The Air Jordan 1 debuted on April 1, 1985 as Michael Jordan's first signature sneaker with Nike, designed by Peter Moore. Built initially for on-court performance, the shoe immediately became bigger than basketball — its "Bred" (Black/Red) colorway violated the NBA's 1984 uniform rule requiring at least 51% white on court shoes, and Commissioner David Stern fined Jordan $5,000 per game for wearing them. Nike paid every fine and turned the controversy into one of the most famous marketing moments in sneaker history.
The original 1985 release came in three colorways — "Chicago" (red/white/black), "Bred" (black/red), and "Black/Royal" (black/blue) — built with premium tumbled leather, Nike Air cushioning, and the Wings logo that would become iconic. Peter Moore's silhouette has remained largely untouched across four decades.
Air Jordan 1 silhouettes:
- High OG — the authentic 1985-spec retro with ankle-height collar, Nike Air tongue branding, and premium materials. Retails at $180.
- Mid — a slightly lower cut with broader colorway availability and a lower price point of $125.
- Low — revived in 2015 after debuting alongside the High in 1985. Now Jordan Brand's most prolific silhouette with hundreds of colorways, priced $130-$170.
Cultural collaborations:
The Air Jordan 1 sits at the center of modern sneaker collab culture. Virgil Abloh's Off-White "The Ten" trio (2017), Travis Scott's reversed-Swoosh "Mocha" (2019), Dior's luxury crossover (2020), and Hiroshi Fujiwara's ongoing fragment design partnership have each redefined resale markets and introduced new audiences to the silhouette.
Market value:
Deadstock 1985 pairs trade for $10,000-$20,000+ in the most sought-after colorways. Modern retail sits between $130 (Low) and $190 (collab), with top collaborations reselling 3-10x retail on the secondary market.
Jordan Brand continues to release new Air Jordan 1 colorways, retros, and collaborations every month, alongside Protro (Performance Retro) updates that modernize the cushioning platform. JustFreshKicks covers every AJ1 release — High, Mid, Low, retro, or collaboration — with confirmed release dates, launch links, official imagery, and restock alerts.