Originally part of the brand’s Holiday collection, it’s gone on to be one of the brand’s favorite color schemes, appearing on virtually every Air Jordan Retro in some capacity throughout the years. It was the first signature basketball sneaker that took inspiration from an athlete’s college team colors - in this case, Michael Jordan’s days at the University of North Carolina. There are many other great original Air Jordan 1 colorways from 1985, but one of my personal favorites is the ' UNC'. It’s actually the exact same design as the Jordan 1 ‘Bred’ but with royal blue accents instead of red.’ ‘ ‘Air Jordan fans love it for its clean, ultra-wearable look and classic color blocking. ‘Another of the most iconic original Air Jordan 1s is the ‘Royal’ - it’s probably the most popular non-red, white and black colorway,’ notes Schlemmer. Michael Jordan wore them on court less often, and they’ve been rereleased fewer times than both of the original Chicago Bulls-themed Jordan 1s.’ ‘This pair is more elusive than the ' Bred' and ' Chicago', but no less great.

In terms of other key callouts, the 2016 ' Black Toe' design is another similarly sought-after colorway. ‘This recent release brings the OG colorway back into the forefront of people’s minds,’ adds Schlemmer. Inspired by the original ' Chicago' release and the thought of what they’d look like if rediscovered decades later in a stock room, the Lost and Found iteration became available to shop in November 2022. ‘As the ‘Chicago’ was the version he’d wear most on court, this colorway is what usually comes to mind when people think of the Air Jordan 1.’ These are the two styles that Jordan would wear throughout his rookie season - because they had a white-based color scheme,’ Schlemmer notes. ‘Here’s where the original ' Chicago' and ' Black Toe' colorways come in. Everybody wanted them after that.’ A most-loved original release from the archives, this pair features a leather upper with signature Nike Air tongue labels, the unmistakable Wings logo on the collar and an Air sole - a Retro design also created with a patent finish for this 2021 version.Īir Jordan 1 Retro High OG Lost and Found 'Chicago' The NBA banning the ‘ Bred’ colorway was one of the best things that could have happened for Nike. ‘Nike ran with the concept, creating the ‘Banned’ Air Jordan 1 commercial (which of course just created even more hype for the shoe). It was originally the Air Ship that was banned after Jordan wore a black and red pair during the 1984-1985 pre-season game that fall - before the Air Jordan 1 was ready.’ ‘As the story goes, the Air Jordan 1 was banned by the NBA in its original black and red (‘Bred’) colorway because it didn’t meet the league’s uniformity rules. ‘It’s worth noting that Nike’s partnership, and aforementioned gamble, on its collaboration with Michael Jordan came long before signature sneakers for basketball players - or any athletes, for that matter - was commonplace,’ explains Schlemmer. But what makes the Air Jordan 1 so special? Schlemmer reveals everything you need to know about the key styles, hype collaborations and rarest releases - all available to shop via Stadium Goods on FARFETCH - as we share the need-to-know advice around the design’s sizing and fit. The sneaker’s design fuses features from the Air Force 1, Nike Dunk, Air Ship and Nike Vandal, but the exclusive detail is the iconic Wings logo - a basketball with wings coming out from each side. Originally designed by Peter Moore (who also created the Jordan brand's iconic Jumpman logo), the Air Jordan 1 sneaker was the first release in the now-cult Air Jordan series.

With the upcoming release of the highly anticipated ‘Air’ movie, starring Hollywood royalty Matt Damon and Ben Affleck - a film that chronicles Michael Jordan’s history-making endorsement deal with Nike - the iconic silhouette is, once again, on an upward trajectory. ‘In hindsight, Nike took a huge leap of faith in creating a signature shoe for an - at the time - unproven rookie before he’d ever even played in an NBA game.’ Ever since its 1985 debut, the legendary silhouette has maintained its place in popular culture. ‘The Air Jordan 1 is one of the most iconic and influential sneakers ever released, as well as being one of the most storied,’ says Zack Schlemmer, a curator behind luxury sneaker marketplace, Stadium Goods.

Air jordan 1 light blue 2021