A $25,000 pair of sneakers. The DIOR x Air Jordan 1 High sneakers were the first collaboration between the luxury powerhouse and sneaker giant. Crafted from wolf grey and sail white leather, these Air Jordan 1 High sneakers take on the iconic high-top silhouette and update it by way of a grey Christian Dior Couture monogram swoosh logo.
Dropped in 2020, the Dior and Jordan brand tie-up is arguably one of the most hyped sneaker collaborations in recent history. Blending streetwear culture and high fashion, “Air Dior” was first unveiled at the Dior Pre-Fall 2020 Collection in Miami, then teased by rapper Travis Scott and various leak accounts online.
Five million people registered for a chance to buy them, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Just 13,000 pairs were launched (5,000 of those reserved for VIP clients). 8,500 pairs for the 1 High (the one I am holding in the pic 👇). Today, they have become one of the most expensive shoes on the secondary market, averaging $15,000-$25,000 (up to eleven times their original value). You can not define luxury by one single attribute. But definitely, SCARCITY always makes a big part of the recipe (add EXTREME QUALITY and true EMOTIONS, and you are almost there).
I love this kind of romance between a premium/lifestyle brand and a Luxury one, enriching both parties’ set of attributes (Nike capturing high-end exclusivity; Dior benefiting from performance & streetwear attitude, while connecting with GenZ). In this case, merging forces around a category that emerged a few years ago: luxe sneakers (Bloomberg Businessweek on March 2021: “It is not a shoe, but an asset class”).
Want to explore other romances? Check for Prada Group x adidas, North Face x Gucci and the latest Loewe x On.
Note: 🖤 Peter Moore, the architect behind the Air Jordan among countless other achievements in design and creative direction, passed away last weekend at 78. Moore’s work with the Air Jordan 1 set the foundation for modern sneaker culture, while his tenures at Nike and adidas as a whole influenced the direction of both brands in the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond. A true legend.
