SoleGRIND
Some colorways just refuse to stay gone. The Air Jordan 1 High OG “Royal” is coming back on October 10, 2026, and I cannot say I am surprised. This is one of those pairs that sells out every single time it drops. SKU is IQ5495-005, and adult pairs will run you $185.
Let me get the details out of the way first. This is the standard High OG build, not the ’85 cut. Black leather base with Varsity Royal on the toe box, Swooshes, ankle, and heel. White midsole, royal blue outsole. If you have seen a Royal 1 before, you know exactly what this looks like. The blue leather has a little more texture than the 2017 pair, especially around the collar and back of the shoe.
But here is where things get interesting. Jordan Brand went back to one of Michael Jordan’s earliest Nike photoshoots for the box art. Back in 1985, photographer Chuck Kuhn shot Jordan in Oregon. Instead of wearing the Bulls red and black, Jordan had the Royal colorway on. One of those photos, with MJ standing on an open road, became the famous “Flight Guy” poster.
The 2026 box uses that road photo on the outside, with more images from the session inside. That is a really nice touch for a colorway that has always been tied to Jordan’s early Nike years, even though he never actually wore the Royal 1 in an NBA game.
Think about that for a second. One of the most iconic Air Jordan 1 colorways, and the man never laced them up in a regular season game. The “Royal” exists purely because of a photoshoot. And yet here we are, decades later, and it remains one of the most requested retro returns in the entire Jordan catalog. That says everything about the power of a clean two-tone colorway.
The 2017 version was the last time we got a proper Royal retro, and resale on those got silly. Nearly a decade later, demand has not cooled off one bit. The Royal sits right there with the “Black Toe” and “Bred” as the OG 1 colorways that people lose their minds over. It is timeless in a way that very few sneakers are.
I like that Jordan Brand went with the High OG construction here. The ’85 shape has been getting a lot of attention lately, and there was speculation this might follow that pattern. But sticking with the standard High OG means classic collar height, original panel proportions, and Nike Air branding on the tongue. It is the version most people associate with the retro line.
The shade of blue matters a lot on these. The 2017 pair was a little lighter than some of the older retros. From the official photos, the 2026 version looks like it sits somewhere between the 2013 and 2017 shades. Not too dark, not too bright. Just a clean, rich royal blue that pops against the black leather.
October 10 is a Saturday, which lines up with Jordan Brand’s usual release schedule. Nike.com and Jordan Brand retailers will have them. At $185, the price is in line with what High OG 1s have been going for. Not cheap, but you are paying for one of the most important sneakers in history.
My advice. Do not sleep on these. The Royal always sells through fast, and the special packaging on this version gives it extra appeal for collectors. If you want a pair, set your alarms for October 10.
Some sneakers come and go with the trends. The Royal is not one of them. It has been relevant for forty years, and this reissue is not going to change that.
