Jordan 1 Mid Gris frío - 364770-023

The Air Jordan 1 Mid in the Cool Grey Colorway

The Air Jordan 1 is the sneaker that started it all, marking the beginning of the most iconic lineage of sneakers in history. In many ways, it's responsible for launching modern-day sneaker culture as a whole—and it almost didn't happen.

History of Air Jordan 1

As the story goes, the year was 1984, and Chicago Bulls' rookie Michael Jordan was a hot commodity for endorsement deals, with sneakers naturally being paramount.

Jordan had just come off a stellar college basketball season at the University of North Carolina. He wore Converse and was a personal fan of Adidas, so he took meetings with both companies, but they never reached a deal. It seems strange today, but at the time, Michael Jordan hated Nike—so much so that he refused to take a meeting with them.

He was persuaded by his mother, Deloris Jordan, to visit the Nike campus in Oregon and listen to their pitch. His plan was to go through the motions to appease his parents and agent but he ultimately left with a contract unlike any other.

Rather than walking in the shadows of established athletes like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird (which may have been the case had he signed elsewhere), Michael Jordan shone in the Nike limelight. He was paid more than any other athlete with a sneaker endorsement at the time. Nike made him the face of its growing presence in basketball, and gave him his own sneaker line—called Air Jordan.

Jordan 1 Mid Cool Grey - 364770-023

The Air Jordan 1 Phat's mid model is a simultaneously retro and minimalistic take on the classic basketball sneaker. This shoe features prominently on the side the Swoosh logo and the Jordan Wings logo, above a white midsole. The Jumpman logo is displayed on the heel. The remainder of the shoe consists of a grey and black alternating scheme. As for functionality, the Air Jordan 1 grey is similar to other products of its category, featuring the Air technology designed to enhance maneuverability and cushioning in the sole to reduce risk of injury, as well as enhance comfort. Overall, this shoe has features that will likely satisfy any sneakerhead, regardless of whether they play the sport or not.