The Jumpman is giving sustainable retros another shot with its latest iterations of the iconic Air Jordan 1. Continuing Nike’s larger Move to Zero goal of zero carbon and zero waste, the Air Jordan 1 Mid and Low SE are each constructed with at least 20% recycled materials by weight.

Although not officially part of Jordan Brand’s 2020 sustainably-focused “Crater” collection, these eco-friendly Jordan 1 Mids and Lows pull similar visual cues found in last year’s Jordan Crater, Jordan Crater Slide, and Jordan 1 Zoom High, but without the Crater foam cushioning material first introduced in the Nike Space Hippie line. Similar to that Jordan 1 High however, a speckled sole adds small pops of color to each of the two new silhouettes, while washed canvas underlays and synthetic suede provide a worn-in look in line with the rugged workwear that the sneakers draw inspiration from.
Additionally, the Jordan 1 Mid and Low’s neutral uppers are contrasted by speckled Swoosh logos with bright blue stitching overlaid on top, an embroidered feel akin to last year’s AJ1 High. Fans of the Jordan 1 Shadow may take a liking to the Low version as the colorway is reminiscent of the OG sneaker that was retroed in 2013 and 2018. Both the Mid and Low versions also feature synthetic leather and textiles to provide structure to the sneaker

It’s promising to see more sustainable options of the Jordan classic. Although the Jordan 1 Low continues to gain popularity thanks to various Nike SB models, its Mid counterpart can’t seem to catch a break, especially compared to the cultural mainstay of the High. However, say what you want about Jordan 1 Mids, this Earth-friendly offering, along with the Low, are great retro options that don’t stray too far away from typical Jordan 1 colorways of the past and continues the eco-conscious approach of the “Crater” collection.
As Nike mentions in each of the two product descriptions, the Jordan retro “was responsibly designed utilizing recycled materials from post-consumer and/or post-manufactured waste.” It’s an important point as materials take up such a large portion of any product’s footprint, Nike notes this to be 70%.
We’ve seen more and more sneakers designed under this ethos. Most recently, Team USA athletes graced Olympic podiums in Tokyo wearing special recycled versions of the handsfree Nike Glide FlyEase Premium.

Both recycled Air Jordans have already released in select regions, like Asia. The Air Jordan 1 Mid SE to set to in the U.S. at nike.com on August 13, followed by a wider release of the Low SE.
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