Let’s be real: most, if not all, OG Air Jordan sneakers get the retro treatment every few years–especially if the colorway is immensely popular and iconic, like the Chicago Air Jordan 1 high. We’ve seen that model retro several times, so when Nike was bringing back the Chicago Air Jordan 1 for 2022, we thought they were sticking to the same formula. However, their decision to call the 2022 Chicago Air Jordan 1 high as “Lost and Found” has to be one of the best marketing strategies Nike has thought of so far.
Regardless of how infamous was the release of the “Lost and Found” Air Jordan 1, Nike went beyond giving a vintage treatment to the iconic Chicago Air Jordan 1 High–they incorporated a nice backstory throughout the whole packaging to let older sneakerheads reminisce about the days when 1) Air Jordans were very affordable, and 2) were literally sleeping in shelves–or get lost in inventory until it’s found later.
Details like the vintage, distressed box with a mismatched top lid (the orange lid was meant for the AJKO back in the day), shoe paper that’s full of nostalgic ads, and the “receipt” that shows they were sold for $29.99 makes the Lost and Found Air Jordan 1 a solid release with its storytelling that old sneakerheads can relate–and for new sneakerheads to appreciate the sneaker culture more.
Of course, since we’re talking about sneakers that got lost in inventory, the distressed design they have–from the yellowed midsoles to the cracking in the leather uppers (which, by the way, is better than the leather used in most Air Jordan 1 releases)–complete the look that makes them very close to how a well-preserved pair of Air Jordan 1s from 1985 should look like.
If you are one of the lucky ones who was able to secure a pair (regardless if you’re #TeamSRP or #TeamResell), I’ll have to give this to Nike for actually pulling off a retro release with a solid backstory really well. With Nike having a broad archive of iconic Air Jordan models, I can’t wait for them to pull off similar concepts to other models for the next few years.
