The Jordan 1 Mid Takeover

With a lack of historical value and no elite resale price premiums, one would think that the Jordan 1 Mid is another non-OG offering from Jordan Brand to sit on shelves the retail level. But this is not true. In 2020, Jordan 1 Mids have become some of the most popular shoes on StockX, and we wanted to know why. Find out what has contributed to the Jordan 1 Mid’s surge in popularity and which regions have led the way in bringing this Jordan 1 variation to the spotlight.

Jordan 1 Mids On The Rise

Jordan 1 Mids have not been known to dominate the resale market in the past. At a low retail price of $115 with massive production quantities, they are one of the most accessible product lines that Jordan Brand offers. But now, what was once easily attainable on store shelves has started a life in the secondary market and the demand is astonishing.

The chart above shows the growth of Jordan 1 Mid sales on StockX over time. Before the fall of 2018, sales were almost non-existent. Demand in the resale market was low because most of the Mid releases were still available at retail, often hitting sales racks. Then, in 2019, demand for Jordan 1 Mids started to rise, and by 2020, sales on StockX exploded. Considering the appeal of Jordan Brand’s rampant rollout of Mid colorways, the spike in demand is justified. Many Jordan 1 Mid releases in 2019 and 2020 have included two key elements: collabs and OG colorways.

Last year’s Jordan Fearless pack elevated the silhouette to a previously untouched level of cool. It delivered a series of AJ1 Mid collaborations with well-known brands and creatives across the world, sparking hype around the silhouette for what seemed like the first time. As a result, the Jordan 1 Mids included in the Fearless pack have set resale records for the silhouette. The Jordan 1 Mid Melody Ehsani averaged a resale price of over $930 in the past year, making it the most expensive Jordan 1 Mid release in history. The Maison Chateau Rouge Mid also boasted a resale average of over $360. All together, Jordan 1 Mids from the Fearless Pack averaged resale prices of $380, over $200 more than the typical Jordan 1 Mid.

The design is more coveted now than ever before. Collabs sparked the interest, and now, OG colorway references are catapulting the silhouette to best-seller status. In 2020, Jordan Brand gave a number of different Jordan 1 Mids in 2020 the OG treatment. From Banned references to Chicago color-blocking, Jordan 1 Mids have provided alternative looks at well-known colorways, while retaining key design elements that most fans love about the OGs. The representation of Jordan’s 1985 colorways in Mids has been a massive hit. The Jordan 1 Mid Chicago Toe was the third best-selling Jordan in all of 2020, and the fifth best-selling sneaker overall.

There could be an argument that the increase in sales volume for the Jordan 1 Mid is due to the copious supply on the market. Most Jordan 1 Mids have unknown supply, and because they typically don’t sell out, it’s safe to assume that there are a lot made. Looking at how many Mids released in the last two years, we found that there were fewer Jordan 1 Mids released in 2020 than in 2019. In 2020, there were just over 60 Jordan 1 Mid releases compared to the near 80 releases in 2019. 

Although the number of pairs of sneakers released into the market will likely always be a mystery, a contraction of releases does not necessarily imply a lessening of supply. In fact, it might mean that Nike has better understood what the market is looking for from this historically underutilized silhouette, thus heightening demand based on customer behavior, while increasing production numbers on the designs they do release. There’s no way to know. But what we do know proves that there are more customers interested in buying and selling Mids than ever before.

It’s clear that there is a newfound demand around Jordan 1 Mids. But it is rare that the global market picks up on hype in unison. Hype typically picks up in one region and eventually spreads. We looked into which regions adopted Mid Mania first and our discoveries led us to Europe.

International Trend Setters

While love for the Mid has been building in the US, the popularity is even stronger in Europe and the UK. In the UK, the first and second best-selling sneakers are both Jordan 1 Mids. In France, the Jordan 1 Mid is also the best-selling sneaker. In Italy and Germany, Mids rank among the top three best-sellers. Jordan 1 Mid popularity seems to stretch across the globe. But when looking back at past sales numbers, it’s clear that markets like the UK are larger and more influential than the US.

The line graph above shows the market share of Jordan 1 Mids across all US and UK Jordan sales: in other words, it shows how much of the overall Jordan market is dominated by Mids in these two countries. As you can see, Jordan 1 Mid market share in the UK has consistently outperformed the US, and the gap grew wider in 2020. 

After analyzing both trend lines, it appears that the UK’s movement in sales volume forecasts how the US market will perform. For example, the UK noticed a dip in sales volume in July of 2019, but it wasn’t until two months later that the US noticed a dip. Similarly, in the UK, Mid Mania peaked in June 2020: in that month, 50% of all Jordan sales in the UK were Jordan 1 Mids. The US didn’t reach its peak until nearly five months later, in mid-November. While the precise reasons may be unclear, it appears that the UK Mid market tends to lead while the US tends to follow.

The Jordan 1 Mid inhabits an unusual space in the resale market. Its presence and demand has grown exponentially, but compared to Jordan 1 Highs, its resale prices are still affordable. By integrating OG colorways and collabs into the line, Jordan 1 Mids are now a viable substitute for those who want Jordan 1 style without creasing their wallet.