Thirty years ago, Michael Jordan played the Monstars with Bugs Bunny, and the shoe he wore became one of the most hyped sneakers ever made. On October 8, 2026, Jordan Brand announced its Space Jam 30th anniversary collection. It starts on November 5, and the main event, the Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam", follows on December 12 for $235.
The announcement covers more than shoes. There is a campaign, apparel and a six-part documentary. What it leaves out is the music, and for me that was half of what Space Jam meant.
The Collection: Release Dates and Prices
Jordan Brand's official announcement only gives November 5 as the start date, at jordan.com and select retailers. The dates and prices for single pairs come from Sneaker Bar Detroit and Complex. These are the key pairs:
- November 5: Air Jordan 1 Low "Magic Ball" ($130), Air Jordan 1 Low Golf "Space Jam" ($155), Air Jordan 1 Mid "Space Jam" ($165) and more lifestyle models
- November 11: Air Jordan 11 "Magic Ball" for women ($235), with an upper that shifts between four colors
- Mid-November: Air Jordan 11 "Green Screen" ($255), all green with orange accents on the outsole. Sneaker Bar Detroit says November 14, Complex says November 16.
- November 21: Air Jordan 3 "Lola Bunny" in grade school sizes ($155)
- December 12: Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam" (CT8012-900, $235)
There is also an Air Jordan 11 baseball cleat and a football cleat that is promo only and not for sale. The apparel includes a varsity jacket with a galaxy lining, a Lola Bunny jersey, hoodies and graphic tees. The Air Jordan 9 "Space Jam" is not part of this drop. It already came out in September.
The Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam": Back to 2000
Jordan first wore this black, concord and white colorway in the 1995 playoffs against Orlando, still with number 45 after his comeback. The film made it famous a year later. The first retail release came in 2000, followed by retros in 2009 and 2016.
According to Nice Kicks, the 2026 pair goes back to the 2000 version. It has a lower patent leather cut, "23" on the heel instead of the "45" from 2016, a royal blue Jumpman and "Jumpman Jam" on the tongue. It also has a ballistic mesh upper, an icy translucent outsole and a retro box with Jordan's face, like in 2000. Full family sizing is planned. It drops on SNKRS and at select retailers.
From Nike Commercial to Movie
Space Jam started as advertising. Nike's agency Wieden+Kennedy put Jordan and Bugs Bunny together in Super Bowl commercials in 1992 and 1993, both directed by Joe Pytka. Jordan's agent David Falk turned that into a movie deal with Warner Bros., and Pytka directed the film too. As Andscape reports, the film made about $250 million at the box office. More than 200 companies sold licensed merch.
So a sneaker brand celebrating Space Jam isn't just nostalgia. The film came out of a shoe campaign in the first place.
The Soundtrack: Method Man, Busta and the Monstars
The Space Jam soundtrack came out on November 12, 1996, on Warner Sunset and Atlantic. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and went six times platinum. For a lot of kids in the nineties, it was the first record with real rap on it.
The centerpiece for me is "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)". B-Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J and Method Man each take a verse as one of the Monstars, over a beat by the Trackmasters. It's a posse cut on a family movie soundtrack, with Method Man representing Wu-Tang right in the middle of it. The song went to No. 8 in the UK.
There is more. The Quad City DJ's made the title track "Space Jam", Coolio has "The Winner", and Salt-N-Pepa and Biz Markie are on there. Jay-Z appears on "All of My Days". Back then, the Space Jam soundtrack showed how close hip-hop and basketball already were.
I wrote about how strongly Wu-Tang and the Knicks belong together. Method Man rapping for the Monstars in 1996 is an early version of the same story.
The Campaign and the Documentary
The 2026 campaign is called "Greatness Is Never Out of Reach" and is based on the stretch scene from the film. It features WNBA top pick Azzi Fudd, baseball star Aaron Judge, Afrobeats singer Rema and Teyana Taylor. Jesse Collins Entertainment and Warner Horizon Unscripted Television produced the six-part documentary "Space Jam: Beyond the Jam". It runs only on Jordan Brand's YouTube channel and features Michael Jordan and people involved in making the film. Jordan Brand has not given a premiere date yet.
My Take
The Air Jordan 11 "Space Jam" is a safe hit. It has the 2000 details, the 23 on the heel and the old box, so collectors get what they asked for. The Green Screen and Magic Ball pairs are fun, but they won't last the way the original has.
What I miss is a rapper in the campaign. In 1996, Space Jam put Method Man, Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J on one song for a cartoon movie, and that song is part of why the film is still a cultural reference. The 2026 lineup has a lot of talent but no MC. For a 30th anniversary, a new posse cut or at least a nod to the Monstars' Anthem would have made sense.
If you want the AJ11, mark December 12. The rest of the collection drops from November 5.
