Air Jordans exist in tiers of exclusivity: at the bottom are general releases, at the top are player exclusives and one-offs created for Jordan Brand-sponsored athletes and influencers. Somewhere toward the high end of that hierarchy are the most limited  retail pairs, ones that were available to the public but only in very small numbers. Inevitably, these fetch thousands of dollars on the resell market and became the stuff of sneaker lore.

Gathered here are the rarest colorways for each Air Jordan model that actually released. Some were made available at specific retailers, some were auctioned off for charity, and others were introduced to the public through less conventional means. But all of them did actually release at some point, even if they did so in numbers so scarce that they disappeared immediately thereafter.

Why so rare? In early 2011, 23 pairs of Dave White Air Jordan 1s were auctioned off via Sole Collector, with proceeds benefiting Jordan Brand's WINGS for the Future program. That's even less pairs than the recently released Spike Lee collaboration.

Why so rare? Inspired by Eminem's 2008 autobiography, The Way I Am, 313 pairs of Eminem 2s released exclusively online. The shoes feature Eminem lyrics scrawled on the upper and came packaged with a matching shirt.

Why so rare? Like all Doernbecher releases, the Air Jordan 3 edition was released exclusively at select Nike retail locations and nike.com, with all proceeds going directly to the children's hospital. But unlike the others, this one actually returned for a second release three and a half years after the original. 

Why so rare? Although 50 pairs were raffled in-store and 7 pairs were auctioned online, there were rumored to be 72 pairs total of this sneaker made, with the remaining 15 going to UNDFTD friends and family. 

Why so rare? This release of this Air Jordan 5, connected to Jordan Brand's annual summer basketball tournament held in Paris, was limited to select European Foot Lockers.

Why so rare? One of the most unorthodox Jordan 6s to ever release, this pair was a part of Nike's charity partnership with the Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Like other pairs from the line, these were only available directly via Nike.

Why so rare? These Olympic-themed Air Jordan 7s released to honor the 2008 Games, with less than 1,000 pairs releasing exclusively in Europe. The artwork adorning their uppers is a reference to Spanish painter Joan Miró.

Why so rare? In 2008, 24 pairs of both Ray Allen and Quentin Richardson's Air Jordan 8 PEs dropped exclusively at the House Of Hoops in Harlem.

Why so rare? The 1,331 numbered pairs of this Air Jordan 9 released as part of the brand's short-lived "Bin 23" series, which included premium leathers and accessories like wooden shoe trees. 

Why so rare? Nike teamed up with the Doernbecher Children's Hospital in 2016 for the Grimm Gala, a charity event around NBC's Grimm, which is set in the sportswear brand's native Portland, Oregon. As part of the event, four black pairs of Air Jordan 10s, along with four women's pairs in white, were auctioned off, with proceeds going to the Grimmster Endowment. In addition, one pair of each color was signed by both Michael Jordan and designer Tinker Hatfield.

Why so rare? While the wide release of the 25th anniversary Air Jordan 11s mysteriously lacked the shoe's trademark logo on the heel, 25 pairs were randomly released with numbered insoles and Jumpman logos.

Why so rare? Public School is no stranger to exclusive Air Jordans, but thanks to their geographic exclusivity, the regional Air Jordan 12s in Wheat, Bordeaux, and Olive rank as the rarest of all. That makes them even harder to come by than 2003's Nubuck Pack, which was released exclusively online and was available only to registered Team Jordan members.

Why so rare? After being originally advertised as available only at the House of Hoops in Boston and Miami's Sole Fly, the Ray 13 popped up a few more spots. But this release, which included a shirt commemorating Ray Allen's breaking the all-time 3-point record, still remains the most limited of all 13s.

Why so rare? Often mistaken as a fake thanks to the low-top edition of the same colorway, this UNC player exclusive edition of the Air Jordan 14 randomly popped up for sale on Eastbay in 2000. 

Why so rare? While player exclusives are rarely available to the public, White/Black, White/Red, White/Pine, White/Purple, and White/Navy player exclusive colorways of this black sheep of the Air Jordan line briefly hit Eastbay in 2000.

Why so rare? Jordan Brand teamed up with Miami sneaker boutique SoleFly to release 1,500 pairs of this collaborative Air Jordan 16. The Miami-themed colorway dropped at 2016's Art Basel. 

Why so rare? While hardly limited by today's standards, the Lightning 17s came at a time when Air Jordans weren't as mass produced as they are now, and didn't hit major chains. 

Why so rare? It would be hard to consider any Air Jordan 18s truly limited, especially considering they all hit the outlets. But this black suede edition, which came complete with a suede brush, was not as widely available as the leather-based colorways. 

Why so rare? Rumored production issues with the shoe's Techflex lace cover caused this colorway of the 19 to be limited to select chains and Jordan Brand accounts. On the bright side, the shoe's design limited its appeal, which meant there wasn't much trouble acquiring a pair for those that wanted them.

Why so rare? Although it released alongside the white and red launch colorway of the 20, this so-called "Quickstrike" edition was the more limited of the duo, and released only at select accounts. 

Why so rare? Jordan Brand went ahead and slapped a $5 upcharge on these two suede versions of its 21st signature sneaker. It also made them harder to get by tightening the distribution a bit, with the leather ones being made available at more accounts.

Why so rare? Although not considered particularly rare, this basketball leather-covered Air Jordan 22 was a limited general release, as opposed to the wide general releases of the shoe's other colorways. It's still awful though.

Why so rare? The "Finale" edition of the Air Jordan 23 released at Jordan Brand's top 23 stores, with each spot getting 23 pairs, resulting in a grand total of 529 releasing. Coming in at just six fewer pairs is the white edition of the "Solefly" 23, which saw a release of 523 pairs to honor the shop's May 23 opening day. 

Why so rare? Following a change in naming convention, transitioning from Roman numerals to years, this was the first Air Jordan 2009 to hit retail. Its release was limited to 2,009 pairs, and available at the top 23 Jordan Brand accounts in the U.S. and overseas, as well as online at the short-lived "Flight Club" store. 

Why so rare? This all-white edition of the Air Jordan 2010 was limited to just 72 pairs and released exclusively at Niketown Chicago. The shoe released in an era when Jordan Brand went heavy on these sort of all-white looks to celebrate its 25th year.

Why so rare? This colorway of the Air Jordan 2011 was originally limited to China. Eventually, it arrived at select Jordan Brand retailers in L.A. and nike.com.

Why so rare? In the final year that Jordan Brand used years, rather than numbers, in naming the Air Jordan, this special "Tinker" colorway of the Air Jordan 2012 released exclusively at House Of Hoops and select Nike locations.

Why so rare? This camo edition of the Air Jordan XX8 was originally set to drop for All-Star Weekend, but was rumored to be canceled due to the colors bleeding. Later that summer however, pairs hit the outlets, all marked as B-grades.

Why so rare? Jordan Brand touted the ability to deliver photorealisic graphics on the Air Jordan 29 when it introduced the model's "performance woven upper" technology. They delivered on that claim the following All-Star Weekend with a limited release of a shoe featuring the Michael Jordan in his most iconic pose.

Why so rare? Similar to the PE edition of the Air Jordan 30 worn by Russell Westbrook during his MVP performance in the 2016 NBA All Star Game, the "Cosmos" edition eventually dropped as a Quai 54 exclusive.

Why so rare? In an out-of-nowhere release, Jordan Brand dropped this all-gold Air Jordan 31 exclusively in New Orleans as part of its 2017 All-Star festivities.