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Introducing the Air Jordan 1
Michael Jordan not only earned a spot with the Chicago Bulls during his first season in the NBA, but he also scored a sponsorship deal with Nike. Although it took some convincing to switch over from Converse to Nike, as the Chuck Taylor had been Jordan's favourite during college, the Air Jordan 1 sealed the deal in 1985.
Nike's former creative designer Peter C. Moore was the designer behind the Air Jordan 1. One of the first changes he made to the sneaker came off the back of Jordan's complaint about Nike's thick soles, and the fact that he couldn't feel the court through them. Many of Nike's signature features were also introduced in the AJ1, including a compressed air pocket in the heel, an overlay on the toe, and additional ankle support.
Future designs were inspired by the logo, with wings added to the side of the shoe.
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Fragment Design x Air Jordan 1
A collaborative design between Jordan Brand and Fragment Design, the Air Jordan 1 Retro Fragment features an all-leather black upper accented by royal blue. The white base on the toecap and centre panel contrasts cleanly with the black on the forefoot, Swoosh, tongue, eyelets and ankle collar.
Completed by a white midsole and blue rubber outsole, this hyped sneaker was dropped on 27 December 2014 and cost $185. Beloved for its timeless black/white/blue colorway, these days the colorway goes for anywhere between €2,800 and €10,000 on retailers such as StockX.
Popular AJ1 Colorways
Royal Blue
Michael Jordan's personal favourite colorway on the Air Jordan 1 is the 'Royal Blue', which was the first colour made accessible to the general public. Although it was not his team colour, Jordan appeared in an early promotional campaign in this blue and black sneaker. It was Chuck Kuhn who shot the campaign, a well-known sports photographer.
The image of MJ in Royal Blues with a matching jumper during a sunset on a lonely runway in Oregon is perhaps as famous as the sneaker it includes.
Chicago
Nike created this competition-approved red, black and white colorway in an attempt to resolve the controversy surrounding the BRED, and it soon became the colorway that symbolised the Air Jordan 1 model.
The Chicago, also known as the Varsity Red, is the colorway that Virgil Abloh based his iconic 'The Ten' collection's updated version of the AJ1 on.
Hare
Tied-in with everyone's favourite cartoon rabbit, Bugs Bunny, the HARE Jordan 1 is reminiscent of the AJ7 colorway of the same name. The neutral grey and white colorway with vibrant red accents still hits a home run on a different model.
The iconic Jumpman logo is replaced by the cartoon character in a bold but fresh move.
Shattered Backboard
During a practice match in Italy during Jordan's first year, the star wore an orange, black and white uniform when he dunked so hard he smashed the backboard, making history.
While the incident took place in 1985, this 'Shattered Backboard' was finally released in 2015 with Starfish Orange, Black and Sail leather panels coming together on one of what is widely regarded as one of the best colorways on the AJ1 of all time.
Black Toe
The 'Black Toe' is on the original colorways on the AJ1, and is still considered one of the model's most beloved. Even though Michael Jordan didn't wear them on the court very often, the Black Toe was worn by the basketball star during the photo shoot that was responsible for the now iconic Jumpman logo. Therefore, it's considered to be one of the most popular Jordan colorways of all time.
BRED
The badass BRED, or 'Banned', Air Jordan 1 colorway got its name when Jordan was fined $5,000 each time he wore the famous Chicago Bulls-inspired sneakers for violating the NBA dress code. At least, that's what happened according to Nike!
UNC
Combining shades of fresh white and Carolina Blue on an all-leather upper as a tribute to Michael Jordan's alma mater, the University of North Carolina, the UNC colorway wasn't as popular as some other earlier Air Jordan 1s, but it's still one of the most appealing pairs ever created.
Shadow
The fifth released colorway on the original AJ1 is often overlooked when compared to the BRED and Royal Blue colorways, but even after 35 years, the monochrome design still holds up well as a clean and well-thought out colorway.
XQ
The XQ colorway is a China-exclusive AJ1 and one of the most unique pairs in Jordan history. It's star-studded leather panels and unique details ensured this.
Nike has only renewed this colorway once, despite being a successful hit. It showed exactly how Nike excels when taking creative risks.
Igloo
Released solely for Art Basel, this beautiful 'Igloo' colorway features mint, black and white colouring, inspired by the waterfront of Miami's South Beach.
It's widely regarded as a cool and stylish addition to the AJ1 line.
Off-White x Air Jordan 1 OG 'Chicago' - The Ten
Designer Virgil Abloh's Off-White and Nike came together for a unique collaboration in 2017 called 'The Ten'. The Air Jordan 1 was given a deconstructed design in the collection that set it apart from other sneakers.
With a classic 'Chicago' colorway and semi-finished elements such as a Swoosh attached with visible blue stitching, the sneaker embraced its rough look with a matching shoebox that came in plain cardboard. An Off-White tag-tie on the collar completed the look of the collab.
The hype was real and the sneaker sold out immediately. Today, you can purchase a pair at retailers like StockX for anywhere between €5-€10k.
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