Your Christmas shopping might just be a tad more expensive later this year.
You’ve likely felt the effects of inflation’s heavy hand on everything from gasoline to groceries, and sneakers aren’t immune either. One of the most precious sneakers of all, the Air Jordan 1, will soon be impacted as well, as a $10 price increase is set to go into effect for the holiday season.
Prices going up —
Jordan Brand already announced last year that a handful of its silhouettes would experience price hikes, including the Air Jordan 3 and 4 increasing by $20 to $210 and the Air Jordan 9 going from $190 to $200. Nike’s Air Force 1 sneaker also saw a $10 increase to $100 this year, and the Air Jordan 1 will soon follow with a markup of the same amount.
Sneaker YouTuber @zSneakerheadz reported that the AJ1’s new $180 price tag will come into effect beginning with the Jordan 1 “Reimagined Chicago” variant expected to release in October. Hype for the sneaker is guaranteed to be high because of its similarities to the very first Air Jordans ever released, and the new price tag shouldn’t change any of that. A “Gorge Green” variant is also expected to release on November 12 and should continue with the very same $180 cost.
It’s only up from here —
With sneaker budgets already spread thin by an abundance of releases, some collectors are frustrated by multi-billion-dollar brands such as Nike and Jordan commanding higher prices. One Twitter user asked, “Is inflation making corporates’ massive paychecks smaller than they’re used to? Gotta take more from us on already overpriced, low-quality products?”
Others, such as budget-oriented sneaker influencer TJ Keasal, have less sympathy for those complaining about the prices: “I’m not entertaining real freakouts over Jordan prices rising…Here’s your chance to explore other brands with greater value per pair,” Keasal said on Twitter.
As one of the most iconic silhouettes from Jordan or any other brand, the AJ1’s influence and excitement for newly generated color schemes have kept it at the top of most sneakerheads’ wishlists. High demand only makes the Air Jordan 1 harder to get ahold of, a problem that’s been made worse by production and supply chain issues caused by the pandemic.
Complications aside, Nike and Jordan Brand are all but guaranteed continued success going forward. If the $10 increase for 1s will indeed challenge your budget, at least you have several months ahead to save up.
