Air Jordan 2

The success of the Air Jordan I encouraged Nike to release a new Air Jordan in 1986 for the new basketball season. Designed by Peter Moore and Bruce Kilgore, the Air Jordan II was unique in that it was made in Italy. In early tests, MJ actually wore a prototype that fused the upper of the original Air Jordan with the cushioning being designed for the new model. The Air Jordan II featured a full-length Air-Sole unit intended to cushion's MJ's sore feet. The shoe bore a similar silhouette to the Nike Air Python that would release the following year. The AJ II featured a faux lizard skin and swooping lines that resembled the detailing of a sports car. This design aesthetic would factor into the Air Jordan line later in the series. The AJ II introduced better cushioning with a polyurethane midsole and a full-length encapsulated Nike Air capsule for maximum comfort. The Air Jordan II was the first Jordan not to have the Nike swoosh featured on the upper, though "Nike" was stitched across the heel counter. MJ only got to wear the Air Jordan II for 18 games in the 1986-87 season due to a broken foot. The shoe originally retailed at $100 when it was released from 1986 to 1987. The shoe later re-released, as the Jordan Retro 2, in 1994, 2004–05, 2008, 2010, 2014–18.