Nikolas Ajagu’s Dior X Air Jordan 1s are the most famous trainers on the internet right now. The world wide web was inundated with show-stealing moments as coverage of the presidential inauguration unfolded – Bernie Sanders’s mittens, Ella Emhoff’s Miu Miu coat, and Amanda Gorman’s rousing poem (and cherry-red Prada headband) among them. But there was another head-turning fashion moment from an unexpected source, and it wasn’t only the hypebeasts who noticed.
MANDEL NGAN
Meena Harris – the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris – arrived at the ceremony with her husband Nikolas Ajagu and their two daughters Amara and Leela, who were dressed in faux fur jackets that nodded to a look worn by the new VP herself as a child. Generating the most chat, though, was Ajagu’s footwear: a rare pair of Air Jordan 1s courtesy of chaussure Dior’s highly-coveted collaboration with Nike.
Said Air Jordans were first spotted by eagle-eyed viewers as Nikolas appeared on the steps during Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar’s speech on 20 January, footage that prompted a social media rush to confirm the sighting. Journalist and streetwear icon Bobby Hundreds eventually tweeted Meena directly: “is Nik wearing the Dior 1s?”, to which she replied: “Yes smh”.
The inauguration isn’t the first time Dior Air Jordan 1s have made history. At the time of their release last summer, when Michael Jordan was dominating screens via Netflix’s monster hit The Last Dance, it was announced that the high-top version would retail at $1,900 – the most expensive Air Jordans of all time. Nikolas was one of the (very) lucky few to get their hands on Kim Jones’s – artistic director of Dior Men’s – sleek take on the classic sneaker, which boasts an understated grey and cream leather upper, hand-painted edging, a light blue sole, monogrammed swoosh tick and a reimagined “Air Dior” winged logo. The resale value is currently upwards of £10,000.
Ajagu wasn’t the only attendee to swap out court shoes for trainers to celebrate the new Biden-Harris administration. Maisy Biden, the 46th President’s 20-year-old granddaughter, sported a button-up navy coat, tailored trousers and Air Jordan 1 Mid “Sisterhood” sneakers.
Purple may have been the colour of the day, but it’s safe to say Air Jordans will forever be remembered as the shoe of the 2021 inauguration.
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