Lost & Found – Rediscovering an Icon

Few shoes can claim to match the iconic status of the Air Jordan 1. In the 35+ years, it has existed, the AJ1 has remained a cultural symbol. Even after subsequent Jordan models, the lasting appeal of "Ones" was so strong the model would be brought back less than a decade later – remaining ever since.

With such revered history comes difficulty though... When you've reached perfection what can you do next? For this very special pair, Nike went with storytelling.

We all dream of a miracle find – walking into a run-down sports store and making the come-up of the century. In reality though – when it comes to Jordans – it's unlikely to ever happen. Instead, Jordan has captured the feeling, without the musty smell or the conundrum of whether it's worth wearing them.

The AJ1 "Lost & Found" tells the story of a god-tier discovery: a deadstock pair of Chicago AJ1s, untouched since purchase from the fictional Sandy Bros. Sports Depot in 1986.

At a glance, everything is exactly as you might expect for a pair of Chicago's. However, a closer look reveals deeply-researched patinated effects. The Jordan design team spent countless hours with archival examples of original Jordan 1s in order to painstakingly recreate the key details that collectors obsess over.

The white leather has slight cracks, whilst the the collar sports a distressed effect that replicates the peeling on surviving pairs – a signature of OG AJ1s. The red and black accents retain a smooth finish, the leather itself has a waxy appearance which was developed by the designers when inspecting how oils had come to the surface of the leather on original pairs.

Each pair's outsole rubber has a chalky wash, but thankfully you needn't worry about dry-rot and splitting like on '85s. A final touch for the shoes comes from faded laces. This small but important detail prevents the dreaded old shoes, new laces look that can ruin the entire shoe in a instant.

Even the packaging contains an excruciating amount of detail. The box lid is mismatched – in the story, it's explain as a replacement for the original lost decades ago. Added patina gives the effect of decades stored in an attic somewhere, with the shoes wrapped in tissue paper printed with vintage Jordan ads. There's even get a faux receipt from the original "purchase".

With so many Air Jordan 1s in existence, it must have been a daunting task for the design team to conceptualise something new. That being said, we think these are one of the most impressive Jordan releases in a very long time. The level of detail applied to this release is something we rarely see in the modern sneaker industry, even outside of collaborations. To see Jordan do this all internally, speaks volumes to how much weight is placed on this iconic shoe.

The Nike Air Jordan 1 "Chicago" Lost & Found release is available in family sizes. The release will be conducted through our launches page HERE – register now for a chance to get a pair. 

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