The Air Jordan II was originally made in Italy.
Released for the 1986–87 basketball season, the Air Jordan II followed the hugely successful Air Jordan I. Peter Moore and Bruce Kilgore designed it, combining a full-length Air-Sole unit with a polyurethane midsole. Its Italian manufacture helped give the shoe a more premium, fashion-oriented character.
The model was notably different from its predecessor. It omitted the Nike Swoosh from the upper, using stitched Nike branding on the heel instead, and featured faux-lizard-skin detailing inspired partly by luxury goods and sports cars. That styling made it look less like a conventional basketball shoe.
A common mix-up is confusing its origin with the designers’ nationality or Nike’s American headquarters. “Made in Italy” refers to where the original shoe was manufactured, not where the concept originated. Michael Jordan wore an early prototype during testing, but a broken foot limited him to 18 games during the 1985–86 season.