Union and the Air Jordan 1 go together like peanut butter and jelly.
When Union and Jordan Brand first partnered on the Air Jordan 1 in 2018, Chris Gibbs and Union became the essential faces of the Jumpman’s collaborative projects.
Almost a decade since first connecting on the Jordan 1, the partnership is still releasing exciting projects on the marquee sneaker. The latest is a special year-in-the-making collaboration with Fragment. This latest project not only connects old friends in Gibbs and Hiroshi Fujiwara, but it also proves that Union is still the biggest hitter for Jordan Brand.
Below, we have ranked every Union and Air Jordan project since the brand first connected on Michael Jordan’s first signature sneaker. The list covers almost a decade of presence. A decade of “shot of the year” contenders. A decade of redefining the Air Jordan 1, time and time again.
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Launching in 2023, Union’s project on the AJKO was all about making the shoe your own- from the canvas materials on the upper to the removable swooshes.
Up to that point, Union’s efforts were all about showing us their version of the Air Jordan 1. This release, though, was a change of perspective.
This capsule was a celebration of love.
Meant to encapsulate the Summer of 1996, the Union and Bephies Beauty Supply pack was a celebration of the Air Jordan 1 and the Footscape. The result was a truly memorable collaboration.
The Black & White colorway of the triple collaboration featuring Fragment is perhaps the closest looking to Fragment’s previous collaborations.
The release method, with the sneaker only launching at select retailers globally, really channeled into Fragment’s early days of exclusivity and global word- of- mouth.
This sneaker was seemingly many years in the making.
When a similar sample leaked a few years ago, Union’s rendition of the iconic Chicago colorway instantly became among the biggest “what ifs?” in the sneaker space. Chris Gibbs and Union made that dream a reality last year, putting their signature touch on one of the most iconic sneaker colorways of all time.
The Varsity Red colorway of this year’s collaboration is the pair that feels like the best representative of the highly anticipated collaboration.
While the bottom half of the sneaker is reminiscent of Fragment’s iconic Air Jordan 1 collaboration, the Bred collar and iconic yellow laces remind us who brought this iconic mash-up to life.
This sneaker had massive shoes to fill. After all, it was Union’s first effort on the Air Jordan 1 since the industry-shattering pack that released in 2018. Launching in 2023, five years after the first capsule, the shoe was initially met with a bit of confusion.
Through the shoe’s launch, wearability, and accessibility, the tune changed. So much so, it became a favorite among the SoleSavy community- and rightfully so.
If the Woven’s had big shoes to fill, never mind this pair. This collaboration, again with Fragment, had to do justice to one of the most beloved Air Jordans ever- the Air Jordan 1 Royal.
Justice was, in fact, served. The collaboration version features premium leather, iconic piping, plus a great twist with the fuzzy collar.
The collection that started it all.
If Union were an underground artist, this collaboration was their first platinum hit. Before mashing up two Air Jordan sneakers to create a “Union-like sneaker” was a thing on sneaker Twitter, Chris Gibbs was redefining what it meant to put your signature touch on an iconic sneaker.
The sneaker that made the Storm Blue an undeniable grail.
This is not to say that the 1985 original colorway was not deserving of such a title before this collaboration; it is simply to say that this collaboration recalibrated how people spoke about that sneaker.
Like the scene in a dated rom-com where the love interest simply takes their glasses off, Union’s rendition of the Storm Blue changed everything.
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The Union x Fragment x Air Jordan 1 “Varsity Red” drops this Friday, February 27th, via SNKRS and participating Air Jordan retailers.
