Is Jordan Brand Doing Too Much With These AJ1s?

Virgil Abloh once said that to make something a completely new design, you only need to change the original by 3%. That formula can easily be seen in the creative approach to Virgil's Off-White collaborations with Nike and Jordan Brand, where Abloh took some of the most iconic models in the history of Nike and reinvented them with slight tweaks and branding changes. Although Virgil passed away before he could reach the peak of his cultural impact, his approach design is being used by Nike in nearly every retro product that releases nowadays, including this upcoming Air Jordan 1 OG SP Utility.

Scheduled to release in the coming weeks, the AJ1 OG SP Utility is as over-the-top with its accouterments as it is with its name. While the name "Utility" is commonly used by Nike and Jordan Brand on more function-forward designs, this colorway uses a black satin upper that might not be as rugged as the name suggests. Nevertheless, the design does feature elements that are deserving of the title. Namely, the removable mini-backpack that is strapped around the heel of the sneaker and the side pocket that resides over the midfoot panel.

Aside from the utilitarian-inspired elements that would have never made it onto a shoe without Virgil Abloh's inspiration, one of the tongue labels has been flipped inside out, adding another Abloh-inspired detail. With an OG High cut and so many details, it would seem these Air Jordan 1s will be on many wishlists when the release date arrives later this year.