The Air Jordan VIII was released to coincide with the 1992–1993 NBA season. The eighth model of the Air Jordan was noticeably heavier than its predecessors. This shoe had a lot more detail than most of the earlier Air Jordan's such as two crossover straps on each shoe and a Jumpman. Thus the Air Jordan VIII model became known as the "Punisher" because of the advanced basketball ankle support and enhanced traction. This shoe contains a full length air sole, polyurethane midsole, polycarbonate shank plate, and two crossover straps (for added support and more custom fit).

The Air Jordan VIII was originally released in 1993. It was retrod in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2013 and 2015-2016.