Air Jordan 1: Low “Gym Red”

Looks: 

Starting with the front, the shoe has a striking resemblance to a Jordan 1 high. Wrapping across the front of the shoe and dipping down at the end is the toe guard panel. The toe panel has holes to allow your foot to breathe. Only when you move backwards do you see the changes.

The eyelet panel decreases at the midfoot to match the reduced swoosh. When it comes to the swoosh, here's a controversial opinion: I believe the swoosh on the low is better positioned than the high. It sits in the center of the shoe, unlike its larger brother.

The low, on the other hand, does away with the “ankle strap” panel altogether, but keeps the padding on top and leather on the bottom. However, the wings logo is boldly displayed, stitched straight onto the heel counter.

The tongue is black with a crimson lining, however it appears to be of low quality. The precise stitching of the Jumpman emblem is the sole saving grace here.

The red panels on the top are exceedingly smooth, while the black panels have a faux-tumbled pattern.

The shoe is pretty simple on the inside. The bulk of the interior is made up of a black, tight-knit lining, with a red Jumpman emblem peeking through.

If cutting corners on the upper part of the shoe made it appear worse, cutting corners on the lower half of the shoe helped it look better. The midsole and outsole of the shoe are identical to those of its larger brothers. While I'm sure Jordan Brand did this mostly to avoid having to develop new tooling, the final product will be the same midsole that everyone is familiar with.

This implies the white midsole will have a textured pattern along the length of the shoe, with a row of white stitching on top. A black outsole with the Jordan 1's iconic design is attached to that midsole. In the front, there are concentric circles; in the rear, there is block traction; and in the center, there is Nike.

Fit & Comfort: 

The Jordan 1 low should fit in the same way as the rest of the Jordan 1. To put it another way, it's a long and thin shoe. If your feet are narrower, you should definitely go with a brannock or a half size up (note: many individuals don't take brannock sizing as their "real size"). If your feet are a whole size larger than brannock, you may want to consider stepping up a size. I wear a size 13 in these. I wear a 12.5 in Stan Smiths, a 13 in Yeezy 350s, and 13 Ultraboosts for comparison.

When it comes to comfort, like with other Jordan 1s, keep in mind that this shoe is now more than 35 years old. It's simply not fair to compare these to a pair of Ultraboosts. In comparison to the higher pairs, the low tops are a little easier on the feet.

For starters, the reduced height makes it easier to do things other than play basketball. When you're merely commuting to work, having ankle support isn't necessary. Second, low-top leather shoes aren't known for having a lot of technology. Consider a pair of Stan Smiths or Old Skools. In comparison, these shoes provide additional support and impact prevention.

Materials: 

If there's one place where these shoes fail miserably, it's here. The materials on this sneaker are awful almost everywhere.

I'm not sure if any of the panels on the upper are genuine leather. If they are, they are most likely bonded leather with a thick layer of plastic on top. Even Jordan Brand is embarrassed by it. They only roll the borders of a panel if the inside is complete trash.

This isn't just a matter of appearances, but they certainly appear to be low-cost. Within a few months, this sort of cloth may fold in an unsightly manner and begin to peel. Honestly, regardless of price, these top materials are some of the worst I've seen on a pair of shoes in a long time.

Even the little things aren't making me happy. The nylon on the tongue is quite thin and scratchy, the insole is composed of very basic foam, and the cushioning surrounding the shoe is little.

The midsole and outsole are the only parts of the shoe that might be considered premium. Thankfully, Nike was able to save money by removing the outsole from the higher-priced highs. This implies you'll receive the air unit in the heel and the outsole will last a long time. You might not want it to, though, with that upper.

Ease of Care: 

While I prefer natural materials over man-made ones, the plastic panels are much easier to maintain. Because there are no actual pores, most dirt will just slide off. With a swipe of your thumb, you should be able to obtain nearly everything else.

However, given the materials used on this shoe, you should really consider investing in a pair of shoe trees. I know a lot of sneakerheads don't think to use them, but they're made to prevent deep wrinkles from forming (among other benefits). This will be even more critical with these shoes, as deep wrinkles will cause the top to fracture.

You can purchase a plastic pair for a reasonable price, but a wooden pair will perform a better job and allow you to choose the proper size.