SoleGRIND
| 👟 Sneaker Release Info | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Nike |
| Model | Air Jordan 1 Mid |
| Colorway | red, blue, and yellow |
| Style Code | BQ7618-007 |
| Release Date | February 2, 2019 |
| Retail Price | $190 |
| Available At | Nike.com |
Nike’s 2019 Black History Month collection was one of those drops that snuck up on people and then completely took over the timeline. I remember scrolling through the official images in January 2019 and thinking this might be the most cohesive BHM collection they’d ever done. The theme was “Until We All Win” and the design language pulled from Afro-futurism, blending national African patterns into modernized prints across some of the biggest signature silhouettes in the game.
Let me start with the Air Jordan 1 Mid BHM because honestly, this one caught me off guard. The AJ1 Mid isn’t usually the silhouette people lose their minds over, but the BHM colorway changed that conversation. The black-based upper featured that custom African pattern print wrapping the Swoosh and ankle collar, with hits of red, blue, and yellow woven through. The “EQUALITY” text on the heel collar was a direct callback to the broader message Nike was pushing. These dropped February 2nd for $120, and they sold out fast.
The Air Jordan 2 BHM was the crown jewel of the Jordan Brand side of this collection. SKU BQ7618-007, retail $190, and worth every penny if you were lucky enough to cop. The AJ2 is already an underrated silhouette in my opinion. People sleep on it because it doesn’t have the Swoosh, but that’s exactly what makes it work for a collection like this. The BHM version came in black with metallic gold accents, the African pattern print running across the leather upper, and those red, yellow, and blue hits on the heel and outsole. “NIKE” and “BHM” text appeared at the ankle in gold lettering. It was clean, purposeful, and felt like a shoe that deserved to exist beyond just February.
Russell Westbrook’s Why Not Zer0.2 also got the BHM treatment and it fit the theme perfectly. Westbrook’s whole brand is about chaos and breaking convention, so throwing that Afro-futurist pattern onto his deconstructed-looking signature shoe felt natural. The shoe already had that bold, almost jagged aesthetic. Adding the BHM color palette of black, red, yellow, and blue across the mixed-material upper made it look like a wearable art piece. These dropped February 2nd alongside the Jordans for $125.
The LeBron 16 “Equality” was technically the kickoff shoe for the whole collection. Nike launched it on January 21st, ahead of the February 1st general release date, and it came in two colorways. The “Home” was white-based with black accents, and the “Away” flipped it to black with white. Both featured “EQUALITY” spelled out across the Battleknit upper. At $185, these were premium basketball shoes with a message that went beyond aesthetics. LeBron had been vocal about social justice issues for years at that point, and the Equality 16s felt like an extension of his actual advocacy, not just a marketing exercise.
The Kyrie 5 BHM brought the pattern to Irving’s Flytrap-laced signature model and it worked surprisingly well. The Kyrie 5 already had that distinctive lacing cover and multi-colored outsole pod design, so layering the BHM print on top gave it this almost tribal-meets-court look. The colorway was predominantly black with gold, red, and blue accents throughout. Priced at $130 and dropping February 1st, it was one of the more accessible entry points into the collection if you wanted a performance basketball shoe with the BHM aesthetic.
Paul George’s PG 3 BHM was the quiet standout for me. The PG 3 was already a clean, understated basketball shoe. The BHM version came in a pure platinum and metallic gold base with the African pattern concentrated on the heel. It had that “93552” zip code detail on the toe, which is PG’s hometown of Palmdale, California. At $110, it was the most affordable shoe in the collection, and honestly one of the best-looking. The restrained use of the pattern print made it wearable in a way that some of the louder colorways weren’t.
The KD 11 BHM rounded out the basketball signatures with a $150 price tag and a February 1st release. Durant’s eleventh signature shoe had that sock-like Flyknit collar and full-length Zoom Air cushioning. The BHM version used the pattern across the knit upper in a way that felt organic to the material rather than printed on top. The black base with those scattered red, yellow, and blue thread hits throughout the knit gave it a textured, almost iridescent look in person.
Beyond the headliners, the collection also included the Nike Air Force 1 Utility BHM at $200, two Converse Chuck Taylor 70 High BHM colorways, and the Nike Flare 2 BHM. The AF1 Utility was probably the most slept-on pick of the bunch. It dropped later in the month on February 20th and had this rugged, utility-inspired build that completely transformed what an Air Force 1 could look like. The BHM pattern on that chunkier silhouette hit different.
What made the 2019 BHM collection special wasn’t just the shoes though. Nike launched the Future Varsity program alongside it, a leadership initiative pairing 14 young African Americans with mentors to help advance their community projects. They also expanded their partnerships with PeacePlayers International and MENTOR, using basketball to bridge divides in cities across the country. Jonathan Johnsongriffin, Senior Creative Director for Nike Basketball, said the design reflected how athletes were embracing their backgrounds and becoming catalysts for change. That context matters when you look at the collection. These weren’t just colorways riding a theme. They were part of a bigger platform.
Looking back at the 2019 BHM collection now, it holds up. The Afro-futurist pattern print is still one of the best design languages Nike has used for this annual collection. The shoe selection was deep enough to give every type of player and collector something to grab. And the message behind it felt genuine in a way that annual corporate collections don’t always manage. If you missed the drop in 2019, the aftermarket is your only option now. Most of these are selling well above retail, especially the AJ2 BHM and the LeBron 16 Equality pairs.
