Breaking 'Bred': This Air Jordan 1 Mid Explains Its Nickname

'Bred' has long been a favoured nickname for any black and red Jordan Brand sneaker, with the Air Jordan 1 'Bred', the Air Jordan 4 'Bred' and the Air Jordan 11 'Bred' serving as some key examples. It's a quite literal nom de gurre, smashing two words into a single-syllable hybrid that looks like a misspelling of 'bread'. Now, the Jumpman has decided to break 'Bred' inspiration down on a fresh Air Jordan 1 Mid.

Displayed in photos from @solebyjc, the Air Jordan 1 Mid 'Bred' borrows a classic 1985 colour scheme and uses new branding to showcase the origins of its nickname. Red pieces of its build like the toebox and collar flaps feature a repeating tonal print that reads 'RED', while black pieces offer up a tonal text hit of their own that says – you guessed it – 'BLACK'. If you needed even more context, the nickname is explained further on the midsole, where a stamped hit reads 'BLACK+RED=BRED'.

These mid-cut Air Jordan 1s are also a tacit acknowledgement of Jordan Brand's famed 'Banned' myth, namely that the NBA outlawed the Air Jordan 1 'Bred' for failing to comply with uniform regulations – even though Michael Jordan never took the court in a pair, and the shoe in question was in fact a black and red Air Ship. The 'Banned' narrative was perpetrated by a special Air Jordan 1 'Banned' that was released exclusively at outlets in 2011, then the brand attempted to tell it in full with a 2016 Air Jordan 1 'Banned' release before quickly being repudiated by sneakerologists who brought the real story to light, a fine example of truth conquering even the best marketing.

Currently, a release date for the Air Jordan 1 Mid 'Bred' has yet to be announced, as does sizing info: the pair displayed above appears to be a grade school pair, though it may release in adult sizes as well. Keep it locked to SF for more info as it's available.