Jordan 1 Low

Air Jordan 1 Low

The Jordan 1 Low was created very early in the history of the iconic basketball shoe and has since established itself as a hugely popular style alongside its mid- and high-top counterparts. As such, it has been released in all possible versions, from women’s sneakers to those for men and kids as well. This has led to a proliferation in colourways that has coincided with new models and sought-after collaborations, making the Air Jordan 1 Low one of the most desired shoes around.

The Air Jordan 1 Low has a grippy rubber outsole made for the courts and an Air-cushioned midsole that supports a stylishly layered upper. The midfoot panel begins a small distance from the top of the low-cut collar, extending to the forefoot, which has extra overlays behind its mudguard. There are perforations in the toe box, a Jordan Wings logo appears on the heel counter and the famous Jumpman icon has been placed on the tongue and insole. Along with this, there is the Jordan 1 Low OG, a model whose design is much closer to the 1980’s release. Its midfoot lies right up against the top of the collar, giving it a slightly lower profile, and a panel overlapping the heel counter at the back contains the Jordan Wings, while the tongue and insole carry Nike Air branding.

Many Low OG colourways are based on the earliest 1980’s designs, such as the Chicago, with its iconic white, red and black colour palette, and the Neutral Grey, which has elegant grey suede swooshes. Suede makes an appearance on other OG sneakers, for example, across the pink heel and toe box of the Bleached Coral and the majority of the 2023 Year of the Rabbit colourway. On most others, leather predominates, including the Starfish, with its bright orange overlays and black swooshes, and the dark blue and black Mystic Navy. Then there are other unique colourways, such as the Coconut Milk, which has exposed foam on its collar and tongue, and the Doernbecher, whose colourful outer was designed by Riddhi Mahajan, a patient at the renowned Portland Children’s Hospital.

Along with these OG sneakers, there are also countless low-tops in the updated build. Once again, some are based on earlier colourways, such as the smoky grey Shadow, the Bulls, which reworks the classic Chicago, and the black and white Panda. Others honour moments from Jordan’s life and career. The Shattered Backboard references a 1985 exhibition game in which he smashed the tempered glass of the backboard, the UNC features the light blue tones of his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, and the Barcelona has a multi-coloured graphic on its inner lining that reflects a garment he wore during the 1992 Olympics. Then there are several colourways that have his original jersey number of 23 sewn into the lace loop, including the corduroy-covered Twine and the Gym Red, which was later adapted to make an accessible FlyEase edition. A Jordan 1 Low was also added to the All-Star series in 2021 to recognise the shoe’s connection to basketball by honouring the annual exhibition event.

Another set of AJ1 Lows have been inspired by the colour-blocking arrangement of the Black Toe. One of the earliest of all Jordan 1s, the original had a white toe box surrounded by a black mudguard, and the 2019 retro low-top is no different. In 2021, a similar look was forged on the Bred Toe, whose white underlayer is overlaid by red and black panels to emulate the well-known Bred colourway. The Green Toe came out in the same year and was followed by two more in 2022 – the Shadow Toe and the Reverse Black Toe, before 2023 saw the release of the Royal Toe. 

As well as sneakers based on past Jordan colourways, there are many other AJ1s that have become hugely popular. Some of these are gracefully monochromatic, such as the elegant Triple White and the sleek Triple Black, while others exhibit a versatile two-tone outer with a white underlayer and coloured panels on top. For example, the Pollen has bright yellow overlays, those on the Aluminum are soft blue and the Marina Blue’s are a deeper shade of azure. Sneakers like the Vintage Grey use another hue to accent certain areas, this particular one adding a retro-looking off-white midsole to its grey and white upper. Elsewhere, the Cardinal Red brings bright orange highlights to its otherwise red and white colour scheme, the Laser Blue combines black and white with a pleasant sky blue and the Ashen Slate blends a pair of charming blues to complement its white underlayer.

Other Jordan 1 low-top sneakers distinguish themselves by using a unique colour on the outsole. Although on AJ1s like the Pine Green and the New Emerald this feature matches one of the main hues from the outer, that of the White Hemp is gum yellow to contrast with its white and beige upper. Another to do this is the Wolf Grey, which has a translucent blue outsole, and the grey outsole of the True Blue reflects the tone of its swooshes and tongue. The branding effects can also be used to establish originality, in particular by changing the presentation of the Air Jordan Wings logo. On the Light Smoke Grey, it has been embroidered into the grey heel using red thread, while on the pastel blue heel of the Paris model, it is debossed into the outer for a more subtle aesthetic. Meanwhile, some shoes opt for bright highlights, such as the radiant orange midsole stitching of the Obsidian and the pastel pink inner lining of the Mocha.

In addition to these colourways, there are those that employ a variety of materials to deviate from the traditional all-leather construction of AJ1s such as the Lucky Green, the Game Royal and the Ice Blue. For example, the Court Purple features smooth nubuck and the Light Olive has added a woven swoosh to its brown canvas overlays. Bold colours make other Jordan 1 Lows stand out, as in the case of the Taxi, with its radiant yellow tones, and the Cherrywood Red, whose vintage red overlays evoke classic 80s sneakers. Gentler colours decorate the Crimson Tint, with its muted pink features, and the ever-popular University Blue. Still more incorporate intriguing graphics and emblems, such as the Bordeaux, which has the number 30 printed onto its insole in a rich shade of burgundy, and the many colourways that make use of the classic elephant print pattern.

A large number of these colourways were released or re-released in the early 2020s as the Air Jordan 1 Low experienced a strong period of growth. During this time, a host of special edition Jordan 1 Low SE models were introduced, each one featuring premium materials or having a unique story behind its design. 2021 produced the Denim, whose upper is made of the durable textile alongside dark navy nubuck overlays. The following year, the Diamond was launched to celebrate 75 years of the NBA, and the Homage provided a shoe with dynamic black and white colour-blocking. The Floral also arrived in 2022, its woven flower graphics giving the lateral flank a distinctive look, as did the Tie-Dye, so named for the pattern on its heel and collar. In 2023, the trend continued with the Concord – a classic colourway first seen years before on the Air Jordan 11. 

Several other low-tops have been created over the years, each with its own take on the AJ1 Low. The Elevate Low has a platform midsole and an outsole with reworked grip formations. Meanwhile, the Utility has a functional focus and rugged style created by the use of tough materials and practical features. Other models have been built for different sports, including the various Golf shoes, which have specialised outsoles and golf-specific branding, and the range of American Football cleats. Elsewhere, the build of the Jordan 1 Low SE Craft, which is known for its use of premium materials, has been implemented on the Inside Out series, which introduces a new look via its layered toe box, sunken heel counter and exposed stitching.

The incredible popularity of the Jordan 1 Low has also brought it to the attention of fashion brands, music artists and other creative talents, leading to some memorable collaborations. In 2019, Eric Koston produced a duo of Nike SB colourways – the Midnight Navy and the UNC – both of which are based on classic designs from the early 2000s. The following year, Dior lent a luxurious touch to the AJ1 Low with a handcrafted sneaker clad in premium Italian leather. In 2021, Solefly added one to its series of Nike shoes, and Travis Scott crafted a high-quality Jordan x Fragment sneaker. It has a reverse swoosh on the lateral sidewall just like those on the suave Reverse Mocha and the sleek Black Phantom, both of which came out in 2022. In the same year, NBA pro Zion Williamson worked with Jordan Brand on his Voodoo model – a shoe covered in earthy tones and intriguing details. 2022 also produced a refined Eastside Golf design with an all-navy nubuck upper and a translucent outsole, before further collaborations came in 2023, including one with Union LA. A Jordan 1 AJKO Low, it has a canvas upper, just like the original Air Jordan KO from 1986, alongside a grey swoosh, yellow detailing and characteristic AJKO Wings on the heel.

With such a long history, the Jordan 1 Low is now one of the sneaker industry’s most well-known and sought-after shoes. While it began as a low-top version of the high-top original, it has since established itself as a popular model in its own right that continues to win fans around the world. Today, the Air Jordan 1 Low is available in hundreds of magnificent colourways – a number that is only set to grow thanks to the sneaker’s passionate followers.