The Air Jordan 1 Was Reimagined by Eight Finalists & This One Won

Summary

• Beijing designer Syn Zhuang won the inaugural Jordan Design Studio program by reimagining the Air Jordan 1.

• Her versatile, women-focused design features a transformable suede collar and a softer toe box for comfortable everyday wear.

Jordan Brand launched the inaugural Jordan Design Studio program in July, inviting creatives from major cities around the world to reimagine the Air Jordan 1 silhouette. Announced as the winner among a roster of global creatives, Syn Zhang from Beijing stripped the design back to its essence, while also making the silhouette more versatile than ever before.

Through the program, creatives from Seoul, Tokyo, Mexico City, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Beijing, and Shanghai were mentored through the process, resulting in original design concepts inspired by themes of identity, community, heritage, ambition, and local culture. At Jordan’s “The One” event in Shanghai on August 31, Zhuang’s design, made in collaboration with mentors Yue Wu and Ji Ming, was selected among eight finalists.

On her personal Instagram page, Zhuang shared more insight into the design: “A classic doesn’t have to be one fixed form. It can exist in different ways, to reach different people. I wanted this shoe to offer a little sense of ease — not laziness, not giving up, just a feeling that it’s okay to loosen up and be yourself.”

Most noticeably, the upper of Zhuang’s AJ1 is redesigned with a transformable suede collar that conceals the toe box and lacing system. When worn up, the collar reveals a backwards swoosh, mirroring the perforated swoosh on the lateral panel. And when folded over, the upper swoosh then faces the right direction. Zhuang talks through more details in the post, saying, “I kept the heel — that subtle curve where two fabrics meet, which carries a hint of elegance, almost like a heel. I covered the toe fully and made it rounder, softer, less sharp.” By keeping the soles and heel panel in-line with the original design, the silhouette maintains its classic character, or in Zhuang’s words the “soul” of the shoe.”

Zhuang aimed for the designs to speak to the needs of female wearers like herself: “A lot of girls love basketball culture and the AJ1 silhouette — but the original was born on the court, designed with a male wearer in mind,” she explained. “In today’s streetwear context, for many girls, it’s more of a daily piece — worn to work, on dates — yet it’s still stiff, heavy, and sharp-toed. So I started thinking — if a shoe is truly classic, it should be able to accompany more people, in more everyday moments. That’s how this idea came: take the original AJ1 and remake it so it feels right for girls too.”

See the gallery above for a closer look at Zhuang’s winning design from the inaugural Jordan Design Studio program.