The First Can’t-Miss Air Jordans of 2026 Are Here

Ever since 2026 rang in, the sneaker world has been slowly thawing out from its holiday hibernation. January’s release calendar generally starts slow, with the kicks really heating up in February between the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Weekend. Still, the first month of the year usually contains at least a couple launches of note that get the ball rolling. This Saturday, January 17, those sneakers are here: Two standout releases from Jordan Brand that should set the standard for the brand (and the rest of the sneaker world) throughout 2026.

The more slept-on of the two drops is the Air Jordan 4 ‘Flight Club,’ a pristine take on one of the best Jordans ever. The Air Jordan 4—the second Tinker Hatfield-designed silhouette in MJ’s signature line—launched in 1989, the same year as the Air Jordan Flight Club, a mail-in fan club that offered seasonal newsletters, exclusive apparel, posters, and other dope Jordan fan gear. The brand has incorporated the Flight Club moniker across a number of colorways and silhouettes over the years, but it’s rarely touched a premiere Jordan silhouette like the 4.

This edition slaps the classic Air Jordan Flight Club logo across the tongue and sockliner of a simple, clean, and classic Jordan 4 colorway. The upper consists of a sail-white nubuck capped off with black accents and a Nike Air logo across the heel. Streaks of red on the sole and inside of the tongue bring the classic Jordan color scheme to the colorway.

The same day, a far more left-of-center pair of Js arrives courtesy of Nike’s beloved Doernbecher Freestyle project. A long-running annual tradition, the initiative sees young residents of the OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital design their own Nike sneakers. These shoes are often wildly imaginative and audacious, eschewing self-conscious sneaker design for big, bold colors and detailing (one of this year’s efforts features a friendship bracelet on each shoe).

The standout of the 2026 collection is an Air Jordan 17 Low designed by Zach Rumbaugh. It’s the first time the 17 has gotten the Doernbecher Freestyle treatment and Rumbaugh has welcomed the silhouette into the fold with style with a colorway inspired by his love of cars and cats. The shoe is decked out in a deep purple with a matte chrome finish, playing off of embossed black detailing and a glow-in-the-dark green sole. The finished product looks like a Maybach driven by the Joker (complimentary).

The first can’t-miss Jordans of the year drop on January 17 via SNKRS and select retailers. The Air Jordan 4 ‘Flight Club’ retails for $220, while the Air Jordan 17 Doernbecher Freestyle comes in at $230.