailers like Undefeated. Another way was by recreating classic Air Jordan models in colorways made from premium materials and packaged with high-end shoe trees and dust bags as part of a collection of sneakers called “Bin23.” Released in super limited quantities for only a select few Jordan silhouettes, the “Bin23” line was short lived, but super impactful. Today, many of the more upscale Jordan releases, and sneaker releases in general, are indirectly inspired by the “Bin23” collection.

As for the ''Jordan 5 Premio Bin23'', the colorway stands out from the other “Bin23” sneakers, and other Jordan releases before and after it, for a few reasons. For the design of the shoe, Jordan Brand teamed up with longtime Air Jordan collector and former Cincinnati Bearcats basketball player Alex Meachum, who is a good friend of the brand. According to Meachum, the “Bin23” Jordan 5 is partly inspired by MJ’s wearing of the original Jordan 5 “Metallic Silver” colorway with white laces against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1990 NBA Playoffs. The white-on-black look caught his attention back in the day, and is the reason why the “Bin23” Jordan 5 comes with white laces.

Overall, the “Bin23” is similar in appearance to the OG Jordan 5 “Metallic Silver,” but filled with premium details. Soft black leather lines the entire upper, save for the netting on the tongue and mid-panel. A red “Bin23” stamp replaces the Jordan 5’s original “Nike Air” branding on the heel. The colorway does however retain the Jordan 5’s “23” embroidery on the left side of the heel (albeit in blacked-out fashion) and red Jumpman embroidery on the silver reflective tongue. There’s a clear lace lock on the tongue, as well, which was found on the original Jordan 5 and many retros.