Initial Impressions, Nike / Jordan, Sneakers

Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined: A Classic Colorway, Aged Poorly

May 25, 2025May 18, 2025 by 100wears

Price: $180 [Check eBay for Under Retail Pricing]

Why Buy?

The Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined is a great colorway, and is already priced well under retail just a few days after launch.

Why Avoid?

The Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined could have been so much better without being “reimagined.”

Specs

Model	Jordan 1
Height	High
Materials	Leather / Rubber / PU
Size	13
Weight	574 g / 1 lb 4.2 oz
Construction	Sewn Cup Sole
Country of Origin	China

History

The Jordan 1 UNC might not be the most storied of all the Jordan 1 colorways, but it’s up there.
Sure, Jordan never wore these on court, but the UNC colorway was one of the original colorways for the Jordan 1 High. In fact, as one of the most wearable colorways of the original releases, the UNC has sold far more than its on-court reputation would justify.
It’s sold well enough that we’ve seen several retros of this sneaker—most recently back in 2015.

As a sneaker that has been retro’d a few times, Nike felt they needed to do something a bit different with this pair. With this release, they took a page from the Jordan 1 “Lost and Found,” though it gets the much more generic name of “Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined.” What does that mean? You’ll find the other half of the mismatched box, basic paper, etc.

To say people were not feeling this release would be an understatement. The sneakers were selling for under retail on the aftermarket before they even dropped. On release day, Nike outlets had pairs for $100. Knowing this, I think the sneaker deserves a little bit of an autopsy. Why is it that a sneaker in maybe the most wearable of the original colorways ended up being an outlet special?
Let’s dive in and find out.

Looks

Upper

The upper of the Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined is pretty basic at first blush. Made up of only two colors—white and UNC blue—this colorway really lets the design of the Jordan 1 shine through.
The blue can be found all over: on the toe guard, the eyelets, the Swoosh, and the support panels. The color is actually really nice. It’s brighter than more recent UNC blues, including the 2015 pair. If you’re looking for a reference, it’s closer to the Off-White UNC collaboration. The leather used for the blue is pretty traditional Jordan 1 leather—smooth with a heavy poly coat.

Where you don’t get traditional Jordan 1 leather is on the white panels. The cracked leather is the same as they used on the Jordan 1 “Lost and Found” or Volt Green colorway. The finish leaves it looking like a dry, cracked clay desert—small individual chunks. I’d be worried about durability, but it seems like others have worn in this leather with no issues. Around the collar, there’s a similar treatment on the white faux-leather panel.

This aging is supposed to mimic how a Jordan would look after sitting in a box for 40 years. I’m personally not a huge fan. If I do need to say something nice, it’s that the white looks much cleaner than the color in promo shots, which came off as decidedly yellow.

Other changes include an updated Wings logo, using individually raised sections instead of a pressed-in logo.
One thing that isn’t retro is the interior, which uses the more modern mesh lining and size tag. This updated mesh is far more comfortable, though, so I can forgive it.

Midsole & Outsole

Moving down to the bottom half of the sneaker, the outsole of the Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined uses the shape of the more common Jordan 1 OG. That means a row of stitching along the top edge, a consistent repeating pattern along the middle, and a contrast color on the bottom.

Where Jordan Brand decided to change things up is in the colors used. Instead of bright white, the Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined has a—yes—off-white colored midsole. This is noticeably more yellow than the white leather on the upper, but still not as bad as the photographs.

While I would prefer a standard white midsole, I will say—not needing to worry about it getting dirty is a big benefit. The bright white pairs tend to look kind of gross after just a single wear.

Underneath, the brand used a marbleized blue to make it look like the rubber had started to oxidize. I’m actually a fan of the look. Even if you don’t like faux-aging, the color makes the blue even brighter. If I’m getting a pair of bright blue sneakers, the brighter the better.

Summary

The Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined is exactly what you would expect it to be: a Jordan 1 in the UNC colorway, with a ton of faux-aging added to it.
Do I think it would be better without the aging? I do. I’m sympathetic to the argument that you can’t just make the same retro over and over again, but it’s been a decade since we’ve seen this shoe.

Most people buying sneakers these days weren’t collecting in 2015. I’m sure there are a few older guys who still have that pair in their collection, but if they do, they don’t need a fake aged one—they have a naturally aged one already.

All that being said, I love this colorway. I know black and red are the classic Jordan colors, but 90% of guys will look better in blue and white. It’s just a much easier sneaker to wear. You can pair them with more classic streetwear, but the color also works better with denim, preppier outfits, and more.

Fit & Comfort

Fit

The Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined fits like every other standard Jordan 1 High OG. While it’s actually a bit narrow and long compared to most sneakers, nearly everyone uses the Jordan 1 shape as the go-to when deciding if something is “true to size.” So, almost by definition, for most people these will be true to size.

If you’ve never tried on a pair of Jordan 1s before, and you have wider feet, you might want to consider going up half a size. Not only are Jordan 1s a bit narrow to begin with, the high sidewalls mean they are not very accommodating for width.

The good news is that you can almost certainly find a pair of these at your local Nike store to try on. If you’re reading this review a few years down the line, they’ll fit like any other standard Jordan 1.

Otherwise, the leather on the upper has a good amount of give, and the padding allows you to go a half-size off and still be OK.
I take nearly every sneaker in a size 13, and that’s no different here.

Comfort

The Jordan 1 High UNC Reimagined is based on a sneaker that is nearly old enough to have grandkids—and feels every bit of it. This is not a particularly comfortable sneaker.

On the plus side, the foam they use for padding the Jordan 1 is great. Just enough density to provide a nice springy response, but soft enough to take the shape of your feet. On the negative side is just about everything else.

Yes, there is air in the sole, but the unit is tiny and fully encapsulated. These are slightly more comfortable than a pair of Chuck Taylors, but not much else.
Still, I don’t think anyone is buying a retro from the mid-eighties for comfort. You know you’ll wear them for hanging out—and probably not much else.

Materials & Construction

Materials

The Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined is made using fairly typical Jordan 1 materials when it comes to quality.

The upper is made almost entirely of leather. It is real leather, though it comes with a very heavy PU coating. I don’t fault them too much—it’s hard to get colors this bright without coating the leather—but it does mean the leather quality itself is not great. The poly coating is actually what’s cracking on the white leather, not the leather underneath.

Around the ankle collar, it’s just a poly coating on top of foam—a poly coating that’s also cracked. Behind that cracking, though, the foam is great. I wish more sneakers—even ones from Jordan Brand—would use this stuff.

The tongue, lining, and insole all use variations of a poly/nylon blend. It feels good, if not entirely authentic to the original.

Underneath the insole lining, a closed-cell insole is doing its best—even if that best isn’t very good. That sits on top of a small PU wedge that features an even smaller encapsulated Air unit.

Finishing off the sneaker, the cup sole is made of fairly durable rubber. It might be the coloring they used, or maybe just luck of the draw, but this pair feels a bit softer than other Jordan 1s I’ve had. It isn’t likely to make a major difference, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.

Construction

The Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined, like all Jordan 1s, is made using a sewn and glued cup sole construction. To make a sneaker this way, first the upper is sewn and glued inside the cup sole—literally a sole shaped like a cup.

Then, the top edge of the cup sole is sewn directly to the upper of the sneaker. This gives two areas that need to fail, rather than just one. It’s a more durable way of making sneakers, and offers greater water protection. On the downside, it’s much less flexible than a more traditional cemented construction.

Pricing & Value

The Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined launched at the standard Jordan 1 price in 2025 of $180. However, even before launch, the sneakers were going for under retail on aftermarket sites. At the time of writing, just about every size is sitting in the $140–150 range. Even the only size that sold out, 12.5.

This price point doesn’t make it the most affordable Jordan 1 in recent times. That unfortunate distinction goes to the Jordan 1 Royal Reimagined. Though, a week after launch, they were actually going for more than these are now. If past is prologue, this UNC colorway will trend down over time.

Of course, if you’re really trying, you’ll almost certainly be able to pick these up with stacking discounts at outlets soon.

Are the Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined Worth It?

Alright, now that we’ve covered the style, comfort, materials, and more, it’s time to ask—are the Jordan 1 UNC Reimagined worth it?

In my opinion, this sneaker is a huge lost opportunity for Jordan Brand. The UNC colorway has traditionally never been the hottest seller. The 2015 pair went to outlets, after all. However, the Jordan 1 is about as low as it could be on the desirability scale.

From a marketing perspective, I understand why they continue to offer close—but not exact—versions of their sneakers. However, at the same time, even classic colorways—a Bred in its original form, or a Chicago collab—aren’t commanding the attention of the sneaker world.