The Air Jordan 1 Retro OG Patent 'Bred' Brings a Glossy Treatment to an Iconic Silhouette
The storied colorway receives a patent leather recreation for the first time ever.
“Banned.” “Black and red.” “Bred.” The original colorway of the shoe that started it all goes by many names, each as symbolic as the other. Designed by Peter Moore for a young Michael Jordan, the first Air Jordan arrived towards the end of MJ’s 1984-1985 rookie year—but not before one of the sneaker world's most enduring myths was born.
Origins of the 'Banned' Air Jordan
Playing in a similar silhouette before the release of the AJ1, NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik issued Nike a stern warning letter, insisting the rising star would not be allowed to play in the shoes because of their black-and-red color scheme which broke league uniform rules. The shoes referred to in Granik’s letter, however, were the Air Ships and Mike wore them only once, on October 18, 1984, before the official start of the season.
As soon as Nike executives heard that the NBA wouldn’t permit Jordan’s footwear choice, the Swoosh and its advertising agency, Chiat/Day, created an ad as memorable as the shoes themselves. “On September 15, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe,” the narrator voices over. “On October 18, the NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately, the NBA can't stop you from wearing them. Air Jordans. From Nike."
The legend of 'Banned' was born. The shoes released and sold out immediately, birthing sneaker culture as we know it today. And although the colorway’s nickname is rooted in myth, MJ did lace up a pair of original 'Bred' Air Jordan 1s for the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest. Soaring into the air from the freethrow line in front of TV viewers around the world, the event remains the most notable instance of Jordan himself wearing a pair of black-and-red AJ1s.
'Banned' Air Jordans Return—More Than Once
Nearly a decade after the silhouette’s debut, Nike tested the waters with an idea unheard of at the time: bringing back the OG shoe in OG colorways. From 1994 to 1995, the AJ1, AJ2 and AJ3 returned, becoming the first-ever retros of any Air Jordan sneaker. Included in the retro release was the 'Bred' colorway. The idea proved too ahead of its time, however, and many pairs ended up on sales racks. Nonetheless, the 1994 release remains notable for practically inventing the idea of a retro.
In 2001, as it slowly perfected the concept of retros, Jordan Brand resurfaced the colorway for the second time. This pair remained faithful to the original, recreating the "Nike Air" branding on the tongue in an era when other Jordan models featured Jumpman branding. The shoes were produced in a limited run, each designating its place in the lineup with a tag inside the tongue. In 2009, Jordan Brand brought back the pair for the third time as part of the 'Defining Moments Pack,' but unlike the 2001 version, the shoe included a Jumpman logo on the tongue in place of the original "Nike Air" branding—a detail considered blasphemous by Jordan traditionalists.
The 2011 release of 'Banned' was a different story altogether. Jordan Brand released an official 'Banned' version of the shoe featuring an “X” on each heel (referring to the model’s forced removal), while the sneaker's liner referenced the 1985 ad. Nike released the model exclusively at outlets and lines formed well ahead of opening hours, ensuring instant sell-outs and adding another piece of lore in the colorway’s fabled mythology.
A retro version true to the OG came back in 2013, with a “Remastered” version and a satin iteration following in 2016. And now, more than 30 years since the colorway’s debut, the Air Jordan 1 'Bred' returns—with a glossy treatment.
The Air Jordan 1 'Bred' Arrives in Patent Leather
The DNA of the OG color story remains intact on 2021’s retro, this time around expressed through material variation. The fully patent leather upper pairs black panels with contrasting accents of Varsity Red on the Swoosh, heel overlay, toe box and collar flap. A Wings logo arrives stamped on the lateral collar, with a woven Nike tag on the black nylon tongue. A rubber cupsole appears underfoot, enhanced with an Air-sole unit housed in lightweight polyurethane.
Releasing December 30, 2021, the AJ1 Retro High OG Patent 'Bred' marks the next chapter in the colorway’s long road to greatness, transcending generations to become an icon of sports, culture and style.
The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG Patent 'Bred' is available on the app and GOAT.com
Air Jordan 1 ‘Bred’ FAQs
What are shoes similar to the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'Bred?'
'Bred' and 'Banned' have been used as a colorway on other releases across Air Jordan and Nike silhouettes. Recent and upcoming releases in a similar color include the:
- Air Max Scorpion Flyknit 'Bred'
- Giannis Immortality 2 'Bred'
- FaZe Clan x Zoom LeBron NXXT Gen 'Bred'
- Air Jordan 1 High FlyEase 'Bred'
- Air Jordan 1 Mid TD 'Alternate Bred'
- Air Jordan 1 High FlyEase GS 'Bred'
- Jumpman Two Trey 'Bred Concord'
- Ishod Wair Premium SB 'Bred'
- Air Jordan 1 Low Flyease GS 'Alternate Bred Toe'
- Run Swift 3 'Bred'
- Wmns Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'Satin Bred' 2023