A classic from the early 1990s once worn by a Fresh Prince returns on Saturday, as the Air Jordan 5 Grape drops for a retail price of $210.
Air Jordan 5 “Grape” is releasing on June 21 🍇 pic.twitter.com/OlzqTunCzZ
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) May 30, 2025
The Grape 5s are perhaps the most famous colorway of the Air Jordan 5 despite never being worn on court, shaking up the traditional Bulls white/red/black color palate usually found on MJ’s sneakers up to that point.
The Air Jordan 5 continued a legendary stretch of models by the sneaker design GOAT, Tinker Hatfield, which began with the Air Jordan 3 and continued on through MJ’s clinching of his second three-peat in 1998 in the Air Jordan 14. Jordan was the epitome of pop culture transcendence in the early 1990s, appearing in commercials with Spike Lee and later Bugs Bunny, music vidoes with Michael Jackson and even hosting Saturday Night Live. After the Air Jordan 4 took to the big screen in Lee’s 1989 film Do The Right Thing, the Air Jordan 5 Grape took to the small screen, notable for appearing on the feet of Will Smith in the Must-See NBC sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Michael Jordan never laced up the Air Jordan 5 ‘Grape’ for an official game, but that didn’t stop it from becoming iconic.
From cameos on The Fresh Prince to a number of alternate makeovers, the ‘Grape’ style has lived many lives. Ahead of the pair’s next retro, which releases… pic.twitter.com/L6BxkQZ8Xf
— House of Heat° (@houseofheat) June 18, 2025
We haven’t gotten a full-on release of the Grapes since 2013, although the Fresh Prince special laceless makeup in 2018 came very close, including OG Nike Air branding on the heel. Jordan Brand continues to get these classic Jordan models closer to the OGs, with the shoe’s post on SNKRS noting that the 2025 Grapes feature “a streamlined collar and slightly more slanted toe shape.”
The Air Jordan 5 was inspired by World War II fighter jets, most notably the appearance of the “shark teeth”/flames toward the front of the midsole, a sly nod to MJ’s aerial artistry and relentless mode of attack. You can see how the model continues the design language of its immediate predecessors — including the visible air unit in the heel and an evolution of the netting from the Air Jordan 4. However, the 5s also chart their own course, sporting a higher cut and translucent outsole.
The Grape colorway is quintessential 1990s, with its Grape Ice and New Emerald accents mirroring the bold trends of the period, matching perfectly with the uber-popular Hornets Starter jackets that were everywhere at the time. The combination of a white leather upper paired with those Grape Ice and New Emerald accents on the midsole and tongue not only looked great, but served as a nod to the aforementioned expansion team that burst onto the scene in MJ’s home state. OG Nike Air branding is back on the heel in Emerald, and the translucent outsole features a Jumpman logo in Emerald again as well as Nike branding. To finish the story, SNKRS notes that “special packaging resembles the original box, resurrecting high-flying hoops nostalgia—and MJ’s must-have sneakers that coincided with the unforgettable era.”
As noted above, we haven’t seen a full-on retro of the Grape 5s since 2013 and this is the first time the colorway is returning with Nike Air branding on the heel since its original release in 1990. The 2013 retro currently has an average sales price of $256 over the last three months, while 2018’s laceless homage to the Fresh Prince is currently selling for an average price of $296. The 2025 edition falls somewhere in between on StockX, selling for an average price of $273 on 745 sales over the last three months.
The Air Jordan 5 Black Metallic Reimagined was something of a surprise hit earlier this year, seemingly getting a warmer response than recent retros of legendary models such as the Air Jordan 3 Black Cement or Air Jordan 11 Legend Blue. That could mean we’re going to be looking at a quick sell out of the Air Jordan 5 Grape, but best of luck to all those looking to pick up a pair!
Air Jordan 5 Grape Release Details
| Sneaker | Release Date | Retail Price |
| Air Jordan 5 Retro Grape | June 21 | $210 |
To see more of this month’s releases, check out our release date calendar.
