Reviewing Jordan Brand’s “Reimagined” Collection
Following a run of collaborations with Off-White, Travis Scott, and other popular brands and artists that breathed new life into some of the greatest Jordan sneakers ever made, the brand is now exploring a concept called the “Reimagined” series that, as its name suggests, updates styles like the Air Jordan 1 and Air Jordan 3 with new materials and details.
There are only four “Reimagined” releases as of this writing, but more are expected to be announced in the coming months, and one was just released last week to much hype from the sneaker community: the Air Jordan 4 “Bred Reimagined.”
The “Bred Reimagined” isn’t the only colorway from the “Reimagined” collection that’s drawn rave reviews from collectors, which is why we figured we’d dedicate a blog post to reviewing the “Reimagined” collection in its entirety.
Air Jordan 4 “Bred Reimagined”
The Air Jordan 4 “Bred Reimagined,” as we just explained, is the newest addition to the “Reimagined” collection, so let’s start our review of the series there. The colorway replicates the look of the Jordan 4 “Bred” from ‘89 in several ways: it features its original “Nike Air” branding on the heel and red Jumpman and “Flight” logos on the tongue, and has a more rounded toe and lower profile compared to recent Jordan 4 “Bred” retro releases. But it does differ from the OG “Bred” Jordan 4 in a major big way: it has a leather upper that replaces the shoe’s original nubuck material.
The change is noticeable, but not so noticeable that you wouldn’t be wrong if you thought the Air Jordan 4 “Bred” was always designed in leather. Well done, Jordan Brand.
Air Jordan 3 “White Cement Reimagined”
Truth be told, the “Reimagined” name can be a bit misleading. Here’s why: in March 2023, Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan 3 “White Cement Reimagined” as an homage to the original Jordan 3 “White Cement” shoe. If you look at the “White Cement Reimagined” and the original “White Cement” side-by-side, you’d be hard pressed to find many differences between the two.
That’s because the “White Cement Reimagined” replicates the OG colorway’s design with accurate-to-original panels, colors, and overall shape. It even has a higher-cut ankle collar inspired by the OG Jordan 3’s design. It also is equipped with a white leather upper with contrasting grey elephant print on the toe and heel, which has also been modified to look like the detailing on the original Jordan 3.
So while the Air Jordan 3 “White Cement Reimagined” technically falls under the “Reimagined” umbrella, the shoe doesn’t really feature any new design details compared to the original, save for the aged, Sail-colored midsole and heel tab that just play into the shoe’s vintage vibe.
Air Jordan 1 High OG “Royal Reimagined”
The Air Jordan 1 OG “Royal Reimagined” might be the most intriguing colorway in the “Reimagined” line. As one could imagine based on its name, the colorway is inspired by the Air Jordan 1 High “Royal” from 1985. It has the same black-and-blue color scheme as the OG “Royal,” and it has the same branding as the shoe, too. And that’s about all the “Royal Reimagined” has in common with the original Jordan 1 “Royal.”
Where the OG “Royal” has a leather upper, the “Royal Reimagined” has an all-suede construction that includes suede on the perforated toe, overlays, and even on the Swoosh. The “Royal Reimagined” also has an overall shape that’s more similar to that of the Air Jordan 1 High OG model, not the Air Jordan 1 High ‘85 that even more accurately replicates the original Jordan 1 from ‘85.
Air Jordan 1 High OG “Lost & Found”
The first of the “Reimagined” Air Jordans doesn’t have “Reimagined” in its name, but the sentiment is there: the Air Jordan 1 High OG “Lost & Found” replicates the look and feel of the iconic Air Jordan 1 “Chicago” from the 1980s with vintage-inspired details. These details, according to Jordan Brand, are to evoke the feeling of finding a brand new, unworn version of the original “Chicago” Jordan 1 in the storage room of a mom-and-pop sneaker shop from back in the day.
The “Lost & Found’s” design is mostly faithful to the original Jordan 1 “Chicago” colorway. It has the same white leather base, red leather overlays, and a black leather Swoosh of the OG shoe. To replicate an “aged” look, it features a cracked leather collar, an off-white midsole, and an oxidized rubber outsole—all details that were commonly found on new, slightly worn, and beat up pairs of the Jordan 1 from ‘85.