Congrats Royal 1s, You've Been Selected for a Suede Reimagining
The Jordan Brand isn't letting up on its Reimagined series just yet. From the looks of it, the collection — which has seen coveted shoes like the Chicago 1s and White Cement 3s return (with some minor tweaks) — is only growing.
Official looks at the the Air Jordan 1 High OG "Royal" — Royal 1s, for short — are here, with the sought-after colorway joining the Jordan Brand's Reimagined bunch.
For those expecting the Reimagined vintage spin or the OG shoe's leather build, think again. Looking at these early looks, the Reimagined Royal 1s ditches its leather for a fresh suede upper topped with that classic colorblocking of black and royal blue.
Based on the photos, the shoe's royal blue even appears much brighter than previous pairs — probably courtesy of its new suede treatment (or bad lighting).
Again, the Reimagined Royal 1s would be the first in the series to boast a suede build. All the other revivals received aged details and traditional leather uppers (even the rumored Bred 4s will be leather).
Said to be Michael Jordan's favorite colorway, the Royal 1s hold just as much history — if not, equally iconic — as the Banned and Chicago 1s.
Though the basketball legend never wore them on the court, the shoes ended up on a Nike poster featuring Jordan, marking the first time anyone saw him wearing his signature shoe. Ever.
Following its 1985 debut, the famous shoe would go on to be released a couple of times, including in 2013 and 2017 (2017 was the last re-issue).
Now, the Royal 1s is up for reimagining, with the suede remake rumored to drop on November 4, 2023, right in time for the holidays.
While we wait for more solid details from Swoosh headquarters, walk with us as we predict what's next in the Reimagined series.
This article was published on May 19 and updated on October 13
