Air Jordan 5 Retro 'Fire Red' (Black Tongue) HQ7978-101 – The One That Started It All.

Back to Where It Began — Air Jordan 5 Retro 'Fire Red' Black Tongue

There are colorways, and then there are moments. The Air Jordan 5 'Fire Red' is the latter. It was the colorway MJ wore when the AJ5 first introduced itself to the world in 1990 — a shoe so ahead of its time that it redefined what a basketball sneaker could look like. The Black Tongue edition brings a darker, more aggressive edge to the original design: the same iconic silhouette, the same fire-red energy, but with a blacked-out tongue that shifts the entire mood. This is the AJ5 at its most intense.

What Sets It Apart

• Iconic Fire Red Colorway – The original AJ5 colorway, reissued with a blacked-out tongue that adds depth and contrast to one of the most recognizable palettes in sneaker history
• Black Tongue Detail – A deliberate departure from the original that gives this version its own identity — darker, sharper, and unmistakably modern while staying true to the AJ5's DNA
• Shark-Tooth Midsole Detailing – The jagged midsole design that has defined the AJ5 since its debut, giving the shoe its aggressive, forward-leaning stance
• Reflective Tongue – One of the AJ5's most distinctive original features, catching light in a way that makes this shoe impossible to ignore
• Lace Lock System – The original lace-locking mechanism that keeps the fit dialed in and reinforces the shoe's technical, performance-driven aesthetic
• Visible Air Cushioning – Heel Air unit for responsive, all-day comfort beneath one of the most storied silhouettes in Jordan history

Specifications

• Style Code: HQ7978-101
• Upper: Leather and mesh
• Outsole: Translucent rubber with herringbone traction
• Closure: Lace-up with lace lock
• Sizes: US 3–12

The colorway that launched the legend. Now with an edge it never had before.