Where would sneaker culture be without Air Jordans? It’s undeniable that Michael Jordan’s signature shoes have been at the forefront of style ever since Jordan debuted the ''Jordan 1 with the Chicago Bulls''. And that continues to be the case in 2023, 25 years after Jordan last suited up for the team.

Today, Air Jordans are some of the most popular sneakers in the world due to their on-court heritage tied to the “GOAT,” and several other factors, too: collaborations, an appreciation for all things nostalgia, and movies like 2023’s “AIR” film and 2020’s “The Last Dance” docu-series.

As we look back on the year that was in 2023, it was another case of business as usual for Jordan Brand as far as releasing great sneakers that the community appreciates for the reasons mentioned above. You’ll see that momentarily as we go through what we’ve selected as the best Air Jordans of 2023.

The ''Jordan 3 White Cement Reimagined'' is definitely one of the best sneaker releases of the year so far. And that’s pretty obvious the moment you look at the shoe. Inspired by the Jordan 3’s original and iconic “White Cement” style, the “White Cement Reimagined” features details that haven’t been seen on any of the model’s recent retro releases. We’re talking about “Nike Air” branding on the heel, of course, but also updated elephant accenting that matches the patterning on the OG pair, a more accurate mid-top shape, and aged details that call to mind an unworn, original version of the Jordan 3 “White Cement” that you might have found in the stock room of a mom and pop sneaker shop in the early ‘90s.

After Jordan Brand re-released the ''Jordan 4 Lightning'' in 2021, it was all but a foregone conclusion that the brand would also bring back the ''Jordan 4 Thunder'' to complete the classic “Thunder & Lightning” pack that debuted in 2006. That’s exactly what happened earlier this year when, for the first time in over a decade, the ''Jordan 4 Thunder'' returned to sneaker culture. Just like both the original 2006 pair and the standalone 2012 pair, the modern “Thunder” features an eye-catching black-and-yellow color block that shows love to the former signature colors of Michael Jordan’s now-defunct Jordan Motorsports brand. In other words, the ''Jordan 4 Thunder'' is sneaker nostalgia at its finest.

A new year, a new  ''Jordan 1 High ‘85''. This time, Jordan Brand decided to capitalize on the popularity of the Nike Dunk’s “Panda” colorway by bringing back the original “Black/White” style that debuted way back in 1985. Released sparingly over the years, the “Black/White” was never worn by Jordan with the Chicago Bulls, but the colorway has become one of the most iconic for the Jordan 1 due to its timeless appearance.

Collaborations between Nike SB and Jordan Brand aren’t too common these days, but whenever they happen, it’s something special. That was once again the case when the two footwear brands teamed up to create the ''Nike SB x Jordan 4 Pine Green''. The shoe features an overall design more closely inspired by the OG Jordan 4, as well as the same color block as the Jordan 4’s original “Military Blue” release, but adds skate-specific design elements to help it perform better on the board.

It’s rare that the sequel ever lives up to the hype of the original. That goes for almost everything in life. Except in the case of the ''Jordan 1 High OG Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'' and the blockbuster film it draws inspiration from. The “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is the much ballyhooed follow-up to the ''Jordan 1 High OG Spider-Man: Origin Story'' from 2019. This time around, the “Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse” celebrates the 2023 movie of the same name, as one could imagine. Also as one could imagine by looking at the shoe, the colorway draws favorably from the Jordan 1’s no-introduction-needed “Chicago” style from 1985. Needless to say it’s one of the year’s best releases.

You know a trend is worth investing in when Travis Scott gives it a co-sign. That’s exactly what happened when the hip-hop star put his stamp of approval on the golf sneaker trend by releasing his collaborative ''Travis Scott x Jordan 1 Low Golf'' in October. Like Travis’s earlier Jordan 1 collaborations, the golf version of the classic Air Jordan shoe features an oversized, reversed Swoosh and a versatile color scheme for an undeniably fashionable look.