The Air Jordan 1 High ’85 “Black White” (BQ4422-001) is a shoe I had nothing to say about for a long time. Black and white, no colour accent, no story. Exactly the kind of colourway I walk past in a store. Yet since its February 2023 release I’ve seen it on more feet than almost any other Jordan 1 from that year, and that’s not an accident. It’s a shoe that asks little of you and gives a lot back.
Black leather on white leather, and nothing else
The build is as simple as a Jordan 1 gets. A black leather toe, a white perforated toebox behind it, black overlays around the laces and on the heel, and a white side panel with a black Swoosh between them. The ankle collar is black with the white Wings logo, the tongue white with a black Nike Air label. White midsole, black outsole. That’s all. Nike lists the colours officially as Black and Summit White, but nobody uses that second name; in practice it’s just “Black White”, often with “2023” tacked on to tell it apart from earlier black-and-white Jordan 1s.
What strikes me on the photo is how the black is spread. Toe, lace panel and ankle are black, the rest is white. That makes the shoe read lighter from the side than a classic “Black Toe” or a Panda-style Jordan 1, where the black has more of the upper hand. No pink this time, I’ll admit it straight away, but here it would make no sense at all.
What ’85 actually means
The ’85 points to the cut of the very first Air Jordan 1 from 1985. Nike describes the difference from the regular Retro High OG as a taller collar and a wider toebox, finished with a hangtag. On the photo it’s the collar you notice most: it runs higher than you’re used to on a modern Jordan 1, and the shoe looks a touch fuller and more old-school for it. Whether that’s to your taste is personal. On a black-and-white make-up I actually like it, because the shape becomes the only thing doing the talking.
Would I wear it myself?
Yes, and that surprises me a little. Black and white is the combination you think about least: a blue jean, black trousers, grey joggers, it all works without any planning. For a high-top that’s valuable, because a Jordan 1 High is already an outspoken shape. If the colour then also asks for attention, it gets to be a lot fast. On the fit, a Jordan 1 High lands true to size for most people, and the leather softens after a few wears. The wider ’85 toebox is a reason not to go half a size up if you normally do, but I’d try it on first. At this price you don’t gamble on a size.
What it costs now
And here’s the less simple part. The release is over two and a half years back and the regular shops are largely through it. What we see on Solezilla.com are thirteen listings from twelve shops, all in euros and mostly resale. There’s no UK or US offer, so pound and dollar shoppers should add shipping and import. The lowest listing is StockX at €108, but that comes from a platform that doesn’t give a per-size price, so I wouldn’t take it as the starting point. Above it, Collect District sits at €149, Sneaker Ask at €158 and Side Kicks near €176, with the pack climbing through Klekt, Geturbrick and HYPENEEDZ to Stadium Goods and KeepItSneaker around €272-275, and Exclusivexitems and Bite Em at the top near €349-380. Between two shops in the same size the difference can run past a hundred euros.
The Hypescore sits at 81, in the ATOMIC phase; for a colourway with no collab and no story, that mostly signals it’s still actively searched and traded. So my advice is plain: settle your size first, see which shops have it, and only then compare on price. All shops sit side by side per size on the Air Jordan 1 High ’85 Black White page. And if you like the shape but find the black-and-white too bare, the other Air Jordan 1 High colourways offer plenty with an actual colour accent, often at wider availability.