We Found A Rare 1985 Sky Jordan 

Every sneakerhead's dream is to own a pair of 1985 OG Air Jordan 1s. But if you’re able to find a pair of OG Jordan 1 oftentimes, the condition is horrendous: that’s just what happens after almost 40 years of wear and tear. 

Finding the perfect pair can be difficult. After scouring eBay for days, Vick Almighty found his next project pair: an OG Jordan 1…although it may be a little different than what you’re picturing. 

We all know the 1985 Air Jordan 1, but have you heard of the OG Sky Jordan 1? The same year, basically the identical shoe, but the Sky Jordan was considered the youth model. You’re probably wondering what the difference is between an OG Air Jordan 1 and the Sky Jordan 1…I’m glad you asked. 

According to our resident sneaker expert, the Sky Jordan 1 has three key things that separate it from the 1985 OG Air Jordan 1. First, the tongue has the Nike branding, but not the Nike Air branding of the men’s model. Second, the wings logo says the words “Sky Jordan” instead of “Air Jordan”, and finally, the collar of the Sky Jordan 1 has a massive seam running down the back, while the OG Jordan 1 is seamless in the same area.

With Sky Jordan 1 in hand, we’ll be showing you how to restore an OG Jordan 1 without ruining its value. Collectors of these rare OG Jordans like sneakers to come as-is. All Vick will do to the sneaker is give it a proper clean.

Here’s how to restore an OG Jordan 1 from 1985:

Vick started the restoration process by removing the OG laces and insoles, which revealed some structural issues on the inside of the shoe. Part of the insole has crumbled due to old age, so Vick had to clean it with a vacuum.

We’re mere minutes into this restoration process, and things are off to a rocky start. But that’s okay; the reality of restoration work on 40-year-old shoes is that it can get a little messy!

Now we can start our deep clean of the entire shoe. Vick started cleaning the outsole and midsole with the Stiff Bristle Brush but found it more effective to switch to the Brass Bristle Brush. The stiffer profile of the brass was able to clean the tough grime off of the midsole and outsole of the ‘85 Jordan 1s. 

Let’s move on to the uppers. The only thing we need to be careful of here is the paint around the collar, which is cracking due to old age. Vick used the Soft Brush to give the leather a good scrub and then finished it with a RESHOEVN8R Sneaker Wipe to ensure every stain was removed as best as possible. 

The tongues need extra attention, so let’s take care of that now. Vick mixed Solution, a Laundry Pod, and a secret substance (more details to come soon) with hot water and scrubbed the tongues using a super fine brush. Then, he washed the tongues off under the sink and let them dry.

The process worked its magic, and Vick repeated the same process to clean the insoles but opted for the Soft RESHOEVN8R Brush rather than the super-fine brush he used for the tongues.

With the OG Sky Jordan 1 all cleaned up, we opted to leave them under the powerful UV rays of the Vick 2000 for a few days to see if we could make those whites pop even more. The shoe and insoles came out of the Vick 2000 looking pearly white. We’ll call that a success. 

Now the last thing we’re going to do is recondition the leather. 1985 Jordans are prone to cracking and peeling, so it’s essential to condition the materials with RESHOEVN8R Mink Oil. Vick applied a thick coat of Mink Oil to the shoe and then let the leather absorb it for a few hours, before wiping away the excess with a Microfiber Towel.

Collectors Piece

Vick paid $500 for this pair. What do you think he could sell them for now?

1985 Jordan Shoes in excellent condition are worth quite a bit, which is why Vick did his best to maintain the OG look and feel while ensuring the shoe was fresh and clean instead of grimy and dirty.

OG insole, laces, midsole, paint…everything about this OG Jordan 1 is still as it was when it came out in 1985. This was a fun restoration, and it was great to learn a little more about the Sky Jordan 1. 

Have you heard of Sky Jordan before? Let us know in the Youtube comments. If you decide to take on this challenge to restore an ‘85 Jordan 1, share it with us via social media.