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THERE’S NO BETTER MIRROR to hold up to the zeitgeist than the Air Jordan 1. Described as a blank canvas by many of its collaborators, its various releases have dominated the market since the model launched in 1985. And they’ve come a long way since their original $64.99 retail price tag.
What started off as a departure from regulation black and white basketball shoes, Air Jordan 1s were a way for designers Peter Moore, Tinker Hatfield, and Bruce Kilgore to let the shoe signify the team its wearer belonged to. The ‘Chicago’, the brand’s first and most popular, was produced especially for Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan in 1984. Released to the public the following year, it exemplified the moment basketball shoes and sneaker culture collided.
As for its namesake, Jordan has reaped the royalties to this day from the various re-releases and collaborations bearing his name. In 2022, sales of the sneaker surpassed $5 billion ($7.3 billion AUD), earning Jordan $150 million ($219.6 million AUD). Jordan, who retired in 2003, made $86.7 million ($127 million AUD) from his entire NBA career.
And whilst the status of Nike in the sneaker world has wavered in out post-hype market, many even question how Air Jordan 1s hold up. We’re here to tell you that the appetite for them is still going strong. Collabs are still happening, the resale market is still lively, and Nike is still producing “Retros” of original colourways and designs. Here, we’ve ranked the best Jordan 1s available this year.
What are the best Air Jordan 1 sneakers in 2024?
10. Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Midnight Navy’
Released: 2024
In Air Jordan 1 lore, “retros” only really picked up steam in the early-to-mid 2000s, around the same time a lot of musical and rap legends today started to come up (think early career Kanye). These re-creations of original (hence, OG) colourways from the 80s and 90s were a neat way for a new generation to buy into Jordan 1s, or maybe start their collection. Today, Nike still makes Air Jordan 1s, mostly as Retros. Released this year, the ‘Midnight Navy’ edition is a pure reproduction, appealing to the purists out there. Design-wise, it isn’t the most out there collectible, but a sure foundation to become acquainted with the culture and language Jordan 1s command.
Collectibility: 3
Design: 7
Influence: 7
9. Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘University Blue’
Released: 2021
Also known as ‘UNC’, the Jordan 1 ‘University Blue’ is one of the original colourways when the sneaker was debuted in 1985. Among the others include ‘Chicago’, ‘Bred’, ‘Black Toe’, ‘Royal’, and ‘Shadow’. Now popular as a Retro release, its significance also stems from it paying homage to Michael Jordan alma mater University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he played Division I. It’s one of the few retros to stay true to its original design, even getting the occasional revival from collaborations, famously from Virgil Abloh.
Collectibility: 5
Design: 7
Influence: 8
8. Off-White x Air Jordan 1
Released: 2017
Whatever Virgil Abloh touched, it turned to gold. Even if it was just as simple of labelling things in quotation marks – a signature of his ironic detachment. Nike sneakers designed in collaboration with the late designer’s Off-White command large resale margins to this day, the Off-White Jordan 1 collab encompassing the pinnacle of hypeculture in the late-2010s.
Design-wise, Abloh revisited the classic Chicago colourway, printing ‘AIR’ on the midsole and ‘SHOELACES’ on the laces. The Swoosh appears as if lifted out of the layering, attached precariously with two visible blue stitches; a deconstructed design. Collabs of this magnitude are inherently collectible; their premium materials of leather making them a limited-run edition. But the Off-White-slash-Nike relationship is still going strong to this day, often releasing new colourways of the Air Jordan 1s.
Collectibility: 9
Design: 6
Influence: 8
7. Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low ‘Medium Olive’
Released: 2024
Often, the biggest fans of sneakers make for the best collaborators. On top of his already prolific music career, Travis Scott has been collaborating with Nike since 2018. Scott’s done SB Dunks, Air Forces, and Air Maxes, with his renditions on Air Jordan 1s coming in 2019, known for the reversed Swoosh. Recently, Nike and Cactus Jack (the rapper’s record label-turned-multidisciplinary brand) has released a Jordan 1 low in ‘Medium Olive’.
It’s a colourway seen previously in Scott’s Jordan 6s (released in 2019; an instant classic), this model also marks his eighth rendition on the sneaker. In the works since the start of the year, the shoe featured white leather and suede muted green overlays, with the flipped Swoosh this time coming in shiny black leather. It’s a play on texture that’s keeping the collaborators’ relationship fresh, featuring all the makings of a new classic.
Collectibility: 8
Design: 7
Influence: 7
6. Dior x Air Jordan 1
Released: 2020
Joining Dior Men’s in 2018, British designer Kim Jones was bound to bring the realms of high fashion and sneaker culture together again. Jones’ track record saw the immense hype of Louis Vuitton x Supreme in 2017, where monogrammed luggages, covered in the brand’s iconic brown Japanese floral motifs, were rehashed in Supreme Red. So when models walked down the Miami runway for Dior’s pre-autumn 2020 collection in Dior-ified Jordan 1s, Jones had done it again.
A limited-run of 8,500 pairs of high tops and 4,700 pairs of low tops, the Dior x Air Jordan 1 is no great leap from the classic colourblocking, here in slate grey and white uppers, and blue sole. But the focal point comes from the Dior monogrammed Swoosh and an ‘Air Dior’ on the logo. At the time of its release – and if you were an established Dior customer to be offered to buy it – the shoe retailed for $2,000. The collab remains the ultimate flex, but you won’t be seeing them hitting the pavement, but rather in an air-controlled cabinet somewhere.
Collectibility: 10
Design: 6
Influence: 5
5. Union LA x Bephie’s Beauty Supply x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG SP ‘Summer of ’96’
Released: 2023
Not necessarily a designer, but with enough clout in the streetwear world – immersed in it since the 90s – one of the two three-way collabs to make it on the list belongs to the work of Beth Birkett and Chris Gibbs of concept-store Union LA and Bephie’s Beauty Supply. What makes their design a standout in the Air Jordan 1 lineup is the woven pattern wrapped around the shoe. Seen previously in the Nike Footscape Woven model, the motif has its roots in orthopaedic footwear, but here is simply decorative.
Collectibility: 6
Design: 9
Influence: 6
4. Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Cactus Jack’
Released: 2019
It’s clear that anything Travis Scott-designed will be important to the culture at large. His first design of Jordan 1s in the ‘Mocha’ suede overlays, it stakes its claim as a monumental collaboration. It’s also quite the statement to flip the Nike Swoosh. At the time of its release in 2019, the shoe’s profile was boosted even further to icon status when Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine debuted the sneaker during his Super Bowl 52 Halftime show.
Collectibility: 8
Design: 8
Influence: 8
3. Fragment Design x Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low OG
Released: 2021
Ben Affleck isn’t just a fan of Nike SB Dunks. He also has a huge affinity for its basketball cousin. The particular model Affleck sported recently – during an outing with two-time ex-wife Jennifer Lopez – is one of the greatest three-ways in the Air Jordan 1 range. The work of Travis Scott and Hiroshi Fujiwara’s Fragment Design, it’s the linkup of two frequent collaborators of the Jordan brand. Of course, Scott’s contribution is recognisable in the flipped Swoosh, but the white base, black and royal blue build is a Fujiwara special.
Collectibility: 9
Design: 7
Influence: 8
2. Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Bred Banned’
Released: 2016
Not only important to the sneaker canon as one of the original six colourways released in 1985, but for what it represents in the politics of the NBA. The ‘Bred’ colourway – featuring only black and red leather – was controversial for the time due to the absence of white leather. The NBA mandated players wear shoes that are predominantly white; to promote professionalism in a uniformed look amongst all players. The NBA had reportedly banned the “distracting” colourway, only for it to be referred to affectionately as ‘Bred Banned’. And as far as its price on the resale market, this particular colourway can reach well over the $1,000 mark.
Collectibility: 7
Design: 8
Influence: 9
1. Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Chicago’
Released: 2015
Getting your hands on an original Jordan 1 ‘Chicago’ today – its black, white and red colourway recalls the Chicago Bulls – is practically impossible. And even if you were to come across a pair, and have the means to buy it, it would be ill-advised to wear it about. So the next best thing, and to any self-respecting collector and enthusiast, is the Retro OG of the ‘Chicago’. No surprise that it’s an all-rounder in the ratings below, its significance also lies in the culture at large. It cannot be replicated again.
Collectibility: 10
Design: 10
Influence: 10
How much are original Air Jordan 1s worth?
Re-releases of Air Jordan 1s are already the most valuable sneakers on the market. Even more so for an original pair from the 1980s and 90s. Like all scarce commodities, the value of original Air Jordan 1s depends on its condition, collectibility, size, and rarity. Things like rarity of colourway or if it’s designed from a collaboration are also major deciding factors now. With this in mind, original Jordan 1s can fetch up to $3,500 to $25,000 resale, according to estimates from eBay.
How to lace Air Jordan 1s
The topic of lacing Air Jordan 1s isn’t a discussion about practicality, but more about style signalling. For the classic look, on high and low tops, thread the laces through the bottom eyelets to an even length, then follow it with a standard crisscross method, weaving an X into each opposite eyelet until you reach the top.
To fastening them, diehards would opt for keeping the laces untied in the top eyelet, keeping the fit loose. But for a secure fit, tying them into a bow is a given, but consider tucking it behind the tongue to hide the novice look.
How to style Air Jordan 1s with shorts
Shorts with a similar colour scheme to your Air Jordan 1s makes for a cohesive look. But if you’re looking to neutralise how colourful or textured the shoes can be, white, black and khaki shorts work best to make the shoes sing. In terms of inseam length, long, baggy shorts are the preferred silhouette to match the bulkiness of the Jordan 1s. They were made for basketball, after all.
How to style Air Jordan 1s with cargo pants
If you’re thinking about a straight leg pant to wear with your Air Jordan 1s, cargo pants are the best case. For one, most cargo pants aren’t overly baggy; cut for a straight leg fit, they’ll sit and fold naturally on top of the Jordan 1s. (An overwhelming amount of fabric that will pool around the shoe is not what you would want here). Take it from America’s most famous boyfriend Travis Kelce (wearing The Union LA x Bephie’s Beauty Supply x Air Jordan 1 Retro model), where the utilitarian and generous volume of his cargos keeps the overall look casual and streetwear-friendly).
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