Rumours of the Air Jordan 1 ‘Wings’ surfaced all the back in the summer of 2023. According to initial leaks on sneaker Twitter (which were a little vague at first), Jordan Brand was apparently working on a bunch of super luxe trainers. And now, the hotly-anticipated collection has finally been confirmed by the sneaker gods over at Nike HQ.
Even though Michael Jordan's first signature shoe has been around for the better part of four decades, other than Kim Jones' ultra-rare Dior collab from 2020, it's never received a makeover quite as haute as this. Featuring a total of three shoes, the first two are painted in an off-white palette and, sì, they've been meticulously crafted by artisans in Italy.
Instead of the usual materials you'd find on a “normal” pair of AJ1s, genuine full grain leather has stepped in. Each and every stitch has also been done by hand. This is as couture as mass market sneakers can realistically get.
The third pair, on the other hand, flips the script with an all-black colourway. The upper is still made from leather, but it's completely covered with thousands and thousands of strands of pony hair. The legendary winged basketball emblem is finely debossed across the collar, and even though you probably won't be playing basketball in these, Jordan Brand has added a grippy gum rubber outsole anyway. Because heritage, that's why.
It's not just the trainers that are absurdly ritzy, either. The ‘Wings’ collection also presents a huge selection of apparel including hoodies, tracksuits, varsity jackets, and shorts, all of which have been decked out in materials like cashmere wool, lambskin, and all that good stuff. As for accessories, expect calfskin cardholders and weekend bags, gold keyrings, and bright orange bucket hats and scarves that give off serious Hermès energy.
A release date for the Air Jordan 1 ‘Wings’ collection has yet to be announced, but expect it to land sometime this month. Retail prices for the AJ1s have yet to be revealed, but the Low should cost around £700, while the High should set you back about £800.
