First Looks // Air Jordan 11 “Columbia” (Legend Blue)

Arguably the most anticipated in annual leaks, the Holiday Air Jordan 11 release draws significant interest — especially when Jordan Brand plans to bring back an original colorway of their eleventh signature sneaker. And for the Holiday 2024 season, a long-awaited retro of the Air Jordan 11 "Columbia" — AKA "Legend Blue" has been penciled in.

The Jordan Brand has been revisiting the original colorways of its iconic sneakers over the past decade, each in retooled "high cut" patent leather. Now, it seems they are set to bring back the one remaining original color scheme yet to be retroed: the “White/Columbia Blue/Black” ensemble first introduced in 1996.

This particular colorway holds a special place in the history of sneakers. Michael Jordan only wore this clean version of his eleventh signature model during the 1996 NBA All-Star Game. The sneaker has long been celebrated for its fresh look and connection to the University of North Carolina, making it a coveted piece among collectors and fans alike.

In 2014, the Air Jordan 11 “Legend Blue” was released (pictured below), which, while similar, received mixed reactions. Many fans appreciated the straightforward design, but others yearned for a version that stayed more true to the original 1996 release. According to these rumors, the upcoming release is likely to follow Tinker Hatfield’s original blueprint more closely. This aligns with Jordan Brand’s recent trend of faithfully recreating popular silhouettes. We might see semi-translucent outsoles that abandon the “Legend Blue” finish in favor of a look more akin to the debut “Columbia Blue” pair.

The Air Jordan 11 “Columbia” is expected to be available on Nike SNKRS in full-family sizing by December 14th, 2024.

This pair is just one of many Air Jordan releases previewed for the year ahead, all of which you can check out here on our comprehensive Air Jordan Release Dates Calendar.