This Fan-Favorite Air Jordan Sneaker Is Expected to Return for the First Time Ever
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Footwear News may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
2025 is the 35th anniversary of the iconic Air Jordan 5 and fittingly, Jordan Brand has plans to reissue a number of the sneaker’s most iconic colorways — along with a few new ones. But while many high-profile Air Jordan 5 releases will take place this year, recent information is pointing to a fan-favorite version of the sneaker being stowed away until 2026.
Originally released in May of 2011, the Air Jordan 5 Retro “Wolf Gray” is currently expected to return during spring ’26. The leak comes by way of trusted source @brandon1an and Sneaker Market RO, who say full-family sizing for the sneaker is expected. With a full colorway of “Light Graphite/White/Wolf Gray,” the sneaker features a tonal gray upper on a unique textured nubuck material.
Watch on FN
White is used on the liner, branding and the midsole’s shark teeth motif to break things up, but the look is otherwise an all-gray affair. The heel features Michael Jordan’s personalized “23” stitching, a detail which historically has been included in erratic fashion on the Air Jordan 5. Also unique to this style is its translucent rubber outsole, which covers the full-length of the sole but is usually only used on portions of the bottom.
While ’11 was not a significant milestone year for the Air Jordan 5 model, the sneaker did receive a number of memorable releases including a luxe “Bin 23” colorway, a July 4th-timed “Independence Day” look, a “Quai 54” colorway for the Parisian basketball tournament, the original “Black/Metallic” makeup and of course, the “Wolf Gray” pair featured here.
In addition to this pair, other recently rumored ’26 Air Jordan Retro releases include the “He Got Game” Air Jordan 13 and the “Infrared” Air Jordan 6.
The Air Jordan 5 “Wolf Gray” is expected to be released during spring ’26. More details are expected in the coming months but for now, the original ’11 version is pictured below.
