Matt Varga Update: The Air Jordan 1 “Royal” is now queued up for an October 10th release date. Additionally, rumors that this would be an ’85 High release a la 2025’s “Bred” have now been debunked; this will be a “Retro High OG” pair.
The ink is barely dry on the brand’s landmark year 40, yet mile markers for the follow-up continue to trickle out. Some of the real show-stoppers for 2026 have already been telegraphed, from the return of the Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam” to the multi-flanked Levi’s Jordan 3 link-up. Another totemic retro is now coming off the board, as the Air Jordan 1 “Royal” is rumored to release come Holiday 2026.
While perhaps a smidge less coveted than Bulls-aligned editions, still, the Air Jordan 1 “Royal” is a shoe that doesn’t need much introduction. A standard-bearer as one of the original Air Jordan 1 releases, and strategically, a shoe that paved the first steps in a path to becoming the global entity that Brand Jordan now is, the shoe has fittingly been revisited like clockwork since that drop four decades ago. On top of reinterpretations like the “Royal Reimagined,” earnest visitations have come in 1994, 2001, 2013, and 2017. Though some of the particulars are still up in the air, the 2026 edition is expected to keep that faithful script.
To that end, one of the sources behind this information, @MrUnloved1s, has previously cited that the ’85 line is “on hold” for the time being. Without an update or retraction on that front, it would seem that the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG build will be on tap for the end of this year, but we’ll wait for confirmation one way or the other before officially passing judgment.
For now, expect the Air Jordan 1 “Royal” to launch Holiday 2026, placing it between October and December of that year. In the meantime, catch shots of the 1985 originals below and keep our Jordan Releases 2026 landing page close by for more on what the Jumpman has in store.
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- Air Jordan 1 “Royal” (1985) Sotheby’s
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- Air Jordan 1 “Royal” (1985) Sotheby’s
Info via @MrUnloved1s/ @zsneakerheadz.
