Air Jordan 5 'Laney' Returns in 2027

Before North Carolina, Chicago, championships, and the Air Jordan line, Michael Jordan’s basketball story ran through Emsley A. Laney High School. Jordan Brand will revisit those beginnings in 2027 with the return of the Air Jordan 5 'Laney,' a colorway that trades the familiar Chicago palette for the blue and yellow associated with Jordan’s Wilmington, North Carolina high school.

The upcoming retro keeps white leather at the center of the design, creating a clean backdrop for Varsity Royal and Varsity Maize accents. The school-inspired colors appear throughout the shoe, while black detailing, translucent sections underfoot, and an embroidered “23” complete the look.

The 'Laney' stands apart from many of the Air Jordan 5’s most famous releases because its story has little to do with Jordan’s NBA career. Instead, it celebrates an earlier chapter and the place where one of basketball’s most famous journeys began.

That connection first made its way onto the Air Jordan 5 in 2000. At the time, the release helped show how Jordan Brand could use retro models to tell stories beyond the colorways Michael Jordan originally wore with the Chicago Bulls. It has appeared only occasionally since. The original design returned in 2013, while Jordan Brand experimented with the concept again in 2019 by introducing a predominantly blue version of the 'Laney.'

The 2027 release brings the focus back to the recognizable white-based design, giving the school-inspired Air Jordan 5 another run more than two decades after its debut. The Air Jordan 5 'Laney' releases May 15, 2027, and will retail for $215 USD.