The most obvious element of the inspiration is the shark teeth shapes on the midsole of the shoe.A few design elements were carried over from the Jordan IV, but the Air Jordan V featured a great silver/reflex tongue and a clear/see-through rubber sole creating a completely unique look.Though the Air Jordan 5 would sell just fine on its own, the fact that the shoes had clear rubber soles helped convince many Jordan collectors to buy a retro pair.The Jordan 5 also was the first Jordan shoe to have a clear sole.

These Jordan shoes were retroed in late 1999 in white/black-fire red and black/black-met silver meeting great demand and enthusiasm in the marketplace. 2006 Jordan Brand will re-release the Air Jordan V once again.Retro+ models were also produced of the Jordan Retro 5 Men Shoes. One of them featured Michaels high school colors (Laney High School).