Sometimes a story can’t be told through color. Michael Jordan’s unparalleled career is littered with sneakers that reference moments that we will never forget. While red, black, and white occupy a majority of space in the hall of iconic Air Jordans, there have been other parts of the color spectrum that have broken through that tell the tale of not only Jordan’s greatness on the court, but his impact on culture as a whole.

In 2003, Nike’s Mark Smith wanted to take storytelling to a different playing field by integrating laser etching onto sneakers. Like tattoos that tell a person’s story through the ink on their body or ancient artworks chiseled into stone for future generations to learn from and appreciate, Smith’s approach to literally burning marks onto the leather of a sneaker’s upper adds depth to a sneaker that might otherwise be too plain that it might as well be invisible.

Since the Air Jordan 20 debuted in 2005 with laser-etched graphics on the midfoot strap, the technique has become a familiar process that has made its way through Air Jordans, Air Force 1s, Kobes, Dunks, and countless other classics in the archive. But like so many other sneaker tropes, laser will continue to be associated with Air Jordans. Let’s check out and tier-rank our way through the Air Jordan’s history of laser etched sneakers.

Yet To Release-Tier

Entries: Air Jordan 1 Low OG Laser, Air Jordan 3 Laser Palomino

Set to release on August 22nd, both the Air Jordan 1 Low and the Air Jordan 3 are getting the laser treatment for the first time. Well, there’s a caveat to the Air Jordan 3. Back in 2003, Mark Smith, legendary Jordan designer and retired Vice President of Innovation and Special Projects at Nike, was busy developing laser etching onto sneakers, two years before we would see them debut at retail with the Air Jordan 20. For Michael Jordan’s 40th birthday, Smith would gift MJ with an Air Jordan 3 with laser detailing. This laser detailing on the upcoming Air Jordan 3 is reportedly based on MJ’s birthday gift. Sneakerheads only had to wait 23 years to get them in hand.

Dub Zero-Tier

Entries: The entire Jordan Dub Zero run (2005-Present)

Released alongside the Air Jordan 20 in 2005, the Jordan Dub Zero was the first hybrid product that mashed together elements of previous Air Jordans into a new sneaker. Some of the borrowed pieces are easy to point out, like the tooling on the Air Jordan 4 or the patent leather of the Air Jordan 11, while others require a little more investigative work, like the pull tab of the Air Jordan 6. The Air Jordan 20’s contribution? Laser etched graphics* on the Air Jordan 13-inspired overlays. Lacking the cultural stigma that “Team Jordans” would eventually inherit, the Dub Zeroes were actually heavily marketed. They were popular enough to inspire people to create fakes and bootleg pairs, including the infamous SpongeBob Dub Zero.

*Several Dub Zeros opt for stitched-on graphics on the overlay but use the same style as the lasers to achieve a aesthetically different look while remaining stylistically similar.

Air Jordan 4 Laser Samples-Tier

Entries: Air Jordan 4 Laser White, Air Jordan 4 Laser Red, Air Jordan 4 Laser Blue, Air Jordan 4 Laser Chutney, Air Jordan 4 Laser Green

Through the years, Jordan Brand has played around with laser etching on various colorways of the Air Jordan 4 that never made it to retail. Unfortunately for the sneaker community, these samples broke containment from Nike’s not-so-secret vault and have become grails that they can never touch, creating a massive sense of sneaker FOMO. With the exception of the Air Jordan 4 Laser in white that features a different design from the retail pair, these samples have only existed as one-offs or gifts for friends and family.

D-Tier

Entries: Jordan 20 Fusions (2008), Jordan 4 Fusion Laser White (2010), Jordan 4 Fusion Laser Black (2010), Air Jordan 1 High Zoom Air CMFT Laser Gold (2021)

As somebody who has learned the hard way that there are fans of every sneaker that’s ever been made, I was shocked to discover during my younger sneaker blogging days back in the early 2010s that there are actual humans who like the Air Jordan-Air Force 1 Fusions. I thought Jordan Fusions were the result of a classic Air Jordan and an Air Force 1 messing up the Dragon Ball fusion dance and coming back in less than stellar form. People were not happy when I made those types of jokes at the expense of their beloved sneaker.

The reaction was swift, a little angry, but very genuine. I could not blame these on trolls, bots, or AI of non-Allen Iverson variety. These were fans who thought the Fusions were a creative way to combine two iconic Nike franchises and celebrate the legacy they have left in the sneaker world. It was a tale in humility; just because my sneakerhead circles did not care for Jordan Fusions, it did not mean they were irrelevant. That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped believing that every pair of Fusions should be strapped to a rocket and shot into the sun, but it does mean I respect other people’s very wrong opinions about them.

Apologies to the Air Jordan 1 Zoom with laser etchings. They could have had this entire tier to themselves, but including the Jordan Fusions felt like the right thing to do.

C-Tier

Entries: Air Jordan 20 OG 3/4 White Metallic Silver (2005), Air Jordan 5 Laser (2007), Air Jordan 15 Laser (2007), Jordan 6 Rings Nelly (2008), Air Jordan Prime 5 Laser (2010), Air Jordan 12 Low Golf NRG P22 (2022)

The C-Tier is composed of Air Jordans with laser details and good intentions. The ideas were solid and had potential to be major hits for the brand, but the execution of those ideas did not match what was probably cooking on those Jordan Brand vision boards.

The Air Jordan 20 3/4 is an interesting footnote in the history of the Air Jordan 20. A one-off that will likely never get a retro unless Travis Scott or another friend of the Jordan program stumbles upon them and finds a deadstock pair to wear to an event that has a viral moment, the Jordan 20 3/4 threads the needle between the mid-cut of the Air Jordan 20 and the Air Jordan 20 Low. Without the midfoot strap and free-floating strap, a lot of what made the sneaker unique was gone, except for the embossed graphics on the upper that mimic the laser etchings found on the flagship pairs.

There’s no doubt that the Air Jordan 5 Laser would do well should Jordan Brand decide to bring them back. Every few months for the past decade, there's been a social post wondering if the day will ever come to pass that the Laser 5s will make their retro return. When that day comes, hopefully Jordan Brand brings them back in proper form, but also without the Jordan Prime 5 Laser, a hybrid of the Air Jordan 5 and the Air Jordan 1 Alpha that included a Black Laser colorway for unexplained reasons.

Rounding out the tier are a trio of Air Jordans and Team Jordans that used laser etchings to a divisive or muted response. The reassessment of the Air Jordan 15 after the release of the 23RE-led Air Jordan 15 Black Muslin could lead the brand to a path where they take a look at the Air Jordan 15 Laser and decide that it could use a similar update that does away with the protruding tongue.

Like the Dub Zero, the Jordan Six Rings occupies a similar space as it became a Team Jordan that occasionally can break out with a colorway that piques the interest of the public. A limited edition Nelly pair was one of those instances as the pop-rap superstar was seen rocking them at the peak of the sneaker’s popularity. Finally, debuting laser detailing on a golf version of the Air Jordan 12 is an interesting choice that hopefully is revisited on a more mainstream pair over the next few years.

B-Tier

Entries: Air Jordan 20 Low White Midnight Navy (2005), Air Jordan 1 High Laser Premier (2013), Air Jordan 20 Playoffs (2015), Air Jordan 1 Mid Laser Derek Jeter (2015), Air Jordan 1 Mid Laser Quai 54 (2015), Air Jordan 4 Laser 30th Anniversary (2015)

Like the Air Jordan 20 3/4, the Air Jordan 20 Low has the potential to experience a level of popularity it never had during its first run, but it might need a 23RE makeover to give the silhouette some edits to fit the taste of the modern sneakerhead. 2015’s Air Jordan 20 Playoffs colorway is an example of such an edit as they replaced the glossy patent leather upper with a more traditional build in black that included the eye-popping ankle strap.

One underrated feature of the upcoming Air Jordan 1 Low Laser is that the laser etching will not follow the same formula as the Air Jordan 1 High and Air Jordan 1 Mid Laser releases from 2015. Even though they are unrelated, all three pairs feature the same panels that use laser details, although the Paris-exclusive pair keeps the toe box a solid black. Both Jordan 1 Mids, made for the Quai 54 tournament and Derek Jeter respectively, are rare variants that were only available for a limited time or handed out to friends of the program.

The first time the public started to show signs that maybe the laser “gimmick” needs to take a more restrained tack was when Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan 4 in icy white for the 30th anniversary of the label. While the laser details tell the story of Jordan Brand and bring depth to Mark Smith’s original take, the finished product was a little too busy for more casual fans. They also lamented the icy blue outsole that yellows over time a little too quickly.

A-Tier

Entries: Air Jordan 20 East Coast (2005), Air Jordan 2005 West Coast (2005), Air Jordan 20 Midwest (2005), Air Jordan 1 Old Love Laser MJ Signature (2007), Air Jordan 20 Countdown Pack (2008), Air Jordan 1 High Laser 30th Anniversary (2015), Air Jordan 20 Laser 30th Anniversary (2015), Air Jordan 4020 White Varsity Red (2026).

The regional exclusive was a big part of the Air Jordan 20’s rollout as Jordan Brand dropped three colorways that were only available in certain parts of the country. The idea was the artificial scarcity would create demand and lead collectors on a hunt to catch them all. Unfortunately, poor sales where fans preferred the Chicago Bulls white, black, and red colorways led to less desirable pairs being eventually made available all across the country.

Years before a hidden Michael Jordan signature was printed on the wings of the Air Jordan 1 Black Toe retro from 2025, friends and family were treated to an exclusive version of the Air Jordan 1 Old Love that features Jordan’s autograph laser-etched on the wings. The only thing keeping this pair from achieving S-Tier is the well-chronicled criticism about the New Beginnings Pack that includes the black and yellow Old Love pair and the decision to go with a mid-cut instead of something that’s closer to the original.

The other laser cut pairs from Jordan Brand’s 30th anniversary celebration include the Air Jordan 1 and Air Jordan 20, which were slightly better received than the Air Jordan 20, with the AJ 20 possibly being the best non-OG colorway of the landmark model. Jordan Brand would revisit the Air Jordan 20 and laser etching for the hybrid Air Jordan 4020 that combines the latest flagship Air Jordan with the signature features of the 20, including the midfoot strap and the pearlescent upper.

S-Tier

Entries: Air Jordan 20 White Varsity Red (2005), Air Jordan 20 Stealth (2005), Air Jordan 20 QS White Black (2005), Air Jordan 4 Laser Black (2005), Air Jordan 4 Laser White (2005), Air Jordan 4 Laser Black Gum (2019), Air Jordan 20 Doernbecher (2024)

The common thread of the Air Jordan 20s that earned S-Tier spots is that the graphics created by the laser etching do not overwhelm the sneaker. Keeping them exclusively to the midfoot strap allows the graphics to be centrally featured while the rest of the sneaker, from the upper to the controversial ankle, is allowed to breathe and be given time to shine.

History looks back on the Air Jordan 20 with mixed opinions, but one thing it cannot be accused of is playing it safe. This winning formula would be revisited on the Air Jordan 20 Doernbecher in 2024, which was only available via an auction to help raise money for the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

Despite the entire upper being covered in laser etching, the thin lines make the graphics feel more like a natural extension of the sneaker, particularly on the black-and-red and black-and-gum brown pairs. The thicker lines used on the 30th anniversary retros make them look like less-than-stellar tattoo jobs.

There's also the Air Jordan 4 Lasers in white and black that will both be getting a re-release in 2027, allegedly sold together in a pack for $500.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com