It Took Nine Attempts to Nail Down the Union x Air Jordan 1

From a distance, you’d think this collabortaion wouldn’t have taken that long at all. Just chop the throats off a pair of “Bred” and “Natural Grey” Air Jordan 1s and attach them to the body of a “Storm Blue” and “Black Toe” respectively.

But when you get these in hand, you’ll understand why these took almost ten attempts to get these just right. So how can such a simplistic idea that stemmed from a love of vintage shoes initiate such a lengthy research and development period?

The answer is in the details.

It’s no secret that the Union collaboration plays into owner Chris Gibbs’s fascination with vintage sneakers. It was inspired by the concept of hacking up several vintage pairs of Jordan 1s to repair an OG,

According to a behind the scenes report directly from the horses mouth, Jordan Brand have claimed that the design process required not one, not two but nine attempts to successfully re-create the fuzzy weathered heel and collar of an original 1985 Air Jordan 1. And that doesn’t include nailing the remaining details — nubuck Swooshes, exposed foam, zig-zag exposed stitching, pre-yellowed midsoles and the special edging on the thick-cut leather.

Along with the report, Joran Brand have also given us a comparative look at the original Jordan 1s and Union’s modern-day, retro-vibed collaboration below.

The duo of Union x Air Jordan 1s are set to release alongside accompanying vintage style apparel on Saturday, November 17th — the “Natural Grey” colorway will release globally at select retailers, while the “Storm Blue” edition remains as an exclusive to Union stores.

Be sure to check out our Release Calendar to stay up to date with all upcoming releases — and where to buy ’em!

Source: AIR.Jordan.com