1990 was a Good Year for the Air Jordan V

The Nike Air Jordan came into the world's view, first on the hardwood floor of the old Chicago stadium where Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls played their home games. With Michael already a star and right on the cusp of becoming an NBA champion, 1990 became the Air Jordan V's appointed time to make its debut. With its inspiration being based on the Air Force's F-16 fighter jet, the Air Jordan V was destined for flight.

A large part of its popularity was based in its unique design. The upper was either Nubuck or full grain leather depending on the color, but this bit is negligible. The AJ V possesses an asymmetrical cut around the collar of the shoe, making it a technical ¾ mid shoe, teetering on the edge of a legitimate hi-top basketball sneaker. Plastic vent netting covers the tongue's foot bridge and sides of the shoe, acting almost as if they were heat ducts of a plane. Polyurethane makes the midsole soft and durable for the rigors of the game, and the midsole itself houses Air-Sole cushioning in both the heel and forefoot areas for maximum comfort (at least for technology in 1990). With the addition of lots of eyelets for customizable fit, and the Air Jordan V has reasons for being a classic shoe in the Air Jordan family.

From a performance standpoint, the AJ V tests well. For the reasons given above, comfort is a main reason. It's hard not to feel good when playing the shoes themselves, because there are so many liberties taken for the foot to be supported, while maintaining lightweight characteristics of a running shoe.

The Jordan's clear rubber outsole has wonderful traction, because the grooves in the sole are so deep-with that alone, the shoe's on-court life is extended by at least 50-100 game wears, and even more if it's just a casual shoe.

The only caveat with the AJ V is the fact that it wears best with a person who is flat-footed, just like its namesake. Actually most, if not all, of the Air Jordans made have a low arch to accommodate Michael himself. Beyond that and maybe some slight shifting in the toebox on cuts, the fifth installment in the Air Jordan series is a winner on looks and performance altogether.

In Brand Jordan's best interest in creating buzz, retroactive models of the older shoes in the series have been released, with the AJ V being a poster child for all that has gone right with the Retro series at the Jordan Brand.

In Jordan's mind, it wouldn't be a total surprise if he defined the shoe by how far he went in the 1989-1990 season-as a refresher, he lost to the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs, essentially defining Jordan as a winning loser for the sixth straight year in the league.

But for fans of the Air Jordan series, this model might be the winning installment in their many collections.