Alright, so let me tell you about this little project I got myself into. I’m a big fan of sneakers, especially Jordans, and I’ve always loved the University of Michigan’s colors. You know, that maize and blue? It’s just classic.

So, back in 2015, I heard that the University of Michigan did this massive deal with the Air Jordan brand. I’m talking about a 15-year deal, worth something like $173.8 million! That’s insane, right? The brand even made an initial payment of $12 million to the university. I knew I had to get my hands on some Michigan Jordans after that.
I started looking around, checking out all the different Jordan models. I saw the Jordan 4 Retro ‘Michigan Wolverines’ PE, and those were pretty sweet. Then I stumbled upon the Jordan 1 Mid Michigan Men’s shoes, and those were nice too, but they just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. You see, I’ve always been a huge fan of the Jordan 1s. They started this whole thing with basketball shoes being cool and stylish. I mean, they’re super simple in design but everyone knows what they are when they see them.
The Hunt Begins
I kept digging, and I came across something about an Air Jordan 11 Michigan State PE. Now, that was interesting. The Jordan 11s are iconic, and to see them in a Michigan colorway? That was something special. It is a special edition just for the team or something, I thought it must be very hard to get. It got me thinking, maybe I could find something similar, but in the classic Jordan 1 style I love.
I found out that Jordan Brand uses the Michigan colors on a bunch of different shoe models. They call it a “two-tone color story.” I guess that’s just a fancy way of saying they use the maize and blue a lot, right?
Getting Creative
So, I had this idea. I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, so why not try to make it myself? I found a pair of Jordan 1s that were mostly white, and I figured I could customize them.

First, I got some special leather paint. You can’t just use any old paint on shoes, you know? I carefully painted the parts of the shoe that I wanted to be maize. It was a bit tricky, but I took my time, and it actually turned out pretty good.
- Step 1: Bought some white Jordan 1s.
- Step 2: Got some maize and blue leather paint.
- Step 3: Carefully painted the appropriate sections of the shoes.
Then I did the same thing with the blue. I wanted that classic Michigan look, so I made sure to match the colors as best as I could. I even added some miniature swooshes to give it a unique touch, and because I saw that on some other Jordan 1s I liked. Also I saw someone talked about quilted inner lining for Jordan 1. I don’t even know what that is. But it sounds cool. If I have a chance, I will try that next time.
The Final Product
It took a while, but in the end, I had my very own custom Michigan Jordan 1s. They weren’t perfect, but they were mine, and I was pretty proud of them. It just goes to show, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, sometimes you just gotta make it yourself! And man, they look pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. I’ve been wearing them around, and people keep asking me where I got them. It’s pretty cool to say I made them myself, you know?