From an exclusively designed sneaker for one of the best athletes of all-time in 1984 to the Jordan brand that has become one of the leaders of the sneaker world. The Jordan brand is at it again with the new Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG “Satin Snake.” Oh yes, it’s one of the most familiar color palettes, revamped.

The “Satin Snake” Colorway is one of the most familiar color palettes, revamped. What exactly does that mean? Well, for this Air Jordan version, they’ve combined the use of red, white, and black. This color combo takes us back to the time when the first set of colorways came out in 1985. Back then this particular color combination was known as “Chicago”.

You might have heard the story once or twice, but let’s have a little peek at NBA history. Once upon a time, MJ was prohibited from using black and red Nike shoes on the court.  He would recieve a $5000 fine every time he disobeyed this rule. Nike shouldered the cost of course for MJ to keep wearing their kicks on the court. Eventually, Air Jordan 1 “Chicago” was made to meet NBA regulations, and the rest is history.

Jordan fans have been anticipating the design for this retro for quite some time now and its safe to say it was worth the wait. Some sneakerhead artists have created mock-ups of the expected look for the “Satin Snake” before official photos came out. Thanks to @repgod888 on Instagram, we now have official copy photos of these highly anticipated kicks.

 The Design…

Compared to the OG Jordan 1 “Chicago”, the “Satin Snake” design comes with a striking black leather snakeskin pattern and lustrous red satin accents on the tongue. Fans were expecting the “satin snake” to be closer to the OG Chicago look and a bit more satin on the exterior of the design but, the final product consists of a black heel portion with snakeskin leather material under the black Nike swoosh and less satin than expected. It may not be the design fans expected. Still, the satin and the leather snakeskin material gives the right amount of texture to the satin snake.

Compared to the original red heel of the OG Chicago, the Satin Snake still has the white midsole and has the classic Nike outsole in black. This makes us feel like the Satin Snake’s overall look is more similar to the “Black Toe” colorway but, reversed.

Instead of the Jumpman, this retro has the trademark winged basketball logo at the side of the collar in black. The “Nike Air” logo is also included on the satin tongue.

The Release…

Nike has planned a summer release on August 15 this year, most likely only available at select retailers and retailing at $170 at Nike.com. Sneakerheads have plenty of time to plan their strategy on how to get their hands on a pair. Michael Jordan fans of all ages could also reminisce about the golden days of MJ, especially since Netflix has a special featuring the 6 time NBA champions in “The Last Dance.” Showering us with the history, the impact, and the fashion, particularly MJ’s kicks, of the Chicago Bulls during that time.

This design was made with women in mind. However, it is likely that the Jordan brand will release extended sizes, making possible for men to get a pair.