FLOAT 100 · Sneakers · No. 69
Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'University Blue'
Before he was a Bull, Michael Jordan was a Tar Heel who won a national title as a freshman, and the 2021 'University Blue' Air Jordan 1 dressed his first signature shoe in his college colors once more.
- Year
- 2021
- Maker
- Nike / Jordan Brand
- By price in sneakers
- 90 of 100
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Create a free account- Shoe
- Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'University Blue'
- Style code
- 555088-134 (grade school: 575441-134)
- Colorway
- White/University Blue/Black
- Released
- March 6, 2021, after a delay from late February
- Retail price
- $170 (grade school $140)
- Build
- White tumbled leather, University Blue suede overlays, black collar, Swoosh and Wings logo
- Inspiration
- Michael Jordan's college career at the University of North Carolina
- Ancestor
- The 1985 white and Carolina blue 'UNC' Air Jordan 1
From Chapel Hill to the first signature shoe
Michael Jordan played three seasons at the University of North Carolina, from 1981 to 1984. He averaged 13.5 points as a freshman on a team that won the 1981-82 NCAA championship, 20.0 as a sophomore and 19.6 as a junior, then won the Associated Press Player of the Year, Wooden and Naismith awards in 1983-84. He left with 101 games played, a 17.7-point average and 54.0% shooting, and the Chicago Bulls drafted him third overall in 1984.
When Nike built the Air Jordan 1 the next year, one of the early colorways was a nod to Chapel Hill: white with Carolina blue, sold for $64.99 according to one record of the 1985 lineup. A collector archive dates that 'UNC' or 'Carolina' pair to September 1985, alongside the Shadow, Royal and Black Toe.
The 2021 'University Blue' borrows that college color but not the 1985 layout. Instead of an all-blue-and-white shoe, it pairs light blue suede overlays with black on the collar, the Wings logo and the Swoosh. Release coverage called it 'a non-Chicago Bulls-friendly colorway.'
Peter Moore's template, a new palette
Peter Moore designed the Air Jordan 1 and its Wings logo after Nike signed Jordan in 1984, in a deal reported at $500,000 a year for five years plus royalties. The shoe went on sale in April 1985 at $65.
The 2021 pair's distinguishing feature is its material mix: smooth white leather on the base and a suede overlay in University Blue, which release coverage described as a premium suede.
The Carolina line, 1985 to today
On October 10, 2015, the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'UNC,' 555088-117, released at $160 in Dark Powder Blue/White, with a perforated toe box, the Wings logo and 'Nike Air' on the tongue. In 2018 Virgil Abloh's Off-White collaboration reworked the same college blue, releasing May 23, 2018.
The 'University Blue' was planned for late February 2021 and was pushed to March 6, 2021. It released through Nike's SNKRS app and a long list of retailers across the U.S., Europe and China, at $170 for men's sizes.
In 2025 a 'UNC Reimagined' version arrived on May 10 at $180, with yellowed midsoles and tongues for an aged look; its release coverage said it had been ten years since the 'UNC' last hit shelves.
On October 3, 2026, a U.S. sneaker reseller listed the 2021 University Blue from $233.
How to identify the 2021 pair
Look for style code 555088-134 on the size label; grade school pairs carry 575441-134. The upper is white leather with light University Blue suede overlays, and the collar, Swoosh and Wings logo are black. The outsole is blue.
The 2015 'UNC' (555088-117) is easy to tell apart: it has dark powder blue leather overlays and no black on the upper. The 2025 'UNC Reimagined' has deliberately yellowed midsoles and tongues.
The numbers
- Release date
- March 6, 2021
- Retail price
- $170 men's, $140 grade school
- Style code
- 555088-134
- Jordan at North Carolina
- 1981-84, 101 games, 17.7 PPG, 54.0 FG%, 5.0 RPG
- Jordan by season
- 1981-82: 13.5 PPG; 1982-83: 20.0; 1983-84: 19.6
- Production
- Not disclosed
Timeline
Freshman Michael Jordan wins the 1981-82 NCAA championship with North Carolina.
Jordan is named AP Player of the Year and wins the Wooden and Naismith awards; the Bulls draft him third overall.
The Air Jordan 1 goes on sale at $65.
The white and Carolina blue 'UNC' Air Jordan 1 is part of the second wave of colorways.
The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'UNC,' 555088-117, releases at $160.
Off-White x Air Jordan 1 'UNC' releases.
The 'University Blue' release is reported delayed from late February to March 6.
The Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'University Blue,' 555088-134, releases at $170.
The 'UNC Reimagined' releases at $180.
A U.S. reseller lists the 2021 pair from $233.
The world in 2021
Supporters of President Trump storm the U.S. Capitol.
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president; Kamala Harris becomes vice president.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Kansas City 31-9 in Super Bowl LV.
On release day, the Senate passes the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act.
The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns for their first title since 1971.
The Tokyo Summer Olympics begin; the U.S. wins 39 gold medals.
Price record
| Date | Price | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | $233 | Asking price, not a saleLowest listing at a U.S. sneaker reseller on the day checked. |
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 Retro High OG 'University Blue' is number 90 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 (69 here) is editorial: how much an object defines its field, not price alone.
Did you know
- Jordan won an NCAA title as a freshman, the year he averaged just 13.5 points.
- The University Blue was scheduled for late February 2021 and slipped to March 6.
- Unlike the 1985 'UNC,' the 2021 University Blue adds black to the collar, Swoosh and Wings logo.
- The University Blue released the same day the Senate passed the American Rescue Plan Act.
- One record of the 1985 lineup lists the original Carolina pair at $64.99.
How this page is made
- The figure
- One reference price, shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
- Realized or not
- A realized price is a completed sale. An asking price, an estimate and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
- The story
- Researched from published records and checked fact by fact. Updated Oct 3, 2026.
- Archive
- Oct 5, 2026