Zen Gardens And Blue Skies Dress The Air Jordan 1 Mid

Peaceful imagery and a playful palette.

Matt Varga March 18, 2024

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The Air Jordan 1 Mid, despite being divisive in the overall landscape, is still one of the most accessible and popular sneakers in the Jordan Brand catalog. The demand is enough to warrant a steady stream of kids-specific releases that trickles out of Oregon each season. Next up, the Air Jordan 1 Mid “Zen” reaches back in the release calendar to bring back a motif from Mike’s playing days.

Given the semi-recent release of the Air Jordan 4 “Zen Master,” it’s hard to not take this release as a reprise of those Phil Jackson-centric themes. Looking at that pair, the marbled tie-dye pattern that took up the upper of the 4s is mirrored here on the sole, this time clad in sky blue and white. Further, grooves in the suede panels evoke Japanese zen gardens, the tongues alternate between a crossed “Zen” logo on the left & the Kanji translation on the right, and multiple yoga poses are imprinted towards the collar on the interior sides.

Despite that heady imagery, this pair still manages to hold onto a bold enough palette to be fit for the kids. The “Aegean Storm” sky blue is mirrored on underlying suede panels, while neutral tones of tan, “Pink Oxford” and “Hemp” envelop the rest of the shoe to provide conceptual cohesion.

No official date or price is set for the Air Jordan 1 Mid “Zen,” but expect a release in the next several weeks.

Elsewhere out of Oregon, the release of the Air Jordan 9 “Powder Blue” this weekend looms as one of the Spring’s biggest.

: Air Jordan 1 Mid GS JD Sports

: Air Jordan 1 Mid GS JD Sports

: Air Jordan 1 Mid GS JD Sports

: Air Jordan 1 Mid GS JD Sports

: Air Jordan 1 Mid GS JD Sports

: Air Jordan 1 Mid GS JD Sports

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WHERE TO BUY

Air Jordan 1 Mid "Zen"

SKU: FN7452-400

RETAIL PRICE: $N/A

RELEASE DATE: 2024

US 2024

Retailer	Release type	Status
Nikestore US	Standard	Check Site

Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in the music world, video editing and writing coverage primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers eventually led him to switching over to the footwear side of things. An avid collector, his time in the hobby stretches back more than a decade. Though always a contentious argument, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-up. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.