Roman Reigns showed up to Monday Night Raw in a pair that stopped the sneaker world. The WWE superstar wore the V.A.A. Air Jordan 1 "Alaska" in the ring. He was there flexing his WrestleMania 42 World Heavyweight Championship win over CM Punk.
The choice of shoe couldn't have been more fitting. This marks the first global release of a work drawn from the Virgil Abloh Archive. Furthermore, the release follows a month of worldwide initiatives including V.A.A. World's Fair pop-up activations across seven cities.
Additionally, the shoe carries deep historical significance. The Air Jordan 1 was the silhouette that sparked Abloh's dream of becoming a designer, making it the first pair he reimagined for Nike during The Ten in 2017.
The shoe is built on the foundation of the original Air Jordan 1 Off-White Euro colorway, with the "Alaska" swapping Off-White branding for V.A.A. for Nike text. Moreover, each pair includes a blue zip tie and multiple lace options in black, purple and blue.
Seeing Roman Reigns wear the V.A.A. Jordan 1 in the ring is a cultural intersection few expected. Nevertheless, it made perfect sense. The Tribal Chief just won the world title. Additionally, Jordan Brand recently gifted Reigns the Air Jordan 12 "Bloodline.
This further cements his growing connection to the Jumpman brand. Roman Reigns and sneaker culture are becoming inseparable.
Roman Reigns Wears V.A.A. Air Jordan 1 "Alaska"
The V.A.A. Air Jordan 1 "Alaska" is one of the most visually striking sneakers of 2026. The upper is all-white with deconstructed leather, semi-detached panels, and a Nike Swoosh attached with exposed blue stitching.
The iconic Nike Air text appears in orange on the elongated foam tongue, and the word AIR runs across the midsole in block lettering. Light blue tints appear on the synthetic panels throughout, giving the shoe its "Alaska" nickname.
It's a shoe that feels more like an art object than a sneaker. Overall, Roman Reigns wearing it in the ring only adds to that legacy.
