While rumours about the return of the Air Jordan 1 High “Black Toe Reimagined” colourway have been floating around since the end of 2022, the pair seem to finally be ready to drop this year. Nike and the Jordan brand are excited to return to the basics. Still, they have made an… exciting design choice that sneakerheads can’t decide if they love or hate.
You don’t get a more original colourway than “Black Toe” Air Jordan 1 High, a pair that debuted back in 1985 and is part of the reason the sneaker brand took the world by storm. The colourway has been brought back a few times throughout sneaker history; each time, the brand has made subtle changes to differentiate the 2016 release from older ones, but the design has remained largely unchanged…or so we thought.
Initially said to be dropping sometime in 2023, the mock-up photos shared by leakers and online sneaker news outlets everywhere were beautiful and classic, with a red rubber outsole, white rubber midsole, red, cracked leather making up the heel counter and ankle overlay, and black and white making up the rest of the sneaker’s upper.
Of course, it wouldn’t really be a “Black Toe” pair if there wasn’t a Black overlay over the toes, which makes up the mudguard and lace unit, and the under-part of the ankle area before it is covered with a red overlay. The Nike Swoosh logo is also a stunning pitch black to match the front of the sneaker.
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As time has gone on, there have been additions to the rumours, like that Nike would be updating the packaging for the sneaker and that it would be arriving sometime during the holiday season of 2024. All rumours that we can get on board with, but the latest info has shocked sneakerheads worldwide.
According to Complex and many other sneaker news outlets, the Air Jordan 1 High “Black Toe Reimagined” is set to have one very crucial change compared to any reimagined version before it, returning to the original design.
The 2024 version of the sneakers won’t feature the iconic Wings Logo on the lateral ankle of the sneakers, a mainstay and iconic feature of the Air Jordan 1 silhouette, a feature that most people had thought was a mainstay and iconic logo from the very beginning in 1985. But this wasn’t entirely correct.
“Sources have confirmed to Complex Sneaker that the upcoming ‘Black Toe Reimagined’ Air Jordan 1 High will feature ‘Air Jordan’ branding on the ankle, similar to the version that Jordan had over his shoulder in the original photo shoot of the shoe in the mid-‘90s.”
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Plenty of Nike and Jordan fans are simply outraged by the idea of removing the Nike Wings logo from the ankle of the sneakers. It’s not like you can’t tell that the pair are Jordans just by removing the logo, but without it, the sneakers instantly look cheap and like a knockoff. It really spits in the face of the luxury sportswear brand.
We understand that Nike is trying to honour its roots and honour the original sneakers from the 1990s, but have they gone too far on this one and ruined their colourway?
Update: Along with the changes to the lateral ankle area, removing the iconic Jordan Wings logo and replacing it with the original Air Jordan typography, Nike is going the extra mile to really harkon back to the good old days.
As the story goes, MJ wore a pair of Air Jordan 1 OG “Black Toe” sneakers during a game at the start of his NBA career and gifted the shoes that he was wearing to a personal friend.
When gifting it to this friend, he had signed both the left and right medial ankle with the following: “My Very Best – Michael Jordan” on the left, and “My Very Best – To Brother – Love Always, Michael Jordan #23” on the right.
It seems that Nike is paying homage to this significant moment with the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe Reimagined” sneakers, as sneaker enthusiast @xcsnkr has released images of the writing scrawled across the ankle of each respective pair in Michael Jordan’s glossy handwriting.
Along with this visual update, there is also updated release date information, with these sneakers now expected for an October 2024 release and an expected retail price of $180.
