Nikolas Ajagu, Kamala Harris’ nephew-in-law, pictured wearing the Dior x Air Jordan 1 High paired with a grey pant suit.
Regarded as one of the most prestigious events of the year, the Biden-Harris Inauguration marked a shift of power in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. Momentous as the occasion was, the rare sightings of two Air Jordan 1s have managed to steal quite a few headlines.
Both pairs of Air Jordan 1s were worn by individuals close to the Biden and Harris families. From the Harris side, Nikolas Ajagu, nephew-in-law of Kamala Harris, rocked a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1 Highs while Maisy Biden, Joe Biden’s granddaughter, graced the event in a pair of Air Jordan 1 Mid “Sisterhood”.
The presence of these Air Jordan 1s on such a significant day only confirms streetwear’s ascension into mainstream fashion, making it appropriate footwear for many occasions. Though many of us may never rock a pair of Air Diors in our lifetime, we can certainly learn to rock our good old Air Jordan 1s with a suit—just like Nikolas Ajagu and Maisey Biden have.
Which begs the question: how do you wear the Air Jordan 1s with a suit? Our guide will hopefully inspire some ideas on how to dress up the Air Jordan 1 with sizing tips for pairing them with a suit.
Maisey Biden was spotted wearing Air Jordan 1s as she accompanied her grandfather Joe Biden.
The Air Jordan 1 was originally designed to keep Michael Jordan planted on the court, which of course meant a lot of structured lockdown, specifically around the forefoot. When trying an Air Jordan 1, pay a lot of attention to how it feels in the forefoot area where the last lace eyelets meet a reinforced leather panel. The double layers of leather mean it won’t stretch out as much, so make sure there is ample room.
The Air Jordan 1 is also a relatively narrow-cut sneaker. For those with wider set or flat feet, check where the arch lies against the soles of your feet. If it is poking into your foot arch, consider going up half a size.
For a snug fit: Go true-to-size. If you can wear a pair of US 9 Dunks comfortably, stick to the US9 Air Jordan 1. For die-hard sneakerheads who want to prevent the toe box from creasing, you can try going half a size down, but you do this at your own peril.
For a roomier fit: Consider going up half a size, especially for those with wider set or flat feet. If you fit a US 9 Air Force 1 comfortably, go for the US 9.5 for the Air Jordan 1.
Here are five styling tips and ideas for pairing an Air Jordan 1 with a suit.
An inauguration is a time for celebration, so almost any colorway of the Air Jordan 1 would be welcomed at the event. If you were to attend a more somber or black-tie event, consider going for muted colors – like Yin Yang or Shadow Air Jordan 1s.
At the same time, when planning out your suit, make sure the colorway of your Air Jordan 1 goes well with the rest of your outfit. For instance, we wouldn’t recommend pairing the Turbo Green AJ1 with a three-piece black suit – not unless you want all eyes on your kicks.
Hype does not play into this style guide. An Air Jordan 1 Mid would look just as good as an Air Jordan 1 High if styled correctly. So, don’t invest too heavily in getting a Travis Scott or Fragment AJ1. Instead, distribute your budget evenly between your footwear and apparel.
Set aside some cash to alter your suit pants to fit your Air Jordan 1s. Ideally, your pants should cut off slightly above the ankle collar or be able to sit around it. This would prevent your pants from getting tugged or caught on the sneaker.
Suits are admired for their clean lines and proportions. Stacking your pants on the high-top sneaker would disrupt those lines and create creases that can make the fit look cheap or ill-fitted.
This bonus tip extends to all other Air Jordan silhouettes. What you want is for the silhouette of your entire suit to align with the width of the silhouette of your Air Jordan sneaker. A suit paired with an Air Jordan 1 can be a more slim fitted than one that is paired with an Air Jordan 11. Get this balance wrong and it could make your feet look disproportionately bigger or smaller.