AIR JORDAN 1 RETRO HIGH ’85 “COLLEGE NAVY”

24 February 2022

With the latest AJ1 High ’85, dubbed “College Navy”, Air Jordan draws inspiration from the sought-after “Georgetown Hoyas” sample from 1985.

The Air Jordan 1 High '85 "Varsity Red" 2020

The Air Jordan 1 High '85 "Neutral Grey" 2020

1985 marked the beginning of what would evolve into an iconic legacy, with the first in a legendary sneaker lineage hitting the hardwood that year: the Air Jordan 1. It coincided with the rookie season of Michael Jordan and his legendary tenure at the Bulls: a season in which he surpassed all expectations with his gravity-defying game, claiming the Rookie of the Year award and making the All-NBA second team. But it wasn’t just MJ’s game that captured the attention of just about everyone, but the shoes that helped propel him along the way: the Air Jordan 1s. The shoe’s frenzy is something that’s just as palpable today, with those OG releases remaining at the top of a long list of Air Jordan grail lists.

The Air Jordan 1 High '85 "Varsity Red" 2020

In 2020, Air Jordan released the first in a series of sneakers that would honour the shoe’s origins, harking back to AJ1’s debut in colour, details and even shape. That sneaker would be named the Air Jordan 1 Hi ’85 “Varsity Red”, and even sported that iconic “Bred” colourway — the same banned colour blocking that fed into the marketing of the sneaker — to further the cult-status appeal. To achieve the sneaker’s OG shape, Air Jordan took a meticulous approach to the details: the leather used was thicker and premium, the collars and quarter panels cut to a higher shape and the sole drawn and digitally scanned to achieve the same shape and effect.

The Air Jordan 1 High '85 "Neutral Grey" 2020

In the same month Nike released the “New Beginnings” pack: a two-piece capsule designed to honour the Air Jordan 1’s legendary inception. The pack comprised of both the Air Jordan 1 High ’85 and the Air Ship — the two shoes which were worn by MJ in his rookie season of ‘84/85. Both came in that iconic, Bulls-synonymous red and white colourway, with the AJ1 sporting that classic “Chicago” colour blocking and the Air Ship predominantly white with red accents. The AJ1 High ’85, as with the “Varsity Red” release that came before it, was constructed to the sneaker’s debut formula with an emphasis on shape, details and materials. In 2021, Nike released the third iteration in the Air Jordan 1 High ’85 series, the “Neutral Grey”. The sneaker represented another true-to-OG-shape rendition of the AJ1, as well as being the first time the High had been seen in the classic, white and grey colourway since its ’85 debut.

Air Jordan 1 High '85 "College Navy" - BQ4422-400

This season, Nike continues the distinctive theme with the Air Jordan 1 High ’85 — that being an emphasis on the premium and sought after — transforming the shoe with inspiration taken from the “Georgetown Hoyas” sample from 1985.

Georgetown Hoyas-Inspired Colour Blocking

The sneaker, which is constructed to the same OG shape as previous releases, features smooth leather and classic colour blocking across the uppers, with its namesake “College Navy” hue paired with white.

Premium Leather Uppers

To further the classic aesthetic, the tongues are pre-yellowed and the laces come in off white, as well as that iconic Wings logo printed at the heels in OG-like sizing.