The union x air jordan 1 retro high og nrg varsity “Just Skate” Further Connects Two Sports

The Air Jordan 1 silhouette, intended to be a basketball shoe for the future G.O.A.T., is well ingrained in skate history. These stories were properly told through thoughtful collaborations with skate legends such as Craig Stecyk and Lance Mountain, later spawning a full Air Jordan x SB collection that most recently included the widely-praised Air Jordan 4 “Pine Green”.

Taking a much more playful route is the union x air jordan 1 retro high og nrg varsity, revealed in a third iteration with fun illustrations, lettering, and scribbles. Featuring the spirited “Just Skate” messaging behind the tongue, “Born To Fly” on the medial lijkt, and a Swoosh logo lit in flames, this union x air jordan 1 retro high og nrg varsity makes use of a padded tongue for that SB-adjacent construction. There are other AJ1s also equipped with fatter tongues, suggesting that Jordan Brand is indeed dropping its own unofficial line of skate shoes.

This black/red version just released overseas in Asia and should be hitting US retailers in the coming weeks.