Too Many Jordan 1s? How Nike’s Strategy Could Be Hurting the Legacy

More than any other sneaker, the Jordan 1 has had quite the journey since it was designed in 1984. From selling out its first 50,000 units, to leading the Jordan retro revival in the 2010s - the AJ1 has been through it all. Each decade has marked a different stage in the history of the shoe, with one after the other building on the legacy of Peter Moore’s ‘80s basketball icon. However there are no highs without lows (pardon the pun), and not even the Air Jordan 1 can escape the age-old saying.

It is no secret that the AJ1’s popularity has been declining ever since it achieved insane levels of hype in 2022, with that peak defined by the craziness that was the Lost & Found Jordan 1. Since then, it seems like Nike has been trying to recapture that energy, releasing a slew of limited releases which have surprisingly ended up on the sales racks.

This February we are going to see three huge Jordan 1 releases in the space of just two weeks. Yeah you heard us right. These three include the Air Jordan 1 "Bred" '85, the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and the recently confirmed Union LA x Air Jordan 1 “Chicago Shadow". All of these high heat sneakers dropping in one month is absolutely wild let alone in just 14 days! Rewind the clock by just three years and all of the shoes mentioned could have easily been contenders for sneaker of the year, so why is Nike dropping them in the same month? We wanted to take a closer look at Nike’s release strategy to understand the method behind the release madness.

You could argue that so many high-heat releases in such a short span bodes well for sneakerheads, as each Jordan 1 appeals to a different type of collector. For the sneaker purists, you have the Jordan 1 "Bred", offering an OG shape and classic colourway. For those looking for a wearable piece of history, the AJ1 Reimagined "Black Toe" offers retro style and modern comfort. Finally, to top it all off, the Union LA x Jordan 1 "Chicago Shadow" brings something entirely new to the table. From this angle it seems that Nike’s approach caters to a variety of consumers and as a result, makes the silhouette more accessible and makes sneakerheads worldwide happy.

On the other hand, there are some that argue that the hype and exclusivity behind a release is as important as the release itself. We can see this clearly by looking at the notification alerts users have set on these drops. Combined, the notification reminders set for the “Bred”, “Black Toe” and Union LA account for less than half of the alerts set for the “Lost & Found” Air Jordan 1s.

We feel this is down to two key reasons, the first being a decline in demand for the silhouette and two, the rollout timeline diluting the hype behind each of these landmark products. Although all three will inevitably sell out, condensing all these huge releases into the month of February seems to have lessened the impact of each drop. Coupling this with the fact we’re also expecting to see another Travis Scott x Nike release, a retro of the “Shattered Backboard” colourway, and even a return of an Off-White Jordan 1, with so many releases to choose from, how do you decide where to spend your money? With another drop always round the corner, why hurry to cop?

While we’re not here to say whether Nike should be focusing on creating exclusivity or accessibility, these kinds of releases will always be contentious amongst the community. By releasing so many high-heat drops at once, Nike are giving newer sneakerheads the opportunity to own historic releases, but OG sneakerheads may feel disconnected, with their own collections losing value and meaning.

The Banned marketing campaign seemed to be a step in the right direction to rebuilding the energy behind the Jordan 1, yet it seemed like the false 10,000 units rumour had more of a moment in certain sneakerhead communities than Jordan Brand’s fantastic Banned commercial did. At the end of the day Nike can only do its best with its marketing, as the fans ultimately form the narrative. All of the debates around units and stock numbers only created further discussion around the release, working huge favours for Nike. As long as people were talking about the ‘Banned’ Jordan 1, does it really matter? As sneakerheads, we think it does. We want to see more talk on leather quality, stitch count and tooling, yet save for OG Jordan fans and collectors, these details often go unappreciated. Sadly, as with any subculture, the real fanatics are always in the minority.

So if you slapped the Bred AJ1s straight on feet and are enduring the break-in period, we salute you. If you’re copping the “Black Toe” so you can feel like Michael with the pair slung around his shoulder, we see you. If you are planning on buying your first pair of Jordan 1s this year, then let us help you pick them up. At the end of the day, the more Nike drops the Jordan 1, the higher the chances you stand of catching a W, which means more sneakerheads are smiling … right?