For all the sneakerheads out there, Christmas morning has arrived six months early. The Air Jordan 1 OG Dior trainer is finally hitting stores after coronavirus pushed the launch back from March. This is no regular release, we must add. It was reported by WWD that last week, over five million people registered online to purchase the sought after shoe as it went on a sale on a dedicated microsite. Kim Jones first revealed the trainer back in December 2019 at Dior’s Fall 2020 showcase on Miami beach, and has since been a key talking point for both menswear and sneaker fanatics globally. Out of the 13,000 trainers produced, only 8,000 are available to the general public. This morning as the shoe made its arrival to Selfridges and Dior’s New Bond Street store – the only UK locations selling the trainer – fans began queuing from as early as 4am. Now that’s dedication!
To mark the highly anticipated release of the Air Jordan 1 OG Dior, the house has released a mini-documentary that takes us through the shoe’s creation. Kim Jones is a massive Air Jordan 1 fan and owns a collection of limited-edition rareties any sneakerhead could only dream of owning. The video sees Jones talk through his favourite additions – including pairs that are over 30 years old, as well as taking us into the factory where the trainers were made. Crafted with the precision of a Dior handbag, every inch of the shoe has been considered in immense detail – including an enlarged swoosh to house the Dior oblique motif, which also covers beneath the sock liner.
The magic doesn’t stop there. Jones delved deep into both the Dior and the Jordan archive to create an accompanying apparel collection, which can be seen modelled by Travis Scott. Inspired by what Michael Jordon wore both on and off the court, the collection included basketball shorts, sweater vests, bomber jackets and roomy blazers. There’s even a Dior Air Jordan-branded tie, which comes in the same signature Dior grey as the trainers. “Nowadays when you talk about things like why we do a sneaker with a couture house, it’s what a modern man wears,” explains Jones. “So it makes sense to do it and it’s great to do it with your favourite sneaker of all time.”
Photographs by Brett Lloyd. The Air Dior collection is available to purchase now at Selfridges London and Dior’s New Bond Street store, as well as Paris Saint–Honoré and Dubai Mall.
