Five of the finest (x2)
I’ve always been drawn to samples. Sure, their exclusivity is attractive, but it’s more about ‘what could have been‘ had they seen a retail release for me. A lot of the time, they’re garbage and left on the cutting floor for good reason. But from all the samples I’ve seen over the years, there’s a hell of a lot that would have made instant classics. I’ve always wanted to do these lists, and I feel that now’s the right time. And I’m going to start with a silhouette that really isn’t one of my favorites; the Air Jordan 5.
Look, I know, it’s a classic silhouette. But for me, they’re uncomfortable as hell. Ultra-flat with no cushioning and tongues higher than Snoop Dogg make it very uncomfortable wear. That being said, I would wear every single pair from this list below — they are straight fire!
SO here are ten of the best Air Jordan 5 Samples that never made it to market (but wish that they did)
Air Jordan 5 “Wedding” // 2006
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/7da72d111f8db27533a487f84c8ac0f691c648d3-960x640.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-Wedding-Sample-2006.jpg?rect=0,1,960,639&w=320&h=213&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “Midnight Navy” // 2006
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/205992fbfce4b037e07b6cb57c9d3552cc1db78f-600x456.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-%E2%80%9CMidnight-Navy%E2%80%9D.jpg?w=320&h=243&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “Grey/Burgundy” // 2006
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/b970f86e0c1b97c234d92139e266f568ad2b41a7-600x402.jpg/concept-lab-air-jordan-5-grey-burgundy-1.jpg?rect=0,1,600,401&w=320&h=214&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “Grey/Navy” // 2006
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/0a317831fe970d8edc19c85c3031968a4ceb0cf0-800x600.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-NavyGrey-Sample-2006.jpg?w=320&h=240&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “Wedding” // 2006
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/197f2434a9be89e2d7db2f5c92f11cb4aa79347d-570x427.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-Wedding-Sample-2006-Black.jpg?rect=1,0,569,427&w=320&h=240&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “CP3” // 2013
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/f37a8db5798423fcac0e0acc1b09363a5a1cfa7f-900x631.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-Chris-Paul-2013.jpg?rect=0,1,900,630&w=320&h=224&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “Dark Army” // 2009
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/48994eb0b93ce2c8d263d055326e1b4e3c8e0d85-650x420.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-Dark-Army-Sample-2009.jpg?rect=1,0,649,420&w=320&h=207&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “Blackout” // 2011
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/c364e25ed069076fe20cff61f9607253b6f9ac5b-578x385.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-Blackout-Sample-2011.jpg?w=320&h=213&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “Melo” // 2013
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/6bc2fead5660fbf1f0b7dd0f637c926682582564-706x470.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-Melo-PE-2013.jpg?w=320&h=213&auto=format)
Air Jordan 5 “Georgetown” // 2012
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/pu5wtzfc/production/4ffd815a37a6726f04749cf57cb72fbdf56f748d-900x600.jpg/Air-Jordan-5-Georgetown-2012.jpg?rect=0,1,900,599&w=320&h=213&auto=format)