Throwback Thursday: Olympic Air Jordan 6 Retros

With the Summer Olympics coming up soon and the fact that 4 years ago today on this date, Jordan Brand released the Jordan 6 Olympic to celebrate the London Games, we figured a comparison would make for a good Throwback Thursday.

The first time the “Olympic” colorway of the Air Jordan 6 released it was seen on the feet of USA Basketball star and sharp-shooter, Ray Allen, during the Sydney Summer Games. If you’ve never paid close attention to Ray Allen’s Jordans, you might not know just how many exclusive colorways he’s debuted over the years. The Olympic 6s in Sydney aren’t a PE, but yet another colorway that Ray Allen debuted. Others on the list include Jordan 11s, Jordan 16s and various other Team Jordans like the Jumpman Pro Retro.

At first glance, the 2012 Jordan 6 Retro Olympics might look like the 2000 release but there are some significant differences. The 2012 release was made of synthetic leather, while the 2000 version was made of a tumbled genuine leather. The midsole color blocking was different, with the 2012 version receiving more of the Midnight Navy blue and a semi-gloss finish that was par for the era. Last but not least, the original laces packaged with the 2000 Olympic Jordan 6 were oval, while the 2012 came with traditional flat laces.

Back in 2000, Ray Allen was the only Jordan Brand athlete on the USA Men’s Basketball Team. In 2012, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony all sported the Jumpman as they represented for Team USA. Check out more details on both colorways below.