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Air Jordan 1 Sports Illustrated Review

By Anthony Levine, longtime sneaker collector.

Moving on from the Hyper Royal review from yesterday, we progress to the Air Jordan 1 Sports Illustrated.

Air Jordan 1 Sports Illustrated WDYWT On Feet
Click/tap image to shop for these on eBay!
Air Jordan 1 Sports Illustrated

The shoe is based off a Sports Illustrated cover MJ was on, hence the different greens on the swoosh. These are very similar to the Rookie of the Year pair in that they have the detached wing flaps with writing underneath. On one side you have “A STAR” and on the other side you have “IS BORN” with the date of publication of the SI issue, which is the same on either shoe. The shoe comes with sets of green, black and red laces.

These are surprisingly versatile. Since the multicolored swoosh only makes up a small portion of the shoe, we can basically treat it like a black/sail pair of Js. This means they go well with almost any colored denim and are easily finished off with a black top. I think a dark blue denim helps bring out the red and green colors in the shoe a little more, while black pants will draw more attention to the swoosh itself.

This pair is even wife-approved! While I was on the fence before, after getting these in hand I’m loving the colors and the quality on this pair. I can definitely recommend these as a “quirky” AJ1 pickup.

How Are The Materials?

The materials on these are surprisingly good. I don’t have the mythical Shattered Backboards to compare to, but I feel the soft tumble on the leather is nice. The nylon tongue of course is what it is. The QC also seems a bit tighter on these as opposed to the Hyper Royals, with more consistency from left to right. The leather tongue tag is also a nice touch!

How Do They Fit?

Go with your true Nike size on the Air Jordan 1 Sports Illustrated. These are comfy enough for casual wear, although I wouldn’t recommend too much physical activity or even walking around in these for too long, as J1s are not known for lasting comfort. Overall, these have a pretty typical fit for Jordan 1s although the cut does seem a little lower than some other pairs of highs out there.

Where To Cop the Air Jordan 1 Sports Illustrated

As of the writing of this article, you can find them on eBay.

Air Jordan 1 Sports Illustrated Red Laces WDYWT On Feet (1)
Click/tap image to shop for these on eBay!

Colorway: Black / Varsity Red – Sail
Style Code: 555088-015
Year of Release: 2018
MSRP: $160