The Air Jordan 1 has cooled off significantly since its Pandemic-era peak of a few years ago. But can a return to one of its most popular OG colorways help the Jordan 1 once again take flight?
Jordan Brand is sure hoping so, as the legendary Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal hit store shelves on Saturday, October 10, for a retail price of $185.
Here’s everything you need to know about the return of the Royal 1s.
The history of the Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal
The Royals are an OG colorway of the Air Jordan 1 released in 1985. Designed by the legendary Peter Moore, it’s fair to say the Air Jordan 1 redefined athletic footwear and birthed sneaker culture as we know it.
Even if Jordan himself was initially ambivalent about the design — he famously told David Letterman on Late Night that he thought they were ugly — MJ said in his book “Driven From Within” that the shoe grew on him the more he wore it. He quotes Moore as saying that even if people were telling MJ that the sneakers were ugly at least that showed that people were looking at them, they were paying attention. Little did Jordan or Moore know what a phenomenon the Air Jordan would become.
However, before it became a pop culture phenomenon, the Air Jordan 1 had to perform on the court. Jordan reportedly loved the Adidas Forum prior to signing with Nike and according to Jason Cole’s excellent book, “Peter Moore Sneaker Legend,” MJ wanted his signature sneaker to be similarly low to the ground. As a result, Moore designed the Air Jordan 1 with its now-famous cup sole and as thin an Air unit as possible. The shoe also features a leather upper with multiple panels — in this case black and royal blue — and an outsole which WearTesters YouTube legend Chris Chase calls the greatest traction of all time.
Personally, this is one of my favorite colorways of the Air Jordan 1. I remember buying the 2001 retro on sale for $40 when I worked at Foot Locker back in the day. Sure I had to go down a size, but I made it work. The Royals have been retroed many times and in many forms and Air Jordan 1 expert mr_unloved1s — who has a new book out on the history of the Air Jordan 1 — posted a handy graphic showcasing the Air Jordan 1 Royal through the years.
The last time the Royals came out in their original form — obviously excluding the Royal Reimagined 1s a few years back — was in 2017. That 2017 retro currently has an average sales price of $214 over the last three months on StockX, while the 2026 retro is also available on the resale platform with an average sales price of $191. In between these two releases, Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan 1 Royal Reimagined in 2023, which was a pretty universally accepted flop. That model — which replaced leather panels with suede — currently has an average sales price of $116.
Given the Royal Reimagined 1s’ underperformance just three years ago and the general downturn in interest in the Air Jordan 1 as a silhouette, it’s fair to wonder if this 2026 retro will sell out or sit on shelves. Nothing is a guaranteed sellout these days, it seems, but this is a historically popular colorway that has not released in its proper leather form in nearly a decade. In fact, Jordan Brand nods to the colorway’s history by using the famed “runway” photo of Jordan himself wearing the Royal 1s on the packaging, as well as using catalog images of the 1985 1s as tissue paper on the inside.
Did the Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal immediately sell out?
We’ve seen UNC 1s, Shattered Backboards and more sit on store shelves in recent years. This is a legendary colorway of the Air Jordan 1, so it felt like if any drop could bring the model out of its spiral, it would be the Royals. Alas, it was not meant to be.
The Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal continued the trend of the Air Jordan 1 — and Air Jordan retros in general — sitting on shelves. And it’s currently selling for under retail on StockX. The fact that this shoe didn’t sell out immediately would have been unfathomable just a few years ago. But this is the world we’re living in. Comfort is king and Gen Z just doesn’t connect with the nostalgia of this model and colorway like previous generations have.
That being said, just because it doesn’t sell out or isn’t selling for big bucks on resale markets doesn’t make it a bad shoe. In fact, I picked up a pair and am quite happy with the 2026 edition. It’s just another reminder that you shouldn’t buy your sneakers solely because of hype. Buy and wear what you like. Then it won’t bother you if a shoe is a “brick.” If a shoe is a grail, it’s still a grail even if that model ends up on discount.
Where to buy the Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal now
The Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal released on October 10 for $185. The OG colorway is now available through select retailers. These include:
Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal Release FAQ
When did the Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal release?
The Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal dropped on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET.
How much does the Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal cost?
The Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal was released for a retail price of $185.
What is the significance of the Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal?
The Air Jordan 1 High OG Royal is one of the original colorways of the Air Jordan 1 released in 1985.
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