Meet the 'Obsessed Ones' on Jordan Brand's Rare Air Journey
In 2005, released a highly limited dubbed . With incredibly detailed laser-etched designs on the sides, the pair represented the perfection that is achieved when an artist is obsessed with mastering their craft. Now twenty years later, Jordan are revisiting the concept but with a twist – instead of releasing a faultless final product, these ‘Rare Air’ pairs instead showcase the failures that mark the journey to excellence. To do this, they looked back into their archive for the mistakes that actually happened while the brand was growing. With wonky seams, misplaced logos and out-of-place packaging, each flaw provided opportunities for the brand to refine, rethink and obsess over the smallest details, laying the foundation for Jordan Brand’s evolution into the powerhouse it is today.
Jordan Brand’s mindset to embrace imperfection as a stepping stone to greatness is not insular, and it has inspired athletes and artists the world over to do the same in their quest for success. To commemorate this, Jordan Brand are highlighting a select group of creatives who share the belief that greatness is born from obsession and that embracing every step of your process is essential to unlocking your full potential. They’re calling them the 'Obsessed Ones'.
Everyone Has to Start Somewhere
When had the selling Japanese shoes in America, no one could have anticipated what would have unfolded over the next 60 years with . The same happened with the all-in bet the Swoosh made on a rookie called Michael Jordan. When looking at these origin stories and the battled path to success that ensued, it serves as an important reminder that everyone starts somewhere.
For Parisienne photographer and art director , her entry into photography was by chance before it escalated from being a hobby to an obsession. ‘The first time I had a camera was about five years ago,’ she tells us. ‘I came across an old film camera of my father's, a Leica M6 that had been broken since the 80s, and I decided to repair it with my savings. I started taking photos at first just occasionally and because I wanted to archive a little and document my daily life, my friends, my holidays.’
Dahmani continues, ‘I got caught up in the game and I really enjoyed it, especially the exercise of composing it and photographing people a bit unexpectedly. That's kind of what I developed my eye towards, it's really about composing an image and improvising it on the spot. It's also a way for me to express myself, to capture the moments I'm experiencing.’
It’s a similar story for another of the ‘Obsessed Ones’ DJ and producer . His simple love for music soon turned to a full-blown career in the industry once he got his hands on his first turn table in 2016. He recounts, ‘My mother had given me my first controllers and everything and I soon noticed that music really affects us all in one way or another. Now my goal is to reach people, to be able to create connections – not just on a national level, but really from an international point of view.’
French tattoo artist Baptiste (aka ) also quickly recognised the connection between hard work, creativity and community after getting his first tattoo in the studio he worked at as an apprentice. 'What really attracted me to tattooing at first was the freedom I would have in terms of creation and being able to work with people, precisely on this freedom of creation and on the designs that I wanted to be able to pass on to them,' he tells us. 'Now my work is a mixture of classical heritage and my personal touch.'
Owning the Journey
As pioneers in the sneaker and sporting industry, Jordan Brand’s early days weren’t without their mistakes. Designs and production were a work in progress that often came plagued by defects – whether that was stitching that didn’t align, logos that were placed a little too high or low, or packaging that didn’t quite hit the mark. Deep in the J-brand archives lies a whole host of slightly off-skew Jordan 1s, which serve as valuable reminders that every setback can also be a step forward.
In Dahmani’s photography, imperfection isn’t always a setback but instead an essential part of the artistic process. ‘A lot of my work revolves around the human. And humans are not perfect and so for me, an image will never be. In photography, there are no rules or dogmas to impose. So that's where I really cherish the failures. Sometimes, in the failures, there can be beautiful images – a leaking light, an unplanned blur, an unplanned body movement. You can think of it as imperfection, but I find it quite beautiful.’
For JollyBoy, it wasn't always so easy to accept the flaws. 'It took me a long time to accept imperfection in my art,' he tells us. 'Now I think it's part of the process. Doing, starting over and over again, that's how you learn and that's what makes the result authentic in the end. Even today, I'm quite hard on myself. I'm rarely happy with what I do or what I've achieved, but it's kind of my way of constantly pushing myself. I always have these moments of doubt, but I've learned to love these kinds of phases because they just help me elevate myself and move to the next level.'
Similarly, Chulo’s sets are a constant process of trial and error. ‘There's always a lot of self-questioning, especially as an artist. I analyze the crowd a lot and I always ask myself at what point I might have lost them, but I always strive to find that inner confidence to work hard to get them back. You can never really be perfect, and embracing those imperfections is important to me in this journey. It’s always work, work, work.’
In Jordan’s case, the flawed pairs have often turned out to be some of their most valuable, with die-hard sneakerheads considered lucky if they get a rare oddity on a pair. For instance, the upside-down-Swooshed ‘Shattered Backboards’ from 2018 sold for a cool $143k, while the topsy-turvy labelled ‘Bred Reimagined’ listed on eBay for $17k. These so-called mistakes have become more than just manufacturing quirks – they're now coveted symbols of authenticity, storytelling and the creative process itself. After all, what sets greatness apart isn’t the absence of mistakes, but the ability to turn them into something legendary.
Pursuing Greatness
The constant pursuit of excellence with the humility to embrace the journey along the way is what connects the obsessed ones to Jordan Brand and MJ. Chulo says, ‘What Jordan represents for me today is really that slightly wild side – he’s the American dream. He's a model of success, excellence, being the best of the best. There's a barometer of success that we all want to reach in our art. And Jordan is it. As creatives, we are also inspired by all those athletes who had the self-sacrifice to see their projects through to the end.’
JollyBoy agrees: 'Jordan is the ultimate example of surpassing oneself. It's the idea of never being satisfied, of always trying to do better and to leave a mark on your era. And that's exactly what I want to convey through JollyBoy – it's the desire to elevate your art, your style, you’re in a constant state of evolution.'
The sentiment is further strengthened by Dahmani: ‘Michael Jordan is truly the embodiment of hard work. He's a role model. He’s truly on the quest for excellence because of what he has achieved in sport and also in streetwear and sneaker culture. As a photographer and streetwear enthusiast, I see Jordan as a timeless symbol that goes beyond the simple framework of sport. I think his sneakers are timeless pieces, and I would like to achieve that with photography – to have iconic images that stand the test of time, and leave their mark on people, like Jordans.’
Obsessing the Details: The 2025 Rare Air Collection
That brings us to the current chapter in the Jordan Brand story – the reintroduction of ‘Rare Air’. While the OG 2005 version flaunted perfectly refined details, 2025’s version is more of a homage to the journey there. The Air Jordan 1s directly borrow from the elements that characterised those archival samples and dip into heritage colourways.
The first version arrives in a ‘Royal’-inspired livery Frankensteined with a ‘Neutral Grey’ collar that comes stamped with a ‘Nike Air’ branded Wings logo on its medial side. Other details include branded woven labels and a brush-off Swoosh (revealing a red one underneath), as well as a mismatched box. The second colourway channels ‘Cinnabar’ tones and features similar detailing but is presented in the more toned-down colour palette.
In addition to the AJ1s, Jordan Brand are also nodding to their ever-evolving journey with an accompanying . After the AJ2 famously missed the mark for MJ, the 3 is largely credited as being the shoe that saved Jordan Brand. Tinker Hatfield and MJ continued to sweat the details together to craft a new product capable of living up to icon status. The AJ3 ‘Rare Air’ continues the imperfect theme with mismatched grey suede panelling instead of elephant print panels, blue accents to break up an otherwise Bulls-friendly colour palette, and Nike Air heel tabs – one purposely misplaced with a backwards mirrored effect.
The latest additions to Jordan Brand’s Rare Air narrative are available to buy now, with the Air Jordan 3 following on April 19. Hit the links below to become part of the story.
Concept and Creative Direction: Sneaker Freaker @sneakerfreakermag
Photography: Fitria Tjandra @fitriatjandra
Photography Assistant: Paul Reynolds @mrpaulgreynolds
Producer: Julien Pegourier @jpeg.ourier
Co-Producer: Remy Nino Auriel @ninozy_1