Tribute to Greatness With the Air Jordan 1 UNC to Chicago

The Air Jordan brand has represented Michael Jordan and highlighted his basketball legacy in a variety of ways. When the Air Jordan 1 sneaker was released to the public in April 1985, Nike was determined to create a brand that embodied what Michael Jordan was all about. The Jordan 1's popularity went hand-in-hand with his Airness’ rising stardom, with the shoe hauling in over $70 million in sales within the first two months.

Since going retro in 1995, the Air Jordan 1 has released a variety of colorways to pay tribute to Jordan’s college beginnings at UNC. On February 14, 2020, the release of the Air Jordan 1 UNC to Chicago offered a women’s sneaker that blended his college and professional legacies into one colorway.

Air Jordan 1 History

When Michael Jordan started his rookie year with the Chicago Bulls, he had already signed a $2.5 million contract with Nike. Michael originally wanted to partner with adidas, but Nike’s lucrative contract demonstrated a commitment that no other company could match. The Air Jordan 1 was designed by Peter Moore and would be the first shoe released under the Air Jordan brand.

Nike’s primary focus centered around creating an independent, athletic brand focused entirely on Michael Jordan. It became a topic of controversy due to the famous BRED colorway, which violated the NBA's uniform policy. However, this rebellious feature elevated the Air Jordan 1’s national and global popularity. Its original release came with 5 different colorways, including BRED, Royal, Chicago, Black Toe, and Shadow.

Women’s Air Jordans

The appeal behind the Air Jordan brand extends beyond basketball. Like Michael Jordan himself, the brand attracts many different demographics, and Air Jordan shoes have become a pop culture fashion symbol. As such, the Jordan brand has produced a large number of shoe models designed specifically for women. In 1998, the WMNS Air Jordan OG became the first women’s sneaker released by the company. WNBA stars like Cheryl Swoops and Cynthia Cooper often wore Jordan sneakers during games in the inaugural 1997-98 WNBA season.

As the original Jordan shoe, the AJ1s carry a variety of women’s models and colorways. On Valentine’s Day, 2020, the UNC Chicago Jordan 1 sneaker made its debut. The colorway was designed to bring Michael Jordan’s famous UNC career together with his historic and dominant Chicago Bulls legacy.

Air Jordan 1 UNC to Chicago

The UNC to Chicago Jordan 1 sneaker is designed to pay tribute to Michael Jordan’s entire basketball legacy. The UNC to Chicago starts with UNC Powder Blue outlining the Swoosh symbol, heel, and Wingman logo on the collar. Black tumbled leather features on the eyelets, tongue, upper, and toecap, and a white midsole accompanies splashes of red on the outsole, toebox, and Nike tongue tag. PS and TD editions of the UNC to Chicago 1s are virtually identical to the standard OG sneaker. There are also lace-free UNC to Chicago Jordan 1 booties available for infants available on eBay.