Is Nike actually banning Air Jordan 1 pairs on the Nike website? Rumor debunked

Originally released in 1985, the Air Jordan 1 has been a loved sneaker line for sneakerheads for centuries. It was first designed by Peter Moore in a red and black colorway in 1985. The shoes were priced at $65, which gave the start to the Jordan series.

After the successful launch, Nike has introduced a range of Air Jordan 1s in recent years. A few of the bestsellers include Air Jordan 1 Retro Low "LNY," Air Jordan 1 Low, and Air Jordan 1 High Method of Make.

While these shoes marked the beginning of the Jordan brand, some Air Jordan 1 listings on Nike’s website now feature black marks covering parts of the images. This design choice has led to speculation, as black bars are often associated with bans or censorship. However, the products remain available for purchase, and customers can still open the product links and add them to their cart.

---

Is Nike banning Air Jordan 1 pairs on the Nike website?

Nike will be completing Air Jordan 1's 40th anniversary in 2025. The brand has been planning to launch the Air Jordan 1 High ’85 “Bred” sneakers between February 7 and February 14. The company further took the step to remove its social media accounts and gave a statement that only 23 retail stores will be selling the new AJ1 Bred sneakers. This created a controversy as Nike, or SNKRS, was not added to the list of 23 retail stores.

The ban on AJ1 is mostly a move by Nike to draw more attention to the new AJ1 Bred sneakers. After covering the Michael Jordan statue, Nike is now showing black bars on the existing Air Jordan 1s on their website. This doesn't apply to all the Air Jordan 1s, as Nike has specially chosen a few AJ1s as a part of their marketing move.

The AJ1s that became a part of this marketing strategy and are showing black bars on them include:

• Air Jordan 1 Mid SE, White/Black/Dark Pony
• Air Jordan 1 Mid, Sail/Off-Noir/White/Gym Red
• Air Jordan 1 Mid, Black/White/Gym Red
• Air Jordan 1 Low SE, Flax/Baroque Brown/Vintage Coral/Black
• Air Jordan 1 Low SE, White/Dark Pony/Black
• Air Jordan 1 Mid, White/White/White
• Air Jordan 1 Mid, White/White/Black
• Air Jordan 1 Low, White/White/Black
• Air Jordan 1 Low, White/Gum Light Brown/Dark Powder Blue
• Air Jordan 1 Low, Sail/Guava Ice/Pink Salt
• Air Jordan 1 Low, White/Varsity Red/White/Black
• Air Jordan 1 Low, White/Black/Sail/Gym Red
• Air Jordan 1 Low, White/Sail/Pink Oxford
• Air Jordan 1 Low, Archaeo Brown/White/Archaeo Brown
• Air Jordan 1 Mid SE, Black/White/Metallic Gold/Metallic Silver
• Air Jordan 1 Mid SE, Black/White/Wolf Grey/Black
• Air Jordan 1 Mid, Khaki/Baroque Brown/Gum Light Brown/Black
• Air Jordan 1 Low G, Black/Gum Medium Brown/White/Anthracite
• Air Jordan 1 Low SE, Black/White/Metallic Silver/Black
• Air Jordan 1 Low Method of Make, Gym Red/Metallic Gold
• Air Jordan 1 Low Method of Make, Black/Metallic Gold
• Air Jordan 1 Low Method of Make, Midnight Navy/Midnight Navy/Metallic Gold
• Air Jordan 1 Low G, White/Gum Medium Brown/Pure Platinum
• Air Jordan 1 Low G, Wolf Grey/White/Gum Medium Brown/Iron Grey
• Air Jordan 1 Low, Summit White/Desert Khaki/Light Khaki/Red Sepia
• Air Jordan 1 Low Premium, Sail/Cashmere/College Grey/Brave Blue
• Air Jordan 1 Low SE, White/Legend Blue

---

Nike's move of featuring black bars on certain Air Jordan 1 listings is effectively generating curiosity and anticipation among customers, drawing more attention to the upcoming AJ1 Bred Sneakers.

To know more about the new Air Jordan Bred sneakers, check this out: Which stores will be retailing the Air Jordan 1 High ’85 “Bred” sneakers? Details explored