One of the best retro Air Jordan releases of the year is arriving this weekend, though to surprisingly little fanfare. The Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Mocha”—an understated low-top in deep brown, black, and white—is a near-perfect autumnal shoe, but sneakerheads have been unusually quiet about this excellent retro drop. Available in larger-than-usual quantities when it hits SNKRS on Saturday, this sneaky fave should be relatively easy to cop for retail, making it just about ideally primed to become a low-key sleeper hit.
A low-top take on the famed “Mocha” colorway, this shoe has some interesting built-in history. The Air Jordan 1 High OG “Mocha” came out in the fall of 2020, during what was a perfect storm of hype: only months after the release of The Last Dance made Air Jordan 1 interest reach stratospheric levels, it was a simple, versatile colorway that had the look of an instant classic, offering a warm, fall-ready version of the immortal sneaker that paired extremely well with denim (and virtually anything else you could wear it with). It also bore a striking resemblance to what was easily the most-hyped sneaker of 2019, the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 “Mocha,” lending it a bit of that iconic shoe’s aura.
As a result, the “Mocha” 1 High sold out instantly and became one of the most difficult shoes of the year to find on the resale market. In the years since, its reputation as a sturdy, reliable classic has only grown, and it has emerged as one of a handful of truly world-class Jordan 1 colorways released in the past five years. In fact, I’d argue that outside of limited-edition collaborations and one-of-a-kind twists, the “Mocha” has earned a place as one of the top Jordan 1 colorways ever—it really is just that good.
Thankfully, the “Mocha” 1 Low is completely faithful to the high-top original, recreating the design in the new form factor without any unexpected changes. We’ve still got the white toe box, chestnut brown heel (Nike calls this brown “Palomino”), and black overlays, making it every bit as subtle and versatile as its predecessor. This still feels like as much a must-cop now as the high-top did way back in 2020—but this time out, you should have a much better shot at actually getting a W when the Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Mocha” officially releases via SNKRS this Saturday, September 21 at 10 a.m. EST.
