What’s Up With the Royal Reimagined 1s?
Nike and Jordan Brand are home to some of the most iconic sneakers ever. The Air Force 1. The Jordan 1. I could go on. Alongside those well-known silhouettes, we've been blessed with equally famous colorways like the "Bred" and "Royal."
The Jordan Brand recently brought back the coveted Jordan 1 High "Bred" and "Royal" sneakers, but they were a little different than those grail-worthy originals.
Part of Jordan's "Reimagined" line, the Air Jordan 1 "Royal Reimagined" returned to the scene with a new suede makeover this year, ditching its traditional leather construction — a fabrication switch-up that had fans on the fence well up to the shoe's launch.
The case with the Satin Bred 1s was a little different, though. A silky adaptation of the infamous colorway dropped back in 2016, garnering much hype during its debut. Nowadays, the pairs are going for around $2K on resale platforms. Insane, right?
Given the success of the 2016 pairs, you'd think the re-release would be met with the same energy — and you'd be wrong.
Often, you'll see loads of "trash" comments, and, yet, Nike's shoes still sell out. Not the new Air Jordan 1 Satin "Bred" sneakers, though. The luxe-looking takes are collecting dust on Nike's digital shelves, as we speak, available in just about every size...at retail price!
The Royal Reimagined 1s are in the same boat, with the smooth pairs still awaiting to be copped at Nike. They even dipped below their selling price on StockX at one point.
So, what's going on with these updated classics? That's just it: they're updated classics. Many people mention their preference for the traditional look, down the Jordan 1's leather build.
"No one asked for these," one person commented under the Satin Bred 1's official imagery. "Biggest flop of the year," someone said about the Royal Reimagined 1s. "They're so ass that they're still available."
Through its Reimagined series, we've seen the Jordan Brand revive hits like the Air Jordan 1 High "Chicago" and "White Cement" 3s but with some tweaks like vintage details — or, in the case of the pending Bred 4s, a brand-new leather look.
While some have jumped at the chance to own historic sneakers (well, close to them), others can't quite get past the "new year, new me" vibes. Of course, Jordan swapping out materials on its timeless sneakers isn't new (recall the Satin Backboards and Black Toes).
But sometimes, it's okay to keep a classic just that: a classic. Improvements are one thing. But entire makeovers of legendary spins? Folks aren't always here for it.
What's that old saying? Oh yeah. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
