The Air Jordan 1 ‘Denim’ Is a Freaky Foray Into the World of Jeakers
Photograph: Nike; Collage: Gabe Conte
Back in 2018, Jordan Brand linked up with Levi's for one of the year's most surprising collaborations. The Air Jordan 4 ‘Levi’s Denim’ gave the classic 1989 silhouette the full Canadian tuxedo treatment, replete all the Levi’s hallmarks—including the orange contrast stitching and that famous little red tab. It was an unholy combination, but it worked. Rocked, even.
Six years later, the Levi’s Jordan has largely faded from the cultural memory the way a good pair of denim should. But the vogue for jean sneakers—jeakers, if you're nasty—has not disappeared entirely. In fact, Nike is bringing back this distinctive subgenre on a new sneaker that is set to drop later this month: the Air Jordan 1 ‘Denim.’ Though not another official Levi’s collaboration, the shoe retains a similar all-denim aesthetic, this time applied to the most iconic Jordan model of all. Color-blocked with three different jean shades—alternating panels of light-wash, dark-wash, and bleached—the shoes are a clean, crisp reminder of why the Levi's Js made such a splash all those years ago. It’s been a while since a Jordan 1 colorway felt truly essential, but this might just qualify.
Since the Levi’s collab in 2018, Jordan Brand has made a couple of attempts to bring the denim sneaker look back into fashion, though not always successfully. The Jordan 1 WMNS ‘Denim,’ from 2022, was designed with raw edges that gave the shoe a distinctive but somewhat unfinished look. Though it had its admirers, it was a very different approach to denim than what we’d seen with the Levi’s version four years earlier. 2019's Air Jordan 6 ‘Washed Denim,’ by contrast, was much closer to the original Levi’s spirit, with a washed-out shade that added to the quirky ‘90s feel. (The Air Jordan 3 ‘Fire Red Denim’ came out in 2020, but it only featured minimal denim detailing in the elephant print, so it doesn’t quite count.)
In any case, we’re glad to see the style coming back—it officially drops this Saturday, June 15 via Nike and SNKRS—and we’re ready to bust out our finest dungarees and trucker jacket to pair with it.
Originally Appeared on GQ
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