Jordan Design Studio Finalists Unveil Their Air Jordan 1 Prototypes

Jordan Brand is putting the Air Jordan 1 in the hands of a new generation of creatives through the Jordan Design Studio, a global initiative that challenged emerging designers across eight cities to reinterpret the classic silhouette.

Each city hosted its own Jordan Design Studio workshop, led by an established creative from the local scene. The workshops gave participants an opportunity to develop their own interpretations of the Air Jordan 1 before one finalist from each city was selected to advance to the global finals in Shanghai.

The eight finalists and their prototypes include:

New York — Alaïa Ryan: Layered Swooshes, mixed materials, and a custom NAYR Air patch.
Chicago — Chelsea B: Hand-crafted crochet details integrated into a cut-and-sew upper construction.
Los Angeles — Cheikh Tall: A Ghanaian market bag-inspired plaid covering with integrated utility handles.
Mexico City — Carlos “Calo” Eduardo Lopez Velasco: Heavy, stacked panels combining leather, canvas, and suede.
Tokyo — Yuji Wada: Wrinkled black textures with a dotted outline replacing the traditional Swoosh.
Beijing — Syn Zhuang: A soft suede upper featuring a fold-down, convertible entry shape.
Seoul — Jisoon Kim: An ultra-high, boot-like silhouette built with repeated AJ1 hardware panels.
Shanghai — GG Wu: Distressed finishes and removable components that allow the shoe to transition between Mid and Low configurations.

The workshops were led by a diverse group of established creatives and designers. G Ming and Wuyue of SOULGOODS led the Beijing workshop, while Nina Chanel Abney led Chicago, Chris Gibbs of Union LA led Los Angeles, Esteban Tamayo led Mexico City, Angelo Baque of Awake NY led New York City, Protocol Index led Seoul, Steve Hsieh led Shanghai, and Kasumi Kouga led Tokyo.

The eight finalists will bring their completed prototypes together at “The One,” the Jordan Design Studio global finals in Shanghai on August 29, 2026. One overall winner will be selected, with Jordan Brand planning to put the winning design into official production for a potential public release.

The project offers eight distinct interpretations of the Air Jordan 1, with each prototype reflecting the creative perspective and cultural influences of its respective city. Check out all eight finalists and their designs below.