Union LA has released a detailed look for their “UNC/Royal” Air Jordan 1 High OG SP sample. The pair features a lower half of the shoe in blue and a deeper Royal Blue upper. Union’s signature exposed stitching connects the halves, mirroring the brand’s established mash-up look. Bright yellow laces contrast against the blue, while an aged sail midsole completes the design. Wings branding and Jordan tags remain intact, retaining the shoe’s recognizable status despite the reworked color-blocking. This is Union’s third project blending original 1985 Air Jordan 1 colorways into a hybrid design. Since it’s still labeled a sample, there’s no confirmed release date or price attached to this specific pair. Samples like this one are honestly some of the most fun stories to cover in this space. There’s something exciting about seeing a shoe that was never meant to leave a design studio, especially from a brand like Union.
This ‘UNC/Royal’ sample follows that same blueprint, pairing two blue-based colorways instead of contrasting tones. It debuted alongside Union LA’s ‘I’m Back’ release and a separate triple collaboration with Fragment Design, keeping the brand’s Jordan 1 output moving quickly during that stretch. Samples like this one often generate plenty of buzz even without a confirmed release attached. Part of that comes down to rarity. Most collectors will never own a pair like this, so photos are often the closest anyone gets. That scarcity is exactly what makes these sightings feel special. It’s a rare, unfiltered look into the creative process behind a collaboration, long before marketing and mass production ever get involved.
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Source: HotNewHipHop
