Jordan 1 Retro AJKO

The canvas upper on this Jordan 1 Retro AJKO is based on a classic design from the mid-80s, while its colour scheme is taken from the iconic Chicago, giving it vintage flair. Its University Red outsole features tightly packed concentric rings beneath both the heel and the forefoot. On the former, they radiate out from an indentation in the centre of the heel, and on the latter they emanate away from a raised circle on the medial side. Then, below the arch of the foot, a sunken quadrilateral section appears with Nike branding embossed onto it. With these providing grip, the off-white midsole brings comfort through its soft cushioning, and the line of stitching encircling its entire upper edge lends the sneaker a finely crafted look.

A layer of white canvas covers the toe box, midfoot and heel of the upper, the back of the shoe being delineated by a thin band of white stitching running in a straight line down each flank. The overlays of the forefoot and the eyestay bring their own vivid contrast through the use of University Red tones. Around the high-cut collar, the sneaker dons more conventional leather, the base layer being black and the floating wrap University Red. A pair of distinctive AJKO Wings has been printed onto the lateral side of the collar wrap in black and two eyelets have been pressed into its front edge on each side. Like those lining the eyestay, these eyelets are reinforced with metal ringlets for a firmer grip on the black laces as the shoe is tied up.

Over the top of the foot lies a white tongue with parallel lines of stitching sewn into its peak, creating an elegantly ruffled appearance. Right at the top of the tongue is a white label woven with University Red Nike branding. Inside, the shoe moves from black along the padded lining to white over the insole, which contains one last flash of University Red Nike lettering and a swoosh. Back on the outer, a band of white material runs up the centre of the heel, ending short of the collar in a pull tab. Emerging from either side of it is a large black leather swoosh, each Nike logo coming to rest powerfully across one of the white sidewalls for a strong finish to this classy Jordan sneaker.