Air Jordan 1 Low Year Of The Dragon (2024) (Women’S)

Two ways to style it. Let the detailing show: black or dark denim with a clean white shirt and no ankle sock, so the eye goes straight to the shoe's graphics. Or dress around it: a midi skirt or wide trousers in a solid colour that picks up one tone from the make-up, with a fitted knit on top. It is a good gift shoe and a good festive shoe, but treat it as a dry weather pair because applied graphics do not love rain. Women's Low sizing runs narrow, so size up half if your foot is wide. Clean gently, avoid the embroidery, and store in the box away from sun so any printed colour stays true.

Seasonal and cultural releases show what Jordan Brand became after 1997, when it was set up as a standalone Nike division with its own apparel, roster and collaboration programme rather than a single signature model. By 2022 it was generating about 5.1 billion dollars for Nike, on the back of a global audience that is not primarily a basketball audience. The women's Low is where that reach shows most clearly: it is styled, gifted and collected outside any connection to the game. A zodiac themed pair is a small piece of the same expansion that took the brand to the Michigan Wolverines football programme in 2016 and Paris Saint Germain in 2018.

A leather upper cut below the ankle over a rubber cupsole, with the familiar perforated toe box, mudguard, eyestay and heel counter. What separates a Lunar New Year build from a general release is the detailing: themed embroidery, printed or textured panels, alternate lace sets and special insole or heel graphics are the usual tools, so check the tongue, heel and insole for the dragon references rather than expecting them on the main panels. Decorative stitching and applied graphics need gentler cleaning than plain leather, so use a soft brush and mild soap, work around any embroidery rather than over it, and never soak a shoe with printed detailing.