By Anton Karve

Michael Jordan has never been quiet about his love for his alma mater, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his own words, “I never thought I’d be able to play at a Division I school… It really shocked me when North Carolina started recruiting me.” He’s made his gratitude to the institution clear time and time again, and many would argue hat at this point he has helped UNC even more than the school helped him. From regular returns to university grounds to advising, and even assisting the management of UNC’s NCAA basketball team, it’s clear that Jordan holds a deep appreciation for his blue UNC jersey, and this appreciation comes out regularly in Jordan Brand’s many offerings.

Though the “UNC Blue” colorway isn’t quite as iconic as its “Chicago” and “Bred” siblings, it shares just as much history as any OG Jordan colorway out there. The white and blue color palette has followed Jordan throughout his career, with no sign of stopping even years after his retirement. With two new “UNC” Jordans set to drop during the Spring/Summer 2023 season, we felt it apt to take a trip back through time to see how “UNC” cemented itself as one of sneaker history’s classic colorways.

The One that Started it All: Air Jordan 1 OG “UNC”

1984 almost represents a singularity in Jordan’s career. It was the year when the Chicago Bulls kickstarted MJ’s trajectory into basketball stardom, as well as the year that the most lucrative endorsement in sneaker history – the powerhouse of Nike Air Jordan – was born. Not such a bad time after all, eh, Mr. Orwell?

In 1985, just a year after Nike signed Jordan, a whopping 15 Air Jordan 1 colorways sprang into existence. Among them were the aforementioned “Chicago” and “Bred”, as well as other well-loved colorways such as the “Black Toe”, “Royal”, “Shadow”, and of course, “UNC”. Though Jordan never wore the OG AJ1 “UNC” on-court—that privilege was reserved for the AJ1 “Chicago”—the blue-and-white colorway was highly sought after all the same. And so began the periodic rise and fall of AJ1s, eventually leading to “UNC”, along with most of the other OG colorways, ending up on countless sneaker grails. 

Speaking of which, check out the story of the “Chicago” colorway for a deeper dive into the tumultuous history of the Air Jordan 1.

In more recent history, Jordan brand dropped a 2015 retro of the Air Jordan 1 “UNC” to celebrate a massively successful 30 years of Air Jordan. The retro (right), releasing to widespread hype, stayed true to the original release (left), with the only changes being minor updates to the Air Jordan 1 silhouette. This retro was a crowd-pleaser for Air Jordan purists and newer audiences alike, for who wouldn’t enjoy a faithful recreation of a timeless classic?

Struck Out: Air Jordan 10 “Powder Blue”

MJ’s accomplishments within a decade of his signing to the Bulls were enormous. By 1994, he had practically established himself as the GOAT of the basketball world, and was clearly looking for a change in scenery. That same year, he signed to the Birmingham Barons, which surprised people not just because he was changing teams, but rather because he was changing sports altogether. Jordan’s tenure in professional baseball was a short yet important segment of his career, for it demonstrated his passion for sport, willingness to explore new fields, and undying work ethic. 

Some fans dismissed Jordan’s stint in the Barons, putting it down to an off-handed decision that allowed him to take a break from basketball. However, doing so also dismissed the genuine drive that Jordan had to excel in baseball. Take it from the team’s manager, Terry Francona, “He had it all, ability, aptitude, work ethic… with another 1,000 at-bats, he would’ve made it.”

The star’s commitment to his new sport was reflected in the corresponding change in the Air Jordan line-up. Designer Tinker Hatfield, believing that MJ had genuinely left basketball for good, listed an accomplishment for each of MJ’s 10 years in the NBA on the Air Jordan 10’s outsole, ending with “‘94 – Beyond” that alluded to a life and career beyond basketball. Even the name of the colorway itself, “Powder Blue”, signified the athlete’s new start on the powder baseball diamond rather than the hardwood basketball court. The “North Carolina Blue” elements were more subtle on this pair, showing up along the highlights, inner lining and outsole of the Air Jordan X.

Jordan’s career in baseball ended just as abruptly as it began, with a rather ironic impact of rekindling his love for basketball. Just like that, Michael Jordan was back in the NBA, bringing Air Jordans and the “UNC” colorway along with him.

Two decades after MJ’s dramatic 1994 career change, Jordan Brand released a 2014 retro of the Air Jordan X “Powder Blue”. This release perfectly recreated the original design, bringing back a relic of a year that shocked the sporting world.

Images via MLB, Baseball Hall of Fame

All-Star Kicks: Air Jordan 11 “Columbia”

The year was 1996, and Jordan was back to racking up MVP titles in the NBA—balance had been restored to the universe. As if nothing had happened in the two years before, Nike and Jordan Brand had continued onto the next iteration, the Air Jordan 11. This futuristic silhouette, which rocked a mix of matte and patent leather, dropped in three colorways. Among them, the “Columbia” was the only one that strayed from the Bulls color scheme, continuing a long legacy of paying respects to Jordan’s collegiate beginnings through the UNC color palette.

Interestingly, the Air Jordan 11 “Columbia” is one of the few UNC-themed Air Jordans that the man himself actually wore on-court. Of course, he did this not during a Bulls game (that would be blasphemy), but rather while playing for the Eastern Conference in the 1996 NBA All-Star Game. The “Columbia” colorway’s UNC-blue accents paired up perfectly with the Eastern team’s light blue jersey, and together with his Bulls teammate Scottie Pippen, as well as stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, Jordan went on to win the game and receive the MVP award.

The AJ11 “Columbia” is also famous for another international television appearance, not in basketball, but in comedy. In May 1996, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” aired its emotional, bittersweet finale episode to close off a legendary six season run, and Will Smith can be seen rocking “Columbia”s in the final scene. So fresh.

To commemorate the shoe’s legendary status, the “Columbia” has received multiple retros over the years, first in 2001, and later in 2014 with an updated name, “Legend Blue”. As seems to be the trend for “UNC” retros, the newest release has stuck very closely to the original masterpiece, flaunting all the Carolina blue elements fans were hoping for.

Images via Sole Collector

A Reconstituted Masterpiece: Off-White x Nike Air Jordan 1 “UNC”

Here’s a branch of the timeline that nobody expected: just a year after fashion genius Virgil Abloh dropped the legendary Off-White x Air Jordan 1 Retro High “Chicago” as part of his “The Ten” collection, he gave the same treatment to the Air Jordan 1 “UNC”. The result, which dropped in 2018, was just as eye-catching as his previous work—the sneaker looked like a version of the original design that was deconstructed and recreated by hand. Off-White’s signature block texts denoting “AIR” and “SHOELACES”, the iconic floating Swoosh, and the separated Air Jordan Wings at the ankle all made an appearance, lending themselves to the collaboration’s distinctive look. 

Two years later, Off-White and Nike collaborated to produce another fascinating silhouette donning UNC Blue colors, the Air Rubber Dunk “University Blue”.

What’s Next? 

Though it’s almost been an eternity since Jordan started out as a Division 1 college athlete in Chapel Hill, his connection to UNC remains as strong as ever. Of course, this means that Jordan Brand will continue to release kicks draped in classic UNC blues.

Slated for release on 4th March 2023, the Air Jordan 5 will be donning the “UNC” colorway for the very first time, with University Blue dominating the upper, broken up by silver and black accents. Check out more release details for the Air Jordan 5 “UNC” here.

Following this, leaks and mockups suggest that Air Jordan 2 Low “UNC” will be dropping on 22nd July 2023. In this AJ2 retro, University Blue and Grey accents work in unison to complement a predominantly white design, making for a highly aesthetic, neutral colorway. We’ll be giving you the latest release updates on the Air Jordan 2 Low “UNC” here.

All in all, from the moment that the “UNC” colorway made its first appearance in the OG release of the Air Jordan 1, it was already destined to be a sneaker icon. The colorway has followed MJ throughout his career, tracking the twists and turns of his professional growth. When you look at the “UNC” lineup as a whole, it doesn’t just represent a set of sneakers—it tells the story of the best basketball player to have ever lived.