The dictionary defines artisanal as “of, relating to, or characteristic of an artisan.” An artisan is “a worker who practices a trade or handicraft.” One could make the case that Michael Jordan was an artisan on the court, crafting gravity-defying moves as he displayed his skills. At the same time, Jordan Brand can be considered an artisanal brand. Another definition of the adjective is “creating a product in limited quantities by traditional methods.” It sounds like Jordan Brand and its history of releasing beautifully crafted sneakers, often in limited quantities. However, unlike other artisanal goods like rare cheeses and wines, the brand listened to consumers and started to meet demand. An example is the appropriately named “Artisanal Red” Air Jordan 1 High OG releasing this weekend.
This upcoming release puts a new yet familiar spin on the OG color blocking debuted on 1985 classics like the “Storm Blue” Air Jordan 1 High. This colorway encourages sneakerheads to wonder what a larger OG palette of Air Jordan colorways might have looked like. It’s not so much “Reimagined” as ” What if?” Had MJ opted for the university in Southern Carolina instead of Northern, this colorway might have been synonymous with Jordan Brand.
Fan fiction aside, the “Artisanal Red” Air Jordan 1 High OG shows how Jordan Brand has listened to demand and started to deliver more OG-looking and feeling colorways with the same quality attached to classics. A few years ago, this pair might have been inaccessible to most for retail, but Jordan Brand is guiding consumers into a new era of sneakers where artisanal quality products don’t have to be produced in ultra-limited qualities in order to feel special. The Air Jordan 1 High OG “Artisanal Red” releases Saturday, April 27, in full family sizing.
