Michael Jordan’s Iconic Late-’90s Air Jordans Will Reportedly Return in an Original Colorway

After a January leak pointed to the return of a Michael Jordan sneaker famous for gracing both the NBA court and the big screen, new details are clarifying exactly which colorway is set to rerelease. 

Instead of the Air Jordan 13 Retro “He Got Game” that was originally rumored, newly surfaced information claims the 2026 retro will actually be a different style of Jordan’s thirteenth signature sneaker. Instead of the predominantly white-and-black “He Got Game” colorway, the Air Jordan 13 Retro “True Red” is expected to be the look that hits retail in spring ’26. 

Sometimes referred to as “Team Red,” “Cherry” or “Chicago,” the white-and-red Air Jordan 13 often shares a matching colorway description with the “He Got Game” colorway, which could explain the confusion regarding the upcoming release. The upcoming ’26 pair features a full colorway of “White/Black/True Red.”

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One of five original Air Jordan 13 mid-top colorways, the Chicago-themed “True Red” style was worn by Jordan during the 1997-98 NBA regular season. The iconic look has been rereleased in 2010 and 2017 along with a low-top variation in 2005 and a Golf version in 2017. 

The Tinker Hatfield-designed Air Jordan 13 uses a mostly leather upper with a red suede base and midsole. It features a dimpled texture across its white leather panels and a heel hologram depicting Jordan’s original Jumpman photograph. 

While the switch between the “He Got Game” pair and this “True Red” colorway may disappoint some Air Jordan fans, the silver lining is that both pairs are iconic and were worn by Jordan during the peak of his career.

This latest update comes courtesy of @zsneakerheadz and Sneaker Files, who report that the “True Red” Air Jordan 13 Retro will be released in full family sizing including grade school, preschool and toddler-sized pairs. The SKU for the men’s pair is 414571-102. The images pictured here are of the ’17 iteration, but readers can expect the upcoming release to look similar.