Air Jordan I (AJ1)

Quick Reference:

• Before the Air Jordan
• Air Jordan
• Air Jordans worn in 1985-1986 season
• AJKO/Knockout
• Air Jordan Metallic Colorways

Jordan himself spent several weeks wearing Non-Air Jordan branded shoes before finally debuting the Air Jordan 1 on November 17th against the Philadelphia 76ers. While this has become common knowledge with the recent Nike releases of the ‘New Beginnings’ Pack and the Air Ship Pro PE ‘Banned’ colorways; it wasn’t always that way. Before Jordan first wore the Air Jordan 1 ‘Chicagos’ fans saw him wearing at least three different shoes:

• The Air Train PE – White/Natural Grey (sometimes referred to as the Air Ship)
• The Air Ship PE – White/Red, and the most popular
• The Air Ship Pro PE – Black/Red or ‘Banned’

We are working to identify each shoe worn in each game through the 1984-1985 preseason, regular season, and postseason by Jordan. Credit to mjo23dan for providing insightful research to everyone over the years!

Why was the Air Jordan 1 Banned?

The actual shoe banned by NBA Commissioner David Stern was the Air Ship Pro PE. However, with the upcoming release of the Air Jordan 1 in 1985, Nike went on to market this ‘Banned’ shoe as the Air Jordan 1.

The shoe was banned because it did not meet NBA uniform conformity rules. At the time, the NBA’s rules required players’ shoes to match their teammates and conform to a 51% rule . Jordan’s all black, and red sneakers failed to do so.

In reality, there is no proof that Jordan ever wore the Air Jordan 1 Black/Red model in an NBA game, however, he did wear them in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest.

The Air Jordan 1 OG Colorways

We may never have an official number of Air Jordan Colorways released. Despite pairs being available, debates still continue as to whether or not pairs were samples, promos, or other non-general releases.

Air Jordan 1 ‘Standard’ Colorways:

10 pairs released between 1985-1986, including one low pair. Jordan has been seen wearing all of these colorways except for the Air Jordan 1 Kentucky (White/Blue), but only two colorways (Air Jordan 1 ‘Chicagos’ and the Air Jordan 1 ‘Black Toes’) in an NBA Game.

Air Jordan 1 ‘Injury’ Editions:

Jordan wore two pairs of shoes following his return from an ankle injury at the end of the 1985-1986 season – the ‘Strap’ and the ‘Dunk Sole’ versions. While the 2015 release of the Air Jordan 1.5 is similar, these versions have never officially released.

**Also featured are the Air Jordan 1 White/Gym Red. Jordan is believed to have worn these in an NBA Game on January 5th, 1985 (hat/tip MJO23DAN/YT)

Air Jordan 1 KO (AJKO, Air Jordan Knock Out):

Two primary colorways exist. The debate over what colorways were officially released persists. Additional colorways, including blue/white have also surfaced but are believed to be samples or promotional. No photos exist of Jordan ever wearing any of these.

Air Jordan 1 ‘Metallic’ Colorways:

Nike released eight different colorways, including a blue, low colorway. Similar colorways featuring non-metallic materials exist but are also considered promotional or samples. No photos exist of Jordan ever wearing any of these.

The Impact of the Air Jordan 1

If you’re here, you already know. In May of 1985 (the end of Jordan’s rookie season) the Chicago-Tribune reported over $55 million in sales and expected sales of 3-4 million pairs. Nike sold 1.5 million pairs in the first six weeks of wide release. They continued to release the new colorways mentioned above into the fall and produce new pairs into early 1986.

The Air Jordan 1s were rereleased in 1994/1995, and while they didn’t sell out quite as fast as we might expect – the retro era began. Today Air Jordan 1 retros release almost monthly, including collaborations with celebrities, designers, and other popular culture figures. The shoe is as popular today as when it originally released in the mid-1980s.