A closer look at Anissa Meksen’s impressive collection of Air Jordans

While she is not busy sharpening her striking tools, Anissa Meksen spends a lot of time pondering on what sneakers she must add to her collection.

The 33-year-old French kickboxer is obsessed with earning herself a shot at Janet Todd’s ONE atomweight kickboxing world title, but a bigger obsession in her daily life are Air Jordans. Anissa Meksen owns close to 100 pairs of the iconic kicks created for five-time NBA MVP and six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan in 1984.

The Jordan 1 debuted at retail in America for US$65 in April 1985. The sneakers were an instant hit. By the end of that year, the franchise made more than $100 million in revenue for Nike, just from the sales of the Jordan 1. As per various reports, Nike was initially projected to sell just 100,000 pairs in its debut year.

Saying the sneakers are just another pair of basketball shoes is absolutely wrong. It became a fashion statement from the time of its initial drop right up to this very day. There have been 34 more Air Jordan models since the Jordan 1s.

Anissa Meksen rocks it daily. That includes when the multi-time world champion is at home, on her way to training sessions, out with her friends and family and even completing sessions at the gym.

Among Anissa Meksen’s most prized possessions include the Jordan 1 Chicago High – often considered the holy grail of a sneakerhead’s collection.

The OG version (1985 model) can sell for over $20,000 today, while brand new or deadstock versions of the 2015 model Anissa Meksen wears average for about $2,400 to $3,000 on various marketplaces.

Anissa Meksen rocking her Jordan 1 Chicago. [Instagram: @anissameksen]

The Jordan 1 Chicago High was a pair Michael Jordan wore from November 1984 to April 1986. It resembles the colors of the club Jordan played for, the Chicago Bulls.

In addition to that model, the ONE Super Series striker also owns a couple of grails from the Travis Scott and Jordan collaboration. Namely, the Jordan 1 low Travis Scott OG collab, which was released in July 2019, and the Jordan 1 low Fragment x Travis Scott, which hit stores in August last year.

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What is Anissa Meksen’s favourite model of Air Jordans?

Jordan 1 is the model most sneakerheads will point out as their favorites. However, as per Anissa Meksen’s Instagram profile, it seems her favorite model is not the Jordan 1s. Instead, it is the Jordan 11s, a model which so happens to be Michael Jordan’s favorite too.

The sneakers, the first basketball shoes to incorporate patent leather, is another must-have model for sneakerheads.

The black and red colorway (also known to sneakerheads as Bred) was the most iconic of the lot. Jordan wore the Jordan 11 Breds in April 1996 when the NBA legend led the Chicago Bulls to the first championship in their second three-peat during the 1990s.

Anissa Meksen's latest pickup is the Jordan 11 Cool Grey, which dropped in December 2021, to celebrate the pair’s 20th anniversary. The model was first launched in 2001 and released in another drop in 2010.