By Anthony Levine, longtime sneaker collector. Updated: 04-12-2022
The Air Jordan 1s popularity is undisputed! It might just be the king of collectible sneakers. Everyone from long-time sneakerheads to brand new hypebeasts can appreciate the history and popularity of the model.
Why Air Jordan 1 Are So Popular
The Jordan 1 remains popular because it is iconic, looks great with any number of outfits and is directly tied to the history of sneaker collecting in general. Limited availability and hype of course also plays a role.
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Being the first model in the series of Jordan Brand releases with countless different colorways and form factors (low, mid, high, etc) gives the sneaker both niche history and wide appeal at the same time. If you are just getting into collecting sneakers, it seems like a “must” to own at least one pair of AJ1s.
In fact, the Air Jordan 1 is widely assumed to be the origin of sneaker culture. A debatable claim given that the Air Force 1 initially released a couple years earlier. And despite the Air Ship being the first Nike that Michael Jordan technically wore in the NBA. Peter Moore designed the model and came up with the iconic “wings” logo.
We can all agree that hype helps drive sneaker popularity and sales. The Jordan 1 is and has been one of the most hyped shoes out there, with celebrities and influencers seen rocking the sneakers to this day. This definitely contributes to certain colorways selling out and being more difficult to find for retail.
When the Air Jordan 1 First Became Popular
While the Air Jordan 1 got recognition when it first debuted in 1984-1985, it wouldn’t surge in popularity until retros emerged in 2001.
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Jordan himself initially wanted to sign with either Adidas or Converse. He wanted a shoe that was low to the ground, unlike the AF1. Peter Moore came to the rescue with the Air Ship and Air Jordan 1, tailoring the lower profile midsole to MJ’s liking.
Initially, the AJ1 was controversial, which led to some initial hype around the shoe. Or, at least, some notoriety. The typical hoop shoe in the early 80s was white + one team color. The Jordan 1 incorporated black into the sneaker, giving it 3 colors instead of just 2 (with the exception of the black and red colorway). This led to fines and headlines when Michael Jordan would wear the sneakers.
The Jordan 1 would eventually hit the vault until 1995 when the first series of retros released. These had lackluster sales at the time and often went straight to clearance racks! The world wasn’t ready for the AJ1 retro just yet. However, when retros again surfaced in 2001, the popularity was way more palpable. Since then, the Air Jordan 1 has released in countless colorways to great success, as sneaker culture has grown up right alongside the model.
What Nike Shoe Jordan First Wore
Michael Jordan initially wore the Air Ship interchangeably with the Air Jordan 1. The first Jordan 1 he wore was the Chicago colorway.
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Originally, the Chicago and Black Toe colorways served as alternate versions for MJ to rock on court. Eventually, the Air Ship was phased out and Michael rocked the Jordan 1 exclusively. Later, the Bred colorway was moved into the rotation.
Pics can be found floating around online of MJ playing in other sneakers besides Nikes before the Air Jordan 1 debuted. He was photographed wearing the Adidas Forum for example.
Many called the Air Jordan 1 ugly when it first released. It is thus very ironic that the sneaker has the status it does today.
Where To Buy Air Jordan 1s
The Air Jordan 1 can be found in mid, low and high cuts. The highs are the most popular and release on SNKRS as well as boutiques and aftermarket sites.
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When I first started collecting, the AJ1 mid was the closest thing we could get to the old school Jordan 1 high. In fact, they were considered highs in the day instead of mids. It wouldn’t be until around 2013 that Air Jordan 1 retros began being produced in the traditional high cut.
Eventually, a differentiation between high and mid became apparent, with mids and lows being the unpopular choice for those that couldn’t get their hands on the high top versions. This persisted for a while until the popularity of the model became so intense that even the once poo-poo’d mid and lowtop J1s became kicks that sell out!
The point here is that the Air Jordan 1 can prove very difficult to obtain, particularly in popular colorways.
Right now, places to get AJ1s include:
- SNKRS – Your odds may not be good on SNKRS, but it is your chance to get popular colorways on release date for retail directly from the manufacturer.
- Sneaker Boutiques – Places like Packer, Concepts, Extra Butter, etc all occasionally stock AJ1s. While the lows and mids may be more prolific on sites like these, highs also release on them as well. Often times the more popular releases are done by raffle.
- Footsites – While Footlocker and Champs used to be places to possibly get Jordan 1s, Nike seems to be pulling back a bit from these sites. Other places like Finishline and Hibbett may still occasionally stock AJ1s.
- eBay – Some consider eBay the “OG” of buying used kicks. Others pulled ahead in the resale market by offering authentication services, as sites like eBay had the reputation for being full of fakes! These days, eBay offers their own authentication service and is competitive in this space again.
