The last time the Air Jordan 1 Low “Shadow” returned, it became a clearance rack sneaker. It’s not because the “Shadow” isn’t a popular colorway. In fact, the simple black, grey, and white version of MJ’s first sneaker is perhaps the most versatile of any OG release. But in 2015, low Air Jordans were still a few years away from being popularized, so this release still lived in the shadow of the historically more popular high edition. All of the OG AJ1 Low colorways from the mid-2010s went on sale, and it wasn’t until 2019 collaborations like the Travis Scott x AJ1 Low Mocha and Eric Koston x Nike SB x AJ1 Lows made the model one of the most in-demand sneakers of the last half-decade. Now, the “Shadow” Low will be released for only the second time, and it’s primed for a better response than it got nine years ago.
Like other OG High colorways, the “Shadow” was never released as a low in 1985, so this is only the second time in history that fans will get a chance to own the sneaker. Because of that, Jordan Brand skipped the “1985” treatment and opted for the standard “OG” build consistent with most other notable AJ1 Lows that weren’t part of the original lineup. The biggest improvement from the 2015 pair is the leather upgrade. All of the mid-2010 Lows used a poorer quality leather that tended to crease easily. The trade-off? The 2010 releases featured a bigger Swoosh, which has become a sneakerhead favorite despite not being true to OG specs. The Air Jordan 1 Low “Shadow” releases May 11 for $140.
