Air Jordan lows have existed since the beginning, but they were historically more of a complimentary style than a priority for the brand and consumers. That said, low colorways weren’t always consistent with the popular high versions. A perfect example is the absence of OG Air Jordan 1 lows like the “Bred” and “Chicago” in the 1980s. Instead, Nike released versions like the “Neutral Grey” and “Metallic Navy.” Fast forward to 2024, and lows are competing with highs, at least when it comes to the AJ1. A silhouette that has always shown love to the low-cut version is the iconic Air Jordan 11. For years, Jordan Brand has stuck to a strict seasonal schedule of releasing AJ11 lows in the summer and highs during the holidays. This summer, fans of the AJ11 low are being treated to a long overdue “Space Jam” colorway.
The famous colorway debuted in 1996’s Space Jam but didn’t hit stores until 2000. Since then, we’ve had two more retros of the Space Jam 11, but never a low until now. Like the aforementioned missing classic AJ1 low colorways in the 80s, the “Space Jam” 11 low is a sneaker that feels like it belongs to a past era and story. That makes this release special because it’s a first of its kind but feels extremely familiar and OG.
Jordan Brand didn’t mess around when it came to the design. No re-imagining or IE version this time. The 2024 Air Jordan 11 Low “Black/Varsity Royal” stays true to what an OG could have looked like and will be a quality addition to anybody’s sneaker collection. Aside from its box office debut, the “Space Jam” AJ11 also holds a significant place in sneaker culture history. Its 2009 retro is often credited as one of the pivotal moments in sneaker history where niche started to creep into the mainstream. That release caused so much buzz that Jordan Brand established December as a tradition for AJ11 high releases, and the silhouette eventually became known as the sneaker release of the holiday season. Now, Jordan Brand has finally completed the high and low story, giving the “Space Jam” AJ11 its time to shine during the summer season. The Air Jordan 11 Low “Black/Varsity Royal” releases May 18 at 7 AM PST for $190.
