Air Jordan 1 "Dark Marina Blue"
Release Date: Jan 15th, 2022 (Saturday)
Color: Dark Marina Blue/Black/White
The Air Jordan 1 High OG has steadily been in production over the last handful of years, proffering colorways rooted in Michael Jordan’s professional and personal life and otherwise. Recently, the silhouette has emerged in a “Dark Marina Blue” option expect to release in January 2022.
With similar color-blocking to August’s “Pollen” proposition, the upcoming Air Jordan remixes the model’s original “Royal” arrangement. A slightly-different shade of blue and makeup across the smooth leather upper make it an entirely new option, but one that’s a lot easier to swallow than more experimental-looking pairs. The toe box, mid-foot and ankle panels all opt for a pitch-“Black” look that allows for the titular “Dark Marina Blue” to revel in the spotlight. Underfoot, outsoles follow suit.
the pair arriving in a similar styling to that seen on this year’s Air Jordan 1 High “Pollen” release, which we’ve replicated through a gallery of Photoshop renders below. Its materials may well differ, and as with any speculative sneaker render, there may be some inconsistencies between this and the release — but it should give you a fairly good idea of what to expect come early next year.
For over three decades, the jordan 1 has been a symbol of any sneakerhead. Whilst the Air Jordan 1 may be arguably the most iconic sneaker of all time, it was not one of Michael Jordan’s favourites. As many sneakerheads will know, the story behind the Jordan 1 is as much an important part in MJ’s career as his legacy with the Chicago Bulls. For the second instalment in our Behind the Design series, we’re delving deep into the past of the AJ1.
After signing with Nike Michael Jordan had to wait for almost an entire year to get his first shoe. He was often spotted wearing the Nike Air Ship in his rookie season, which would eventually become the shoe that was banned by the NBA. That, of course, didn’t stop Nike from playing on the banned theme when it released the Air Jordan 1 (more on that later).
With Michael Jordan being such an asset to Nike’s set-up, Phil Knight, Nike's founder, realised that Jordan’s first signature sneaker had to be big. Nike’s creative director, Peter C. Moore, landed the role of designing Jordan’s sneaker. Although there were little details provided by Jordan on how he wanted the sneaker to look, he did give Moore two things to work with: the sneaker needed to be lower cut than others and it had to be exciting.
A combination of supple leather, a large Nike Swoosh and adorned the athletic sneaker. The defining detail, however, was the Wings logo. Drawn on the back of a napkin by Moore, the Wings logo was the combination of Jordan and Nike. A basketball with wings featured the words “Air Jordan,” playing off Michael’s athletic ability and Nike’s Air Technology. Although Moore may have thought he pulled off a slam dunk, it wasn’t the case.
So, there you have it! That’s the design and success story of one of the most famous sneakers in Nike’s history. For almost 40 years, theNike Air Jordan 1 has been a key shoe in the sneaker community. Its influence is undeniable, with Nike continuing to release collaborations and colourways of this classic design. Who knows how different the world of sneakers would have looked if Jordan had of left Nike.