Air Jordan 8 'Knicks' — Release Date, Price & The Story

The drop at a glance

The story

The Air Jordan 8 carried MJ through the 1992-93 season and his first three-peat — but the road ran through New York, where the Bulls erased a 2-0 deficit to beat the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. This pair weaponizes that rivalry, dressing the 8's cross-straps in Knicks orange and blue over black nubuck.

Rivalry-turned-colorway storytelling plays well with older collectors, and a Christmas Eve date gives it novelty in a week dominated by the Kobe 'Coals' and post-Space Jam energy.

The 8 is a niche silhouette, so this should be attainable at retail — a good look for Knicks faithful, with resale close to retail outside New York sizes.

The deep cuts

• The pair reportedly headlines a Jordan Brand 'Idols Become Rivals' storytelling series — and was originally rumored as a 'Cavs' colorway before being rebranded 'Knicks.'
• The Knicks took the first two games of the 1993 ECF at MSG — including John Starks' left-handed 'The Dunk' over Horace Grant and MJ in Game 2 — before Chicago ripped off four straight.
• The Bulls sealed the 1993 three-peat by beating Phoenix in six, on John Paxson's title-winning three in Game 6.
• The AJ8 is the most strapped-up Air Jordan ever — crossover midfoot straps and a chenille tongue patch defined MJ's final pre-retirement shoe.

How to cop

1. Launch draw — enter the minute it opens; the raffle button above takes you there.
2. Retailer raffles — the big accounts open entries in the days before the drop.
3. Miss it? The buy links on this page route to the marketplaces we trust.

Dates move — the Drop Report updates as brands confirm. Answer this drop's culture question in The Feed to build your Culture IQ.