Jordan Brand, alongside much of the footwear industry, has prepped a series of sneaker releases to honor the upcoming Chinese New Year, which celebrates the Year of the Snake in 2025. So far, Jordan sneakers taking on themes of the zodiac include six different pairs, like the Air Jordan 1 Low OG, Air Jordan 5 Retro, and Air Jordan 11 Retro. While these three sneakers, and the other three parts of the overarching collection, will drop worldwide, images of an Asia-exclusive colorway of the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG in a Year of the Snake colorway have appeared.
Crafted using premium leather and containing intricate detailing, the sneaker is inspired by Xuanwu, one of the four spirits of heaven in ancient Chinese mythology. Across the upper, we see faux snakeskin leather in a black and gold hue applied to the mudguard, eyestays, and collar overlay. Solid hits of cream leather appear on the toe and midfoot, contrasting the premium smooth black leather laces, tongue, and collar underlay. For the Swoosh and heel overlay, we see a 3D TPU pattern featuring traditional Chinese depictions of auspicious clouds alongside other lucky symbols, all in a burnt sepia color scheme.
