How Will Smith Made the Air Jordan 5 “Grape” a ’90s Legend

16th June 2025 EDT RELEASES

How Will Smith Made the Air Jordan 5 “Grape” a ’90s Legend

How the Fresh Prince turned basketball court shoes… into royal court shoes.

How Will Smith Made the Air Jordan 5 “Grape” a ’90s Legend

Nike Air Jordan 5 Retro OG "Grape" (2025) Retail US$

The Air Jordan 5 “Grape”, released in 1990, holds a unique spot in the pantheon of sneakers, not only for its then-adventurous design but also for its profound cultural resonance, largely amplified by Will Smith’s celebrity status in the 1990s.

With the pair getting retro-ed for the third time (2006, 2013, and 2025), and hitting shelves once more on 20 June, it’s worth revisiting the “Grape” AJ5’s history, especially for the younger members of the culture who were too young to remember, or who weren’t even born yet. How the Fresh Prince turned basketball court shoes… into royal court shoes.

▪ Nike Air Jordan 5 Retro OG “Grape” (2025)

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The Air Jordan 5 Retro OG “Grape” departed from the traditional red and black tones of the Chicago Bulls, introducing a fresh palette of white leather paired with a previously untested grape purple, teal accents, and an icy translucent outsole.

Designed by Tinker Hatfield, the AJ5 featured innovative elements such as a reflective tongue, lace locks, and shark-tooth midsole detailing inspired by World War II fighter planes—features that gave the shoe an aggressive edge, mirroring Michael Jordan’s intensity on the court.

However, while Michael Jordan’s influence was foundational, the “Grape” AJ5’s cultural impact and resonance skyrocketed largely thanks to Will Smith, who frequently sported the shoes on his hit TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Smith’s style and the show’s widespread popularity helped embed the “Grape” 5s into the ’90s streetwear and sneaker zeitgeist, making them a symbol of that era’s vibrant, albeit nascent, youth culture. This crossover from basketball courts to studio sets transformed the Air Jordan 5 from a legendary performance shoe into a legendary performer’s shoe.

Its star became even brighter by its appearances in Nike advertising campaigns, including Michael Jordan’s image on a Wheaties box wearing the “Grapes”, as well as various retro releases over the years.

Notably, in 2018, a laceless “Fresh Prince” edition paid direct homage to how Smith often styled the shoe in the show. Nevertheless, purists had long awaited a true OG retro with the original “Nike Air” branding on the heel—a feature that will return in the 2025 reissue.

(Image courtesy of HYPEBEAST)

As the Air Jordan 5 celebrates its 35th anniversary, the “Grape” colorway returns faithful to the blueprint of the original 1990 release. The upcoming drop features a classic white leather upper, accompanied by grape and teal accents, and the nostalgic and fan-favorite “Nike Air” heel tab, all packaged in vintage-style box art.

This commemorative release not only honors the sneaker’s design heritage but also its cultural significance, reminding collectors and fans why the “Grape” AJ5 remains a beloved ’90s legend.

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