The original “Chicago” Air Jordan 1, released in 1985, ushered in today’s drop culture, the painstaking art of snagging coveted Air Jordans and other high-valued sneakers at the drop of a hat. The bright red-and-black colorway, created by Micheal Jordan, was initially banned on the court due to player gear regulations. After Jordan Brand paid costly fees to the NBA, the league eventually approved the colorway, cementing the model as an integral pulse within the sneaker world.
Along with its vintage paneling, “Chicago Lost & Found,” also known as “Chicago Reimagined,” once coyly lived as deadstock on the shelves of mom-and-pop thrift stores — a weathered box tucking away newspaper and final sale receipts upped the prestige for shoe collectors. To get your hands on the box alone proved an exhilarating cop for die-hard sneakerheads. “Chicago Lost & Found” is already dominating Jordan Brand’s holiday lineup. The roundup below celebrates the high-top silhouette, including eye-catching collaborations with A Ma Maniére and Union LA.
Check out each model below on GOAT.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Chicago Lost & Found”
Release Date: November 19, 2022
Lowest Price: $284 USD
“Chicago Lost & Found” first appeared earlier in the year as “Chicago Reimagined.” Collectors may remember the original mashup of “Varsity Red/Black/Sail/Muslin” tones. Expected to dominate Jordan Brand’s 2022 holiday lineup, the revamped model dons the original 1985 construction with subtle improvements to the toebox design. The base is enveloped in white leather, while the lateral panel is adorned with “Varsity Red” overlays, a jet black Swoosh and faded black leather at the collar. “Muslin” tones come in at the tongue with contrasting white laces and a red Nike Air tag at the top, followed by a black collar lining. The Wings logo is stamped just below the collar. The stacked heel features “Sail” midsoles and “Varsity Red” rubber outsoles. “Chicago Lost & Found” packaging harkens back to the sneaker’s 1985 craze, housing graphic tissue paper, vintage-inspired newspaper clippings and an early ‘80s sales invoice.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Shadow 2.0”
Release Date: May 15, 2021
Lowest Price: $238 USD
“Shadow 2.0” dropped in 2021 as a retro remastering of the original “Black/Gray” 1985 AJ1. It’s enveloped in a cool-toned color scheme fronted by muted gray overlays and contrasting smooth grain leather in black. Aside from the stark white midsole, the model carries this tonal colorblocking down to the jet black laces, black outsole and Air Jordan branding near the collar. The familiar Nike Air tag hits the tongue. Its 2018 sister style, “Shadow,” riffs on design by incorporating saturated gray overlays throughout the uppers and collar.
A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 1 High OG “Airness”
Release Date: November 24, 2021
Lowest Price: $230 USD
Originally released in November 2021, “Airness” followed the success of A Ma Maniére x Jordan Brand’s Air Jordan 3 “Raised By Women” released earlier in the spring. “Airness” adopts its predecessor’s soft-washed execution using a similar crackled white leather base. Mixed materials, like the translucent overlay along the heel and snakeskin textures wrapping the midsole, contrast against the model’s decorative maroon piping and ribbed rubber heel tag. Hints of black reappear at the quilted lining, laces and oversized Air Jordan emblem stamped atop the tongue. At the heel, a Maniére box tag adorns the collar.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Mocha”
Release Date: May 11, 2019
Lowest Price: $1,621 USD
Travis Scott’s AJ1 “Mocha” collaboration from 2019 features white leather uppers and brown suede paneling. Monochromatic colorblocking continues with a reversed black Swoosh adorning the lateral panel. Subtle tonal changes appear with the off-white midsole, followed by a contrasting black rubber outsole. Nike Air branding decorates the tongue, along with a Cactus Jack cloth patch that reappears near the Swoosh logo in white lettering. The outer heel is stamped with Scott’s graffiti-style face logo. Released in 2020, Jordan Brand’s “Dark Mocha” Air Jordan 1 pays tribute to this style using the same brown-and-white construction with injections of matte black leather near the throat and toe cap.
Union LA x Air Jordan 1 Retro High NRG “Black Toe”
Release Date: November 17, 2018
Lowest Price: $1,254 USD
Jordan Brand and Union LA collaborations often build on symphony of color and texture, referencing signature staples from the franchise. Chris Gibbs’ 2018 “Black Toe” continues this arc by paying homage to thrifting culture. The shoe’s mix-matched facade — notably the inky black overlays, gray suede paneling at the collar and off-white laces — starkly contrasts against the pebbled white leather base, off-white midsole and rich maroon outsole. Its namesake comes from the leather black toebox and hits of black that dominate the lateral panel and Nike Swoosh. Off-white components reappear at the laces and piping along the collar. Finishing touches are seen with blue zig-zag topstitching decorating the heel and yellow piping outlining each component. Cool-toned Nike Air and Jordan branding appear at the collar, alongside a bright yellow Union LA box tag, tying in the silhouette’s collage-inspired theme.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Royal”
Release Date: April 01, 2017
Lowest Price: $367 USD
Originally released in 2013, “Royal” made an anticipated comeback in 2017. The 1985 colorway is true to form. Blacked-out uppers are enveloped in punchy, vibrant blue overlays near the toebox, heel and outsole. The Swoosh overlay is clad in blue pebbled leather, while the uppers are fitted in smooth-grain leather. Because of its stealthy, all-black base, the injection of “Royal Blue” is even more impactful, including the debossed Air Jordan Flight logo and Swoosh branding embroidered on the tongue. Since its release, the “Royal” colorway has appeared in low- and mid-top iterations, becoming a beloved staple in many closets.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Shattered Backboard”
Release Date: June 26, 2015
Lowest Price: $1,299 USD
Observing the legacy of Michael Jordan, the 2015 release of “Shattered Backboard” celebrates the athlete’s formidable airtime during an exhibition match in Italy in 1985. Commemorating his black and orange uniform worn during the game and his ferocious dunking abilities, “Shattered Backboard” salutes this awe-inspiring moment as one of many career highlights. It’s a luxurious and vibrant execution featuring glossy, smooth-grain and pebbled leather overlays, dominated by a two-tone color story. At the base, the silhouette is fitted with a white midsole and studded orange outsole. The outer toe cap, eyelets and tongue are enveloped in a smokey black, which deepens at the laces. Nike branding hugs the tongue, and an Air Jordan insignia hits the collar.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Bred”
Release Date: December 28, 2013
Lowest Price: $354 USD
Dropped in 2013, this AJ1 carries the legacy of a beloved colorway — originally banned by the NBA in 1985. “Bred” proudly reps the Chicago Bulls’ colors and Michael Jordan’s fight to deregulate player gear on the court. Predominantly clad in all-leather black upper, hits of fiery red dominate the collar, outer heel and toe cap. This theme continues with a blazing red outsole stacked atop a white midsole. A black debossed Air Jordan Flight logo disrupts the red overlay at the collar and familiar Nike branding returns to the tongue.
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