The Air Jordan 1 Low: the story of the low version of the iconic pair
The Air Jordan 1 Low is a more casual version of its big sister, the Air Jordan 1 High. And yet, it has nothing to envy! Thanks to a sustained enthusiasm around the pair, multiple colorways, reissues, and collaborations of the Air Jordan 1 Low are regularly released. Let's discover the past and history of this model.
Beginnings and evolutions of the Air Jordan 1 Low
The Air Jordan 1 Low made its debut in 1985 alongside the Air Jordan 1 High as the first low signature sneaker developed by Nike for Michael Jordan. The pair of sneakers, designed by Peter Moore, featured a simple design inspired by Nike Dunk that incorporated the Nike Swoosh logo and the Jordan Wings. It also featured Nike Air technology. The Air Jordan 1 Low was originally released in several colorways that reflected the High versions, including colorways inspired by the Chicago Bulls and metallic tones. It was simply a more casual model than the high model, dedicated to basketball courts. The model came back into vogue in the 2000s, thanks to the rise of retro and vintage trends: the Jordan 1 Low OG made way for models with a Jumpman instead of branding on the tongue and a wings logo on the heel.
A less iconic model, but still essential
Even though the lowtop is not as coveted as the iconic Air Jordan 1 High, the pair remains a staple for the sneaker community. Mythical collaborations, popular colorways, and inspired themes have helped maintain interest around this model. Moreover, the AJ1 Low has been released in certain models designed for skateboarding through the Nike SB division, making it a favored pair among the skateboarding community in the late 80s. There are also colorways that rival the high version. The Air Jordan 1 Low has no reason to be jealous of the Air Jordan 1 High: Jordan Brand has managed to capitalize on highly appreciated colorways to make this low silhouette increasingly sought after over time. In the most recent pairs with a retro style, we find the colors "UNC" and "Bred Toe" released in 2021. For the Nike SB variants, we find the Nike SB x Air Jordan 1 Low in "UNC" and "Midnight Navy".
Mythical collaborations to keep the Air Jordan 1 Low in the spotlight
The Air Jordan 1 Low has maintained its success over the years thanks to iconic collaborations. Impossible to overlook the Dior x Air Jordan 1 Low released in 2020, which experienced unprecedented enthusiasm with a clean colorway and the branding "Air Dior". With a retail price of €1,700 at launch, resale prices for the pair reach incredibly high levels on international marketplaces. The AJ 1 Low model in "Wolf Grey" released in 2021 is inspired by the colorway of the Dior collaboration and has therefore generated a lot of excitement. Other collaborations, such as with the American label PSNY, the Quai 54 basketball tournament, or with the Paris Saint-Germain club, also deserve to be highlighted.
An unprecedented revival thanks to Travis Scott
You may suspect it, but the most significant collaboration between an artist and the Air Jordan 1 Low remains that with Travis Scott. The Houston rapper developed and designed his variant of the pair in 2019, with a model in black and brown suede, all adorned with an inverted swoosh logo in white leather. In 2021, La Flame contributed by collaborating with Hiroshi Fujiwara on the Travis Scott x fragment x Air Jordan 1 Low OG. It is now considered one of the most successful sneaker pairs of the year, which is no small feat! To ride on this success, new colorways have indeed surfaced subsequently, colorways that are still highly anticipated for 2022.
