The Best Off-White x Air Jordan Collaborations

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Designed by Peter Moore, the Air Jordan 1 took flight during Michael Jordan’s rookie season. After appearing in highlights and All-Star play by the brash Bulls guard, the shoe was released in 1985 to a swarm of fanfare. Almost four decades later, the Air Jordan 1 remains the toast of sneaker culture.

In 2017, Chicago native Virgil Abloh was given the opportunity to collaborate on Michael’s first signature sneaker, creating the “Chicago” Off-White x Air Jordan 1 Retro. The deconstructed aesthetic and oversized Swoosh introduced the world to Abloh’s design perspective while creating a lane for subsequent sneaker collaborations.

Before arriving in Chicago as a lottery draft pick, Jordan made a name for himself at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Over the course of his three collegiate seasons, Jordan established himself as a winner by taking home the 1982 National Championship and earning a National Player of the Year accolade in 1984.

Showing love to Jordan’s powder blue beginnings, the Off-White x Air Jordan 1 Retro “UNC” channels the arrival of the greatest guard to ever play the game. Big branding and deconstructed aesthetics build on the famed “Chicago” take, proving also iconic in the famous colors worn by Jordan at Chapel Hill.

When crafting the Air Jordan 5, Tinker Hatfield expanded on the mesh ventilation, articulated traction, and 3/4 cut of 1989’s Air Jordan by going even more technical. Debuted during the 1990 All Star Game, the Black/Metallic Air Jordan 5 stood in stark contrast to its predecessor. 

Paying homage to Michael Jordan’s superhero status and battle-tested toughness, the Off-White x Air Jordan 5 Retro “Muslin” appears as a relic from combat. The faded black textile upper and yellowed outsole look aged while metallic detailing and holes all over the upper play up Jordan’s immortal status.

When Virgil Abloh introduced “The 10” in 2017, the Off-White x Air Jordan 1 Retro was intended to release in all-white to remain inline with the color story seen through its peers. After realizing the blank palette would look too much like a white-on-white Nike Dunk, Abloh changed course and released the “Chicago” colorway instead.

Months later in 2018, the Off-White x Air Jordan 1 Retro “White” released as Abloh originally intended it. The irreverent labels offered sharper contrast on the otherwise muted upper, with blue and orange stitching also illuminating the revised version of Michael Jordan’s first signature shoe.

After releasing a range of Air Jordan collaborations in men’s sizing, Virgil Abloh brought out the Off-White x Air Jordan 4 Retro “Sail” exclusively scaled for women. First seen on the runway at Paris Fashion Week in February 2020, pairs hit the market in July.

Much like Abloh’s previous homages to the Air Jordan 1, the Off-White x Air Jordan 4 Retro relies on deconstructed components and translucent detailing. Various shades of sail cascade the entire upper for an ornate and tonal update onto the 1989 favorite.

After missing the majority of his sophomore season due to injury, Michael Jordan returned to full health in year three. Playing in all 82 games over the course of the 1986-87 season, Michael won his first scoring title while wearing the Air Jordan 2 in both high and low top versions.

The newly unveiled Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Retro Low features nods to that era by leaning into an aged aesthetic by way of a marbled midsole made to mimic crumbling over the years. Exposed foam on the ankle collar carries a yellowed look also likened to vintage pairs, a theme that’s capped off with Michael Jordan’s signature stamped on the upper.

Shop the best Off-White x Air Jordan collaborations now on GOAT.