Year: 2005
Are you surprised? Well that was the idea all along. In the mid-aughts when Jordan Brand was feverishly working on the Tinker Hatfield-led Air Jordan 20, the company did everything in its power to keep the major flagship model from leaking—so much so that it devised a shoe known as the Jordan Decoy, or to those at home, the Jordan Dub Zero.
Literally trying to throw fake factories and online clout chasers off their track, the Dub Zero carried a red herring name intended to make counterfitters think it was the actual Air Jordan 20. (Get it, Dub Zero?) The plan worked perfectly as bootleggers bought in on the idea of an anniversary Air Jordan appearing as a hybrid model made to honor the legacy.
The last part is the kicker: hybrid Air Jordans or rather Team Jordans of that origin didn’t exist before the Dub Zero dropped in 2005. And not only did it drop, it flew.
Colorways of the sport-inspired and lifestyle variety hit hard in the holiday season and spoke to consumers unable to keep up with bi-monthly retro releases or wait in line once a year for the Retro 11. The laser storytelling was fresh and forward thinking while the idea to combine the best aspects of every Air Jordan prior was exactly what every kid in America had been attempting in their notebook since the dawn of time.
By drafting off MJ’s prime in a decidedly lifestyle way, the Team Jordan made to move in the mall on Sunday through Friday was born, and so was a billion dollar category. You won’t find many other shoes on this list that were faked and it’s fair to say that these and the 6 Rings are the only Team Jordan any sneakerhead of any era or taste level can name instantly without pause.
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