Every winter, freezing temps and slushy streets force most sneakerheads to pack up their delicate collection — until this year. Jordan Brand is toughening up its ubiquitous Air Jordan 1 silhouette and introducing the new weatherproof Acclimate model.
This boot-shoe hybrid is debuting in an all-black palette — remarkably minimal for the Air Jordan 1, but mirroring the look of a versatile and durable winter boot. Many key details of Jordan’s iconic silhouette are just slightly tweaked to become weatherproof: toebox perforations are closed to keep water out, and the top three eyestays mimic D-ring hooks of snow boots.
The entire upper is made of glossy leather, while the rubber midsoles pack an extra layer of durable foxing. Most noticeably, the shoe is trimmed and lined with a black sherpa fleece: a below-zero temperature essential for keeping the feet warm. All branding keeps with the tonal black theme, except the tongue tag with a white rubberized “Jordan.”
Cold front —
While some winter boots, such as Timberlands or Dr. Martens, are embedded in the streetwear lexicon, a fully weatherproof sneaker (especially one as iconic as the Air Jordan 1) is definitely a breakthrough. However, considering the lengths many sneakerheads will go just to avoid creasing their Jordans, it’s hard to imagine a pair stomping through December sleet.
The Acclimate upgrades seem perfectly prepared to handle fall and winter weather; whether they’ll actually be worn with that intention, or simply collected and showcased for the novelty, remains to be seen.
On ice —
There’s no official release date or pricing hint for the Air Jordan 1 Acclimate yet, but expect to see it hit retailers this fall.
