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A 25-Year Wait: The ‘Reverse Infrared’ Air Jordan 6 Sample Is Finally Releasing
For NBA All-Star Weekend 2026, Jordan Brand is doing something it almost never does: opening the vault and actually handing us the keys. On 14 February 2026, the Air Jordan 6 ‘Reverse Infrared’ will officially release, marking the model’s 35th anniversary with one of the most legendary what-if sneakers in Jordan history.
This is not a modern flip. Not a remix. Not a reimagined situation. The ‘Reverse Infrared’ is a real design from 1999, created as a salesman sample and then quietly locked away for more than 25 years. It has lived in grainy photos, collector forums and whispered conversations ever since. Now it’s finally stepping into the light.
What Exactly Is the Reverse Infrared?
Despite the name, this is not a full colour inversion. Think of it more as a lost alternate take on the iconic Air Jordan 6 ‘Black Infrared’. The shoe keeps the familiar black nubuck upper, but the changes happen where it counts. The midsole features a continuous streak of Infrared, rather than the OG’s segmented blocks, giving the shoe a more aggressive, uninterrupted hit of colour.
The heel branding also gets reworked, with different Infrared placement around the Nike Air logo. It’s instantly recognisable, yet clearly not the Infrared 6 you already own. More importantly, it feels like a missing chapter rather than a modern reinterpretation, which is exactly what makes this release special.
Why ‘Infrared’ Is Sacred
To understand why this release matters, you have to understand the weight the Infrared colour carries at Jordan Brand. The 1991 Air Jordan 6 ‘Black Infrared’ is the shoe Michael Jordan wore when he won his first NBA championship. That alone cements its place in history. It represents the beginning of the dynasty, the moment Jordan stopped chasing and started ruling.
Alongside it, the ‘White Infrared’ became the clean, home-friendly counterpart and a streetwear staple in its own right. Together, they turned Infrared into one of the most important non-OG colour stories Jordan Brand has ever produced, sitting just behind ‘Bred’ and ‘Chicago’ in terms of cultural weight.
Back in 1991, Infrared, later referred to as Light Crimson, felt futuristic. Loud, fluorescent, and unapologetic. It set the tone for Nike’s entire ’90s design language and later became inseparable from Air Max history as well.
The Infrared 6 Archive
Over the years, a handful of key releases have built the Air Jordan 6 Infrared legacy:
- Air Jordan 6 ‘Black Infrared’ (2000)
The first-ever retro and the last time the model featured Nike Air on the heel for nearly two decades. - Air Jordan 6 ‘Infrared Pack’ (2010)
A major moment that bundled the Black and White Infrareds together, albeit with Jumpman branding instead of Nike Air. - Air Jordan 6 ‘White Infrared’ (2014)
A massive solo retro that re-established the “home” version as a must-own classic. - Air Jordan 6 ‘Black Infrared’ (2019)
The return to OG form. Nike Air branding came back, hype went through the roof, and collectors finally got the version they’d been asking for.
The ‘Reverse Infrared‘ now slots into this lineage as the outlier. Not a retro of something worn on court, but a preserved idea from Jordan Brand.
A Must-Have for the Archive
The Air Jordan 6 ‘Reverse Infrared’ is more than just another colourway. It bridges history and myth, turning a long-rumoured sample into a real, wearable piece of Jordan Brand lore. For collectors who already own the Black and White Infrareds, this release completes the story. A sneaker we were never supposed to have, finally released 25 years later, right on time for the model’s 35th anniversary.
