Air Jordan 1 Low OG 'Banned' Release Date, Price & Where to Buy

Side Kicks Streetwear • Global Release Guide

Updated: 20 April 2026

About the release

The Air Jordan 1 Low OG 'Banned' is one of the most anticipated drops of summer 2026. Jordan Brand is reviving the Banned narrative in low-top form for the first time, following the iconic 2011 Air Jordan 1 High 'Banned' with a version that carries the same storytelling DNA in a more everyday-ready cut.

The colourway runs the classic Black and Varsity Red Bred recipe with a Summit White midsole, an enlarged Swoosh replicating the original 1985 design and a red X on the heel referencing the ban story directly. Special 'Banned' packaging, co-branded insoles referencing the 18 October 1984 ban date and extra laces with "IMAGINE IF...?" on the aglets complete the package.

Style code IW6276-001 releases on 2 May 2026 for £145 in full family sizing. Browse all Jordan 1 Banned releases on Side Kicks.

TL;DR – Air Jordan 1 Low OG 'Banned' Release Date, Price & Where to Buy

• Release date: 2 May 2026
• Model: Air Jordan 1 Low OG
• Colourway: Black / Black / Varsity Red / Summit White
• Style code: IW6276-001
• UK retail price: £145
• US retail price: $145
• Sizing: Full family sizing
• Where to buy: Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers
• Key detail: Red X on heel, enlarged Swoosh, special Banned packaging, ban date insoles, extra laces with "IMAGINE IF...?"

Release date and price

The Air Jordan 1 Low OG 'Banned' releases on Saturday 2 May 2026 via Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers in full family sizing. The date was moved up from an original 16 May date.

UK retail is £145 and US retail is $145. Full family sizing means grade school, pre-school and toddler pairs are available alongside the adult run.

Design and details

The upper is built from premium leather in Black across the panels, tongue, overlays and liner. Varsity Red hits the toe box, Swoosh, heel wrap, laces and rubber outsole, with a Summit White midsole providing the clean base underfoot. The colour blocking stays true to the classic Bred placement, with nothing added that does not serve the colourway's identity.

The red X on the heel is the detail that separates this from a standard Bred Low. It draws a direct line back to the 2011 Air Jordan 1 High 'Banned' and gives the shoe a narrative weight that goes beyond the colourway. The same X appears on the insoles alongside a reference to 18 October 1984, the date the NBA officially banned MJ from wearing the black and red Air Jordan 1. The 2011 High infamously printed 1985 on the insoles instead — Jordan Brand has corrected that here.

Nike Air branding adorns the nylon tongue and sockliner, the Jordan Wings logo decorates the back panel, and an encapsulated Air unit in the heel provides cushioning. The rubber cupsole delivers the pivot circles and thick flex grooves of the original Low OG construction. Extra laces in red, black and white come with "IMAGINE IF...?" on the aglets.

The enlarged Swoosh

The enlarged Swoosh replicates the original 1985 design language of the Air Jordan 1, applying accurate OG-era shaping to the Low silhouette. On the Bred colourway it reads clearly because the red Swoosh against black leather is one of the most high-contrast design combinations in Jordan history. The '85-style shaping also gives the Low a slightly different profile to more recent iterations, sitting closer to the original cut.

Air Jordan 1 Low OG 'Banned' images

Credit: Nike / The Sole Supplier

The NBA ban story

In October 1984, the NBA notified Nike that Michael Jordan's black and red Air Ship violated the league's uniform policy, which required shoes to be predominantly white. The league fined Nike $5,000 for every game Jordan wore the colourway. Nike agreed to pay the fines and used the ban as the centrepiece of an advertising campaign that launched the Air Jordan 1 into cultural history.

The nuance most collectors know is that the shoe the NBA actually banned was the Air Ship, a training shoe, not the Air Jordan 1 itself. But the story attached to the AJ1 was too powerful to correct, and Jordan Brand has leaned into it ever since. The red X on the heel is the visual shorthand for that entire narrative, and the insole date of 18 October 1984 is the specific day the league sent the formal notice.

The 2011 High OG Banned connection

The 2011 Air Jordan 1 High 'Banned' is the direct reference point for this release. That pair introduced the red X heel detail and special 'Banned' packaging to the Jordan 1 story, but it was plagued by the wrong year on the insoles — Jordan Brand printed 1985 instead of 1984 — and the pairs ended up going to outlets rather than standard retail. The 2026 Low corrects both of those issues, printing the accurate 1984 date and releasing through standard channels. For collectors who followed the 2011 situation, this version is effectively the one that got it right.

Why this release matters

The Banned colourway is one of the most culturally significant in Jordan Brand history, and bringing it to the Low OG for the first time gives it a new entry point. The Low is a more versatile wear than the High, and the full family sizing makes this accessible across generations in a way that reinforces the colourway's long-term relevance.

At £145 it also sits at a price point that reflects the OG heritage of the shoe without moving into premium collector territory. The packaging and insole details reward collectors who know the story, while the colourway itself works on its own terms for anyone who does not.

Where to buy

The Air Jordan 1 Low OG 'Banned' releases on 2 May 2026 via Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers. Browse all Air Jordan 1 Low releases, Jordan 1 Banned drops and all Jordan Brand releases on Side Kicks.

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