With summer winding down, temperatures may be ready to drop — but the sneaker heat shows no signs of cooling off. September brings the return of an iconic Air Jordan colorway seen on the silver screen, a Knicks-inspired Penny Hardaway PE and a Kobe collaboration with FC Barcelona.
Here’s your playbook for the top sneakers dropping this month.
Top Sneaker Drop of September 2026: Air Jordan 9 “Space Jam”
Michael Jordan didn’t wear the Air Jordan 9 on an NBA court as a member of the Chicago Bulls. But he did wear a classic White/Black/Red colorway in his 1996 film Space Jam as a member of the Tune Squad, and the rest is history. Jordan Brand is commemorating the 30th anniversary of Space Jam with this retro, set to drop on September 19.
Tinker Hatfield designed the Air Jordan 9 for the 1993-94 NBA season, but Jordan’s first retirement meant the silhouette debuted without its namesake on an NBA court. Hatfield said in the book Driven From Within that the design was inspired by Japanese simplicity. That feels appropriate as the model celebrates the international growth of the game of basketball, thanks in large part to Jordan’s participation as a member of the Dream Team. From the Jordan symbol in a globe on the back heel to various words in foreign languages, the model recognizes basketball’s status as a global game. The shoe is most known from a design perspective for its inner bootie, one-pull speed lacing system and tooth-like midsole.
Although His Airness never wore the Air Jordan 9 in an NBA game for the Bulls, the silhouette still found a permanent home at the United Center: The model appears on the Michael Jordan statue unveiled during his first retirement in 1994. Jordan also wore a cleated version as a member of the Birmingham Barons during his time riding the bus as a minor-league baseball player. But the greatest exposure this underrated model would receive would come from its close-up in Space Jam, as MJ shows Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang that he can still hoop.
This is the first time this OG colorway is hitting store shelves since 2016. The iconic sneakers return in fine form and will come in special Tune Squad packaging, featuring a white lid and a blue box with a starry pattern. If you can’t wait for the September 19 release date, you can get a pair early from StockX, with an average price of $287 on 32 sales over the last three months.
Air Jordan 9 “Space Jam” Release Details
| Model | Air Jordan 9 |
| Release Date | September 19, 2026 |
| Release Time | 10 a.m. ET |
| Retail Price | $215 |
| Colorway | “Space Jam” |
| Where to Buy | SNKRS, Foot Locker |
If you have questions or just want to talk sneakers, hit me up on X — my username is @byAndySilva — and on BlueSky — my username is @byandysilva.bsky.social. And make sure to check out some of my other articles, including:
Good luck if you’re going after any of these sure-to-be-popular releases!
Sneaker Release Calendar for September 2026
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