Originally coined by members of sneakers forums at the turn of the century, “Bred” was a moniker used to signify any Air Jordan legacy model centered around black and red. Furthermore, it was only appointed to original colorways, an unspoken rule is still recognized today. Throughout the Chicago Bulls era of the Air Jordan, “Bred” was appointed to just a selected few: the Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 5, Air Jordan 11, and Air Jordan 13. Although many other models were painted in black and red, they were not knighted with that distinction.
This upcoming Air Jordan 1 Mid, revealed in GS sizes, simply lays out the basic formula of Black + Red = Bred, in case there was any clarification needed. The original colorway of the Air Jordan 1 was NEVER called the “Banned” until 2011, when Jordan Brand brought on that unique concept to the model and released the shoes exclusively at outlets. It wasn’t until a 2016 campaign that the “Banned” story was retold by the brand, only to be quickly rebuffed by sneaker historians who pointed out that it was simply not the Air Jordan 1 that was prohibited by the NBA (it was the Air Ship).
We’re glad Jordan Brand is making up for those past sins, although we never expected it to be as literal as these. See the first look ahead and stay tuned for release updates and check out our Jordan 2022 release dates page for the latest.
Photos: solebyjc