Air Jordan 1 High 'Alaska' (2026): Inside the First Virgil Abloh Archive Drop

The Air Jordan 1 High 'Alaska' (AA3834-100) released worldwide on 3 April 2026 — the first global product release from the Virgil Abloh Archive, returning the 2018 Europe-exclusive all-white deconstructed AJ1 to the world. It's live on PUSHAS now, and every pair is authenticated by hand. The live listing shows the current price.

Some retros bring back a shoe. This one brings back an argument — about what should happen to a designer's unfinished universe after he's gone. Virgil Abloh died in November 2021, and the 'Alaska' is the first sneaker his archive has put back into the world at scale. The shoe itself barely changed. Everything around it did.

Air Jordan 1 'Alaska' at a glance

• Release: Air Jordan 1 High OG x V.A.A. 'Alaska'
• Style code: AA3834-100 (White/White)
• Released: 3 April 2026, globally, after a month of V.A.A. pop-up early access
• Origin: 1:1 return of the 2018 Europe-only pair (AQ0818-100) from Abloh's deconstructed AJ1 design language
• In the box: archive packaging, spare black/purple/blue laces, and the "MODERNISM IS NOT NEW" zine

What is the Virgil Abloh Archive — and why does it start here?

The Virgil Abloh Archive (V.A.A.) is the estate-led collection of more than 20,000 objects from the late designer's career, run by his wife Shannon Abloh. After the archive's public debut at the Grand Palais in Paris in late 2025, the 'Alaska' became its first worldwide product release. The choice is pointed: the all-white deconstructed AJ1 is the closest thing to Abloh's original thesis. By his archive's own telling, Abloh's first prototype was an off-the-shelf Air Jordan 1 he cut open with an X-Acto knife at Nike's campus, exposing the foam and writing directly on the shoe. The white pair carried that rawness; the famous 'Chicago' colourway came later. In 2018, the white version released only in Europe. For everyone else, it has been a grail seen mostly in photographs — until April.

Design details: one text change carries the weight

The 2026 pair is a faithful retro of the 2018 original: all-white deconstructed leather, a semi-detached Swoosh with exposed blue stitching, orange "Nike Air" branding on the elongated exposed-foam tongue, and "AIR" printed on the midsole. The single meaningful revision is the medial Helvetica text and zip-tie, which now read "V.A.A. for Nike" — the estate separated from Off-White after Abloh's death, so the branding that defined The Ten era is deliberately absent. It's a quiet edit with a loud implication: this is the designer's work, reissued under his own name rather than a label he no longer owns.

The packaging is half the product

Collectors who buy sealed and store flat should pay attention here: the 'Alaska' ships in new archive packaging — a slide-out box with circular cut-outs and a transparent inner case — plus extra lace sets in black, purple and blue, and a zine titled "MODERNISM IS NOT NEW" drawn from Abloh's sketches and archival material. Complete, untouched sets matter to collectors the way complete Off-White packaging always has.

How the release rolled out

Rather than a single drop date, V.A.A. ran a month of early access: "World's Fair" pop-ups across seven cities — Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo — an early release at ComplexCon Hong Kong in late March, raffles through dozens of boutiques, and then the global release on 3 April 2026. Coverage called it one of the most anticipated drops of the year, and the rollout was engineered to feel like an exhibition tour rather than a sneaker launch.

Where to buy the Air Jordan 1 'Alaska'

The Air Jordan 1 High 'Virgil Abloh Archive Alaska' is live on PUSHAS now, alongside the broader Off-White and Abloh-era collection and the full Air Jordan 1 range, including every Jordan 1 High. Authenticated by hand, global shipping from Sydney and Los Angeles — shop with confidence. If posthumous collabs are your lane, read our breakdown of the Nigel Sylvester Air Jordan 4 'Brick After Brick', or see what else is moving in Trending.

Frequently asked questions

When did the Air Jordan 1 'Alaska' release?

Globally on 3 April 2026, following a month of early access through Virgil Abloh Archive pop-ups in seven cities, boutique raffles and ComplexCon Hong Kong.

Is the 'Alaska' an Off-White shoe?

No. It retros a 2018 Off-White-era design, but the 2026 release is branded "V.A.A. for Nike" — the Virgil Abloh Archive — because Abloh's estate is no longer connected to the Off-White label.

How much does the Air Jordan 1 'Alaska' cost on PUSHAS?

Prices are set by sellers and reflect live demand. The live listing shows the current price.

What's included in the box?

The archive slide-out box with circular cut-outs, a transparent inner case, spare laces in black, purple and blue, and the "MODERNISM IS NOT NEW" zine of Abloh sketches and archival material.

How is the 2026 pair different from the 2018 original?

The design is a 1:1 retro of the Europe-only AQ0818-100. The medial Helvetica text and zip-tie now read "V.A.A. for Nike" instead of Off-White branding, and the packaging is new.

Are pairs on PUSHAS authentic?

Yes. Every pair on PUSHAS is authenticated by hand.