Michael Jordan never wore the Air Jordan 1 'Royal' in an NBA game. No Bulls colours, no famous dunk, no fine from the league. By the usual measures it should be the colourway people forget.
Instead it sits next to the Chicago and the Bred as one of the three Air Jordan 1s everyone knows, and on 10 October 2026 it returns for the first time in almost a decade. Here is everything you need to know about the Air Jordan 1 'Royal', from the 1985 original to the 2026 retro.
The History of the Air Jordan 1 'Royal'
The Royal was one of the original Air Jordan 1 colourways in 1985: black leather with Varsity Royal on the toe, Swoosh, ankle and heel, on a white midsole and a blue outsole. It is often described as Jordan's own favourite of the early pairs, and he wore it off court far more than in front of a crowd.
That is where its fame comes from. In 1985 Jordan wore the Royal for a photoshoot with Chuck Kuhn in Oregon, and the frame of him standing on an open road became the poster people now call Flight Guy. One photograph did for this colourway what a season of games did for the Chicago and the Bred.
Because it was never tied to a team, the Royal also became the easiest of the three to wear. Black and blue goes with almost anything, which is a big part of why every retro has sold through so quickly.
Every Air Jordan 1 'Royal' Release
The Royal has only come back three times since 1985, which is rare for a colourway this well known.
2001. The first retro arrived in October 2001, sixteen years after the original. Each pair came with a silver Jumpman keychain and a number printed inside the tongue tag, a detail that made it feel like a collector's release. Wearable pairs are rare now, and most surviving examples stay in the box.
2013. In February 2013 the Royal returned as a Retro High OG, style code 555088-085, with Nike Air branding on the tongue. It came during the run of OG colourways that pushed the Air Jordan 1 back to the centre of the market.
2017. Four years later it came back again, style code 555088-007, with smooth, slightly glossy leather and Nike Air on the tongue. This is the version most people own, and for almost a decade it was the only modern way into the colourway.
Shop the Air Jordan 1 'Royal' (2017) on KLEKT
Alongside the retros, the colourway has also been reworked. The Air Jordan 1 High 'Reimagined Royal' (2023) swapped smooth leather for black and blue suede, and the Air Jordan 1 Low '85 'Royal' (2025) put it on the low cut with the 1985 shape.
Shop the Air Jordan 1 High 'Reimagined Royal' (2023) on KLEKT
How to Tell the Royals Apart
From a distance every Royal looks the same. Up close, a few details give each one away.
- 2001: numbered tongue tag and a silver Jumpman keychain.
- 2013: style code 555088-085 on the box label, Nike Air on the tongue.
- 2017: style code 555088-007, smooth and slightly glossy blue leather.
- 2026: style code IQ5495-005, more texture on the blue leather, and the Flight Guy photograph printed on the box.
The Reimagined pair is easy to spot by its suede, and the Low '85 by its cut. If you are buying a Royal on the resale market, the style code on the box label and inside the tongue is the fastest way to confirm which release you are looking at.
The Royal Family
The Royal also inspired a group of colourways that borrow its blue without copying it. The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'Game Royal' (2018) put the blue on a white base. The Air Jordan 1 Retro High 'Royal Toe' (2020) kept the blue toe and heel but used white panels and a black Swoosh. Neither is a Royal, but both only exist because of it.
Shop the Air Jordan 1 Retro High 'Royal Toe' (2020) on KLEKT
Air Jordan 1 Retro 'Royal' 2026 Release
The Air Jordan 1 Retro 'Royal' releases on 10 October 2026. The style code is IQ5495-005 and the colourway is Black/Game Royal-White. It uses the standard High OG build rather than the '85 shape, so the fit and proportions match the 2017 pair, and most people should take their usual Air Jordan 1 size.
The box is the part Jordan Brand went furthest with. It uses images from the 1985 Chuck Kuhn shoot, with the Flight Guy road photograph on the outside and more images from the same session inside. The story that made the colourway now comes with the shoe.
The Air Jordan 1 Retro 'Royal' (2026) is already live on KLEKT ahead of the release. Keep an eye on the page as pairs appear, or list yours if you get one on the day.
Shop the Air Jordan 1 Retro 'Royal' (2026) on KLEKT
You can browse every Royal and the rest of the model in the full Air Jordan 1 catalogue on KLEKT.
Check out the Air Jordan 1 Retro 'Royal' on KLEKT.
Images: Nike / Jordan Brand / KLEKT
