The All-Time Greatest Air Jordan 1s: Part One
‘Chicago.’ ‘Bred.’ ‘Black Toe.’ ‘Shadow.’ Some of the most iconic sneakers of all-time are Air Jordan 1s, but sneakerheads may be surprised to know that MJ’s first Swoosh signature wasn’t always considered one of the footwear G.O.A.T.s.
First donned by Jordan in 1984 and officially released in 1985, the AJ1 was instantly and infamously mythologised by Nike with the now legendary ‘Banned’ campaign. Despite the campaign, Jordan’s Rookie of Year award-winning debut NBA season, and the ‘Banned’ AJ1’s on-court premiere in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest, the general lack of sneaker culture and MJ’s disappointing sophomore season – His Airness missed almost the entirety of the 1985/86 campaign with a broken foot – meant that the AJ1 was all but forgotten by the time the Italian-made Air Jordan 2 released in November of 1986.