Jordan Brand is dropping a special version of its Air Jordan 1 Low OG on Saturday which appears to be inspired by its relationship with one of the nation’s most historic HBCUs.
The Air Jordan 1 Low OG Gym Red & Midnight Navy, or Howard University, drops on Saturday for a retail price of $140.
Now, there’s no denying that Air Jordan 1s are not as hot at this moment as they have been in recent years. I’ve written about it before, but the change in trends toward the 2000s mesh runner and perhaps over-saturation in the market over the past several years have led the Air Jordan 1 to perhaps lose some of its luster. I mean, in the pandemic era any and every colorway of the iconic sneaker sold out instantly and fetched a decent profit on the resale market. Now? Well, now we’re seeing tons of Air Jordan 1s hit Nike outlets at discount.
Is this necessarily a bad thing? No, I don’t think so. I’m always for people being able to get their sneakers for retail and personally I prefer to see the shoes go to people who actually want them and will wear them rather than a reseller using a bot to try and turn a quick profit. The Air Jordan 1 is an iconic shoe, no doubt, that can withstand the optics of sitting at outlets. It will always come back, lest we forget that when the shoe first retroed all the way back in 1994 it his deep discount, going for as little as $20. But I think there is no denying that Jordan Brand simply overextended this model in recent years. Some of the colorways were entirely unnecessary and the brand had to bend over backwards to try to find a story to justify a release. More is not always more. Jordan Brand and Nike might finally be heeding this axiom, as they have said the plan on doing more “franchise management” and producing less of three of the brands’ most popular models: the Air Jordan 1, the Air Force 1 and the Nike Dunk.
Nike has been accused of losing its edge and inspiration of late, and the brand is not reaching the heights it has in the past. Perhaps over-reliance on a few retro models is part of that. Nike is shifting, with John Donahoe out as CEO and Elliott Hill in. Hill has more of a connection to the brand than Donahoe had when he assumed the top job, so there is cause for optimism that Nike may be entering a new era. But don’t think that the company or Jordan Brand will ever completely vault the Air Jordan 1. It is like the Converse All-Star, a shoe that should always be on the shelves.
Which brings us back to Saturday’s release. While it’s danced around on SNKRS, this shoe is clearly inspired by Howard University. Jordan Brand signed a 20-year partnership with Howard in 2022 with the goal of amplifying “the influence of HBCUs on collegiate sport and continued impact on cultural globally.” Having an Air Jordan 1 inspired by the HBCU certainly seems to fit that goal and given Howard’s influence on culture, it is only fitting the university and its alumni/fans get a special colorway of one of the most consequential sneakers of all time.
The Howard University-inspired Air Jordan 1 Low OG has a leather upper with colors inspired by the historic HBCU — Gym Red, Midnight Navy and Summit White. Even if you’re not connected to Howard University, these colors work together so well and can go with almost anything. The shoe features Air Jordan 1 Black Toe-esque color blocking, with the navy section toward the front and the red on the back. The Swoosh is in that midnight navy, as is the Air Jordan 1 Wings logo embroidered on the heel. One small difference, and I do mean that literally, is the presence of a mini Swoosh in red near the toe box. The midsole is in a slightly aged sail color, with the outsole once again in that midnight navy. The nylon tongue once again in sail, with the the Nike Air logo in red on the tag. Without seeing these in hand, the materials on this colorway look to be pretty good, perhaps a step up from your typical GR AJ 1 release.
Whether or not these will be an instant sellout or the latest Air Jordan 1 to sit remains to be seen. However, given the fine look of the shoe and its connection to historic Howard University, I would bet this shoe will do better than recent Jordan 1 releases, even if it doesn’t hit pandemic-era highs on the secondary market. Best of luck to all looking to pick up a pair!
Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Howard University” Release Details
| Sneaker | Release Date | Retail Price |
| Air Jordan 1 Low OG Gym Red & Midnight Navy | October 12 | $140 |
To see more of this month’s releases, check out our release date calendar.
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