Mashed-Up! A Complete Guide to Hybrid Air Jordan Sneakers

In the modern era, Jordan Brand has almost exclusively taken inspiration from its own heritage for future releases. The signature number line is a key culprit, with the likes of the Air Jordan 36 and Air Jordan 34 honoring the Air Jordan 6 and Air Jordan 4 respectively through design elements. Then there are the countless retro colorways borrowed and shared amongst silhouettes, most recently the Air Jordan 6 that hijacked the OG Air Jordan 7 “Bordeaux” scheme. There’s a multitude of heritage-inspired trainers, performance, and lifestyle models that serve up designs heavy on Jordan Brand DNA. Despite all of this, the Jumpman’s true hybrid shoes (the ones that utilize unadulterated design elements from multiple signature shoes) receive all the ridicule.

Of course, not all hybrid Jordans are of the new century, with the first dating back to 1986, where a young Micahel Jordan took to the NBA hardwood with a mashed-up version of his debut signature sneaker to help him work his way back from a broken foot. Since then, the lineage has grown alongside Jordan’s legacy in size and stature, enabling the brand to both honor his past accomplishments and experiment with blending silhouettes — a trademark of heritage Nike products.

From Spike Lee’s Mars Blackmon-tied retros mashed-up to championship-honoring silhouettes, there have been quite a few true Jordan Hybrids from the past 35 years — some much more notorious than others. The Dub Zero and 6 Rings are amongst those, often — and unfairly — criticized for their design, despite pulling elements from fan-favorite Jordan Models from over the years. There are newer ones, older ones, and many you’ve likely forgotten about, too.

Sow without further adieu, here’s a comprehensive list of true Air Jordan Hybrid sneakers:

Air Jordan 1.5

As mentioned above, the Frankenstein Air Jordan 1 was curated by Nike for Mike’s recovery. After years, and years, and years of fans begging for a retro, the pars released for the first time in 2015 — just to sit on shelves. He did the same with Dunk soles, too, though they’ve never been released.

Air Jordan 18.5

Though there’s a handful of .5 Team designs, not many of them kept the original design lines intact. Whilst those went fore more modernized-yet-heritage-inspired designs, the 18.5 kept things almost untouched. This was the very first .5 design, a theme that was followed for Carmelo Anthony and several Team Jordan editions.

Jordan Dub Zero

Often touted as the original Air Jordan Hybrid, it was made to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Air Jordan. It features various design elements from the Air Jordan catalog including the Air Jordan 3, 4, 6, 11, and more. It, along with the Spiz’ike and 6 Rings remains the market’s most favored hybrids from the brand.

Jordan Spiz’ike

The Jordan Spiz’ike is a homage to Spike Lee and his time spent in the role of Mars Blackmon during the initial Air Jordan marketing campaigns. The sneaker utilizes design components from Air Jordans featured in the advertisements, including the Air Jordan 3, 4, 5, 6, and 20. It saw an initial and highly limited release in 2006 causing extreme hype, followed by a sprinkling of releases from 2007 to as recently as 2020.

Air Jordan Fusion 12

If you were around the sneaker scene in 2008-9, it was all about Fusions, a series of Air Force 1 x Air Jordan retros — mostly in OG colorways — that ruled the streets. It all started with this, the Air Jordan Fusion 12 “Taxi”, which quite obviously got people hyped for the epic run to follow.

Air Jordan Fusion 5

The second Jordan Fusion to hit shelves was the Five, which saw the series debut both High and Low cuts for the first time. The former (pictured above) opted for the classic Air Force 1 Mid strap complete with a netted finish, while the Lows added an intriguing ‘Is It The Shoes?’ graphic throughout the upper. Though these didn’t feature a visible Air unit like the proceeding 3, 4, and 6 designs, it did tack on their forefeet teeth and icy outsoles to mimic the OG ’90 design.

Air Jordan Fusion 3

The Jordan AJF 3 was one of the more popular models in the Fusion series — and it’s easy to see why. The sole fit is perfect, resulting in the closest-to-original designs of the series. It also debuted the design’s visible Air unit and kept its signature elephant print detail up-top. There were several OG colorways, special-edition releases, and the notable House of Hoops exclusive honoring the Mars Blackmon/Michael Jordan Best on Mars/Best on Earth narrative — which, by the way, still slap.

Air Jordan Fusion 6

The streets were flooded with the Air Jordan Fusion 6 in 2008 in both High and Low form. Like the Fusion 5, these too featured the signature Air Force 1 strap, but the Lows were void of any extra detailing. Once again the Air unit was visible, and it boasted a strong run of new and OG-inspired colorways to boot.

Air Jordan Fusion 8

The Air Jordan Fusion 8 was, and still is, a low-key sleeper amongst the series. Boasting OG colorways like the pictured “Aqua”, “Bugs Bunny” and “Playoff”, as well as an incredibly hot “Firepit” option, amongst others.

Air Jordan Fusion 20

Just three years on from its debut, the Air Jordan 20 got the nod to join the Fusion lineage. What may seem like a strange move in retrospect, the 20th anniversary Air Jordan enjoyed one of the warmest receptions for a retro in the post-Jordan era. Offered in Mid and Low variants, colorways ranged from OG options like the pictured “Stealth” to new color options featuring varying forms of leather.

Air Jordan Fusion 4

The Air Jordan Fusion 4, like the AJF3, was a success at retail for the brand, with all four original colorways of the Air Jordan 4 making their way to the model. There were also two 2005 Laser editions reimagined on the Fusion, which are still debatable amongst sneakerheads. The pictured Black Cement (Bred) and White Cement pairs remain personal favorites to this day.

Air Jordan Fusion 13

Following the Fusion 4 in 2009 was the Air Jordan Fusion 13. The design featured a multi-material upper complete with Air Force 1 strap, and a suede-covered, pod-sectioned midsole, too. OG-inspired ‘Black Toe,’ ‘Flint’ and “Bred” colorways ensured.

Air Jordan Fusion 9

The Air Jordan Fusion 9 was released in both mid and low top options and featured every single one of the retro’s original colorways of the Air Jordan 9, as well as a colorway honoring the 2002 “Blue Peal” Jordan 9 Low — a sneaker that was made a mid back in 2019. It, like the Air Jordan Fusion 5, featured a modified midsole to showcase the original design’s segmented forefoot rise.

Air Jordan 16.5

One of the only Team Jordan mash-ups that embodies the true DNA of its joining parties, the Air Jordan 16.5 kept design cues practically unchanged between the parts of the 16 and 17. It’s one of the rare in-between models in the Jordan signature line and debuted in OG and new colorways alike.

Jordan Sixty Plus

The much lesser-known follow-up to the Jordan 6 Rings, the Jordan Sixty Plus first debuted in 2009 and was a commemoration of the times Mike dropped a 60-piece during his NBA career, noting the shoes he was wearing during the respective performances. But it wasn’t just the models that drew from history, with colorways inspired by the franchises Mike embarrassed with point hauls, as well as a handful of retro-inspired colors like the “Laney” and “Grape.”

Air Jordan Fusion 10

By the time 2010 rolled around, the Fusion hype was clinically dead. The lesser-loved Air Jordan Fusion 10 was the final nail in the coffin for what was a fruitful capsule for the brand. There were some cool details, though, with the Air Force 1 outsole swapped to the iconic MJ ‘Achievement’ stripes, and the Air Force 1’s signature perforated toe box. Three colorways were originally set to drop however, only two made their way two retail: the O-inspired ‘Steel Grey’ and ‘Shadow’.

Jordan 6-17-23

Debuting in 2010, seen again in 2014/15, and set to return again this year, the Jordan 6-17-23 is, as you’d expect, a mash-up of models 6, 17, and 23. The pictured Black Carmine colorway is the most revered, having seen a release at every reintroduction to the market.

Jordan 6 Rings

Made to remember Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships, the Jordan 6 Rings combines Mike’s Finals footwear models in one concise design. Forging the Jordan 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, and 14, the 6 Rings was well-received when it first hit shelves back in 2010, though it’s since become the butt of many memes.

Jordan Son Of Mars

Serving as a follow-up to the famed Jordan Spiz’ike, the Jordan Son Of Mars made its debut just six years later in 2012. It is, in essence, very similar to the Spiz’ike, again Air Jordan 3, 4, 5, 6, and 20 — though this time it’s in a different arrangement, most notably, the Air Jordan 20 midfoot strap, the Air Jordan 6 quarter, and Air Jordan 5 sole unit. The design was later released as a low without the lasered strap.

Air Jordan 30.5 (Russell Westbrook)

Though Russell Westbrook loved the Jordan 31, it just wasn’t quite right; there was something missing. Turns out it was the traction to which Jordan Brand delivered a handful of 30.5 PEs to the 2017 NBA MVP — one of which made it to retail later that year.

Jordan Legacy 312

There was quite a bit of controversy behind the design of the Jordan Legacy 312, with now-AWOL sneaker-insider Pinoe77 revealing that the Don C-designed sneaker was, in fact, not designed by Don C at all. Pinoe suggested that the sneaker was already designed and produced before Don C knew anything about it. Pinoe77 claims that Jordan Brand was merely leveraging off his name to turn a shelf-sitter into a Hypebeast’s must-have. Despite a rebuttal from Don C, there is still a question mark hanging over the shoe. Regardless of the racket, the sneaker was a short-lived success in both High and Low-cut options over the 2018/19 period.

Jordan Spiz’ike Boot 270

The Jordan Spiz’ike Boot 270 — a hybrid of a hybrid — has only seen a handful of releases in its short-lived life, hitting shelves in late 2020, and is yet to be seen again. It features the upper of the Spiz’ike, with the sole unit of the Jordan Mars 270 — a semi-hybrid sneaker inspired by Mike’s retro lineage.

Jordan MVP 678

Like the 6 Rings, this hybrid sneaker borrows elements from Mike's championship sneakers. This time, though, they've looked exclusively to the first three-peat. As the title suggests, the sixth, seventh, and eighth models are all included, though it leans heavily towards the former.

Jordan Spizike Low

An extension of the beloved Spizike model, 2024 saw Jordan Brand debut the low-top variant to wide open arms; Fans loved the debut colorways and contemporary take ont he silhouette.

Jordan 2/3

First previewed by Gentry Humphries in late 2023, the Air Jordan 2/3 fusion felt right — and we mean more than Mike's number is 23. Not only do alternating soles and uppers blend perfectly, one would say it even looks better together than the original Peter Moore Air Jordan 2 design.