These 1937 "Japan" 501's Are Some of The Rarest Levi's You Can Buy (2024)

Brand: Levi's

Model: 1937 501® Jeans

Release Date: Available Now

Buy: Highsnobiety Shop

Editor’s Notes: When it comes to denim few brands have stood the test of time, except of course, Levi's who are celebrating 150 years of its classic 501 jeans.

To commemorate the anniversary, the brand is releasing a limited edition pair of its iconic 1937 “Japan” 501® jeans. And by limited, we mean limited. Only 501 hand-numbered pairs of these jeans will be available to shop worldwide.

1 / 2

Levi's

See Also

Levi’s jeans from 1800s with racist slogan sell for over $120,000 - National | Globalnews.ca

For a bit of context, Levi’s 501 jeans first appeared in 1873, just 20 years after the company was founded by Levi Strauss, aGerman-Jewish immigrant that relocated to San Francisco. At the time miners needed jeans that could survive the wear and tear of their strenuous work conditions, so together with tailor Jacob Davis, Strauss registered a patent to put rivets on his denim's weak points which changed denim forever.

By 1936 suspenders were slowly fading out of style and the brand sought to remove unnecessary buttons, while also using the opportunity to add its iconic Red Tab™ to its jeans to distinguish itself from competitors. Within the span of a year, the legendary 1937 silhouette was born and the world took notice.

Levi’s first began producing its products using raw denim, meaning they weren’t washed (or pre-shrunk) during the production process so you can wear them as-is or shrink for a custom fit, hence the brand’s current Shrink-to-Fit™ subline.

Levi's

The 1937 Katakana 501 perfectly marries the cultural impact of the 501 with Japan’s advanced knowledge of selvedge denim which is used to produce this hand-numbered, limited edition drop. The timeless reproduction features back pockets with concealed rivets, a cinch back tab, and single-needle arcuate stitching. Even the buttons and its trusted big “E” Red Tab™ are translated into one of Japan’s three alphabets, Katakana.

It’s not often we encounter a genre-changing product on the verge of its 150th year anniversary, but given the success and long line of collaborations that Levi’s has had throughout, it’s safe to say that the 501 is truly here to stay.