A Rare Fresh Prince-Inspired Air Jordan 5 Sample Has Emerged

Throughout the first season of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” as well as the show’s title sequence and promotional images, Will Smith wore the Air Jordan 5 in several colorways sans laces. Jordan Brand leaned into the tie in 2018 by releasing a laceless version of the sneaker in Grape, the colorway most associated with the show.

Eight years later, a sample for the sneaker has emerged in yet another of the model’s original colorways. The Air Jordan 5 Fresh Prince Fire Red has been revealed by a collector on Instagram with the handle @collectors_closet. It carries the same construction as the Grape colorway released to the public with closed eyelets and internal bands locking down the tongue to make up for the lack of laces. Colorblocking also remains true to the Fire Red from 1990, which Michael Jordan played in throughout that NBA season.

Inside, the shoe features the same pink and yellow striped insole with an “Air Jordan” logo mirroring that of the show that appeared on the Grape release. The logo also makes an upside down appearance on the inner-tongue tag as a completely new addition.

Smith can be seen wearing the Fire Red Air Jordan 5 on one foot with the Black/Metallic colorway on the other in several promotional images from the first season of “The Fresh Prince.”

The Air Jordan 5 Fresh Prince Fire Red is a sample produced nearly 10 years ago, so it is unlikely to ever go into production for a public release. And given that it took this long for a sample to emerge, finding one to purchase forecasts as an expensive proposition.