The Air Jordan 1 is once again undergoing a transformation, this time with the heel chopped off to become a mule.
Arriving years into a trend favoring mules within menswear and sneaker circles, the Air Jordan 1 Golf Mule loses both its heel and laces while maintaining the original “Bred” colorway. Aside from the Jumpman logo with the very word on tongue and insole, the key feature that denotes the mule as a Jordan Golf shoe is an outsole that’s both stiffer and carries a more aggressive tread in order to grip the course.
The AJ1’s turn as a mule comes a year after Nike turned another one of its icons, Shox, into a mule in collaboration with Martine Rose. New Balance has removed the heel on its 2002R a number of times, while Asics, Adidas, Salomon, and more have also dabbled in turning existing models into slip-ons. Even more ubiquitous among the circuit of usual players have been brand-new mule silhouettes, often made of foam and intended to compete with the rise of Crocs.
As much as the Air Jordan 1 Golf Mule may cater to the “mulement,” a conspicuous fatigue has risen alongside the number of versions of the classic sneaker releasing. Variants more closely associated to the original colorways from 1985 have sat on shelves and even gone on sale, as we’ve seen with the “Satin Bred” and “Royal Reimagined” releases from late last year. Many sneakerheads believe Jordan Brand needs to dial it down with its seminal sneaker, or at the very least make the unaltered classics more readily available instead of so many other remixes.
A concrete release date for the Air Jordan 1 Golf Mule “Bred” has not been confirmed yet, but the shoe is expected to release some time in 2024 for $110. This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
