Bringing back one of the most recognizable colorways from Michael Jordan’s final championship season with the Chicago Bulls, the Air Jordan XIII ‘True Red’ returns. First introduced in 1997 – with the True Red version arriving in early 1998 – the silhouette quickly became a staple in MJ’s on-court rotation during that historic run. And while arguably being the pair that matched Chicago’s uniforms almost too perfectly, it also happened to witness its fair share of memorable Jordan moments:
Jordan famously wore the True Reds while facing a young Kobe Bryant, and also during an infamous calm-before-the-storm. Yup, the Last Dance-immortalized locker room scene where MJ – fresh off a loss to the Charlotte Hornets – sat with AJ XIII True Red on feet while casually swinging a baseball bat/ smoking a cigar pre-game (!) and explaining how real trash talk works: when the score is even, not when you’re up five or six. Spoiler alert: B.J. Armstrong would soon find out what MJ meant. But back to the True Reds.
The 2026 retro stays loyal to the silhouette’s original blueprint: A white leather upper with the model’s signature dimpled panels pairs with a smooth toe box, while the holographic cat-eye jewel at the heel nods to Tinker Hatfield’s panther-inspired design concept. Hits of eponymous True Red grace the suede mudguard and midsole, delivering the bold contrast that made the colorway an instant standout in the late ’90s. Underfoot, the paw-like outsole design rounds out the pair.
The Air Jordan XIII Retro ‘True Red’ releases at BSTN on Saturday, March 14th. Pick up your pair via the button below!
