Air Jordan 1 KO High 'Chicago' (AJKO)

The canvas Jordan nobody explained

The Air Jordan 1 KO is a version of Michael Jordan's first signature shoe built from canvas instead of leather. On the Wings logo at the ankle, 'AJKO' replaces the words 'Air Jordan.' Beyond that, its early history is thin. One sneaker history puts it plainly: pairs were made in the 1980s, they differ in shape and tagging from the regular Air Jordan 1, and that is about all anyone knows for certain.

Even the date is disputed. Several release write-ups say the KO was originally released in 1986, and a colorway guide lists four original 1986 colorways: White/Black-Red, Black/Red, White/Red and White/Natural Grey. Other histories place its debut in the summer of 1985, or in July 1985. A retailer's own description splits the difference, saying the KO arrived roughly a year after the Air Jordan 1 debuted in 1985.

The name is just as uncertain. Most collectors assume 'KO' means 'knockout,' perhaps a nod to boxing. A competing theory reads it as 'knockoff,' supported by a 1980s newspaper clipping, shared online by a sneaker archive, that refers to 'Air Jordan Knock Offs.'

A cheaper Jordan, by design

One account gives the original prices as $34.99 for the KO against $64.99 for the leather Air Jordan 1. Two explanations circulate for why Nike would undercut its own shoe. One holds that Nike expected budget brands to copy the Air Jordan 1 and released its own lower-priced version first; one history names budget labels such as Honors Sport and Pro Joggs as the kind of competition it had in mind. The other holds that the KO helped recover costs by reusing the sole of the Nike Vandal, another Nike model of the period.

Neither theory comes from Nike. Writer Russ Bengtson, a longtime sneaker historian, has noted that given the original Air Jordan's popularity, one would expect the KO to have been everywhere too, and it was not.

Those who did wear the canvas originals reportedly wore them out quickly, which is part of why vintage pairs became prized. A 2010 collector's post said worn pairs were commanding $500 to $1,000 around 2008, and a later history calls original AJKOs top-tier grails for longtime collectors.

The retro years

Jordan Brand brought the KO back for the first time in 2010, as the Air Jordan 1 Retro KO High 'Vintage' in White/Varsity Red and White/Black-Varsity Red. Premium versions followed in 2011, and more colorways in 2012, including a 'Black Toe' and a 'Barcelona' edition.

In 2014 the line returned as the Air Jordan 1 Retro KO High OG, including a White/Gym Red-Black pair (638471-101), plus 'UNC' and 'Georgetown' colorways. The Chicago-style KO from that run arrived in March 2014. Retro releases continued through 2016 with little attention, according to one history.

By 2021 the regular Air Jordan 1 was at the height of its popularity. The KO came back that year not only in Chicago colors but in collaborations with musician Billie Eilish and with a sneaker boutique, pushing the canvas shoe toward everyday lifestyle wear.

How to identify the 2021 Chicago

The 2021 pair carries style code DA9089-100 and the colorway White/Black-University Red. The upper is nearly all canvas: white on the toe box, tongue and quarter panels, University Red on the forefoot overlays and ankle flaps, and black leather on the Swooshes and ankle collar. It sits on a white midsole and red rubber outsole.

Jordan Brand said it based the last and the shape of the toe box on an original pair. The result is a sleeker, more slanted toe than the flatter, wider, skate-like toe of earlier KO retros. Release coverage also noted the heel overlays were removed, leaving a blank white heel, and the AJKO wording on the Wings logo.

Official images appeared on December 22, 2020. The May 12 release date was confirmed on January 19, 2021, and Nike confirmed the launch on its app on April 28. The shoe launched at 10 a.m. Eastern on May 12, 2021, at $140, and reached Europe on July 27.

Why collectors care

The AJKO is a footnote that every serious Jordan collector knows: a canvas sibling of the most famous basketball shoe ever made, released by Nike itself, with an origin no one has fully documented. The 2021 Chicago gave a new generation the original's look in the colors most closely tied to Jordan's rookie years.

Because canvas wears and creases differently than leather, KOs have long been treated as the Jordan 1 you actually wear. One guide notes they hold up to wear better than most retros, which helps explain why they became a casual favorite rather than a shoe kept in a box.

The numbers

Release date

May 12, 2021 (U.S.)

Retail price

$140

Style code

DA9089-100

Colorway

White/Black-University Red

Original pricing (one account)

$34.99 for the KO vs. $64.99 for the leather Air Jordan 1

Production

No production figures have been published

Timeline

1. 1985

   The Air Jordan 1 debuts; some histories date the first canvas KO to the summer of 1985.

2. 1986

   Other sources date the original AJKO to 1986, listing four colorways including White/Black-Red.

3. 2010

   The KO is retroed for the first time as the Air Jordan 1 Retro KO High 'Vintage.'

4. 2011

   Premium KO High versions release in three colorways.

5. 2012

   More KO High colorways arrive, including 'Black Toe' and 'Barcelona.'

6. Mar 2014

   A Chicago-style Air Jordan 1 Retro KO High OG releases.

7. Dec 22, 2020

   Official images of the 2021 Chicago AJKO appear.

8. Jan 19, 2021

   The May 12 release date is confirmed.

9. Apr 28, 2021

   Nike confirms the launch on its app.

10. May 12, 2021

    The Air Jordan 1 KO High 'Chicago,' DA9089-100, releases in the U.S. at $140.

11. Jul 27, 2021

    The shoe releases in Europe.

The world in 2021

• Jan 20, 2021

  Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States.

• May 7, 2021

  A cyberattack shuts down the Colonial Pipeline, source of nearly half the East Coast's fuel.

• May 10, 2021

  The FDA authorizes the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 15.

• May 13, 2021

  The CDC says fully vaccinated people can resume most activities without masks.

• May 17, 2021

  The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

Price record

This is an asking price, not a sale. It is what a seller wanted on the date shown. Asking prices often sit above what buyers pay, but an ask is not a ceiling: a sale can land on either side of it. It is not a value.

By reference price, Air Jordan 1 KO High 'Chicago' (AJKO) is number 98 of 100 in the sneakers entries of the FLOAT 100. 22 of those 100 rest on a realized sale; the rest carry an asking price or a guide value, and each page says which. Rank within the FLOAT 100 itself (72 here) is editorial: how much an object defines its field, not price alone.

Did you know

• Nike has never officially said what 'KO' stands for; 'knockout' and 'knockoff' are both argued.
• One theory says the original KO borrowed its sole from the Nike Vandal to keep costs down.
• One account puts the original KO at $34.99, about half the price of the leather Air Jordan 1.
• Jordan Brand modeled the 2021 toe box on an original pair, making it sleeker than earlier KO retros.
• The KO was not retroed at all until 2010, a quarter century after the original.