Barack Obama wore a rare pair of Air Jordan 1s while shooting hoops before his All The Smoke interview. He sat down with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson for the podcast appearance. Before the interview, Obama stepped onto the court in a Nike NBA quarter zip and joggers.
The sneakers came from the Air Jordan 1/29 "MTM" pack. Obama received the shoes back in 2015 during a visit to Nike's headquarters in Oregon. That trip celebrated the Air Jordan 1's 30th anniversary at the time. "MTM" stands for Michael Jordan, Tinker Hatfield, and Mark Parker.
The two shoe pack combined the Air Jordan 1 with the Air Jordan 29. Mark Parker, Tinker Hatfield, and Michael Jordan worked together on the project. Materials were swapped between the two models for the release. The Air Jordan 1 used lightweight Flyweave instead of its usual leather build. Metallic silver detailing and white accents rounded out the design.
The pack originally released in limited numbers for $700 back in June 2015. Obama has a longstanding friendship with Jordan built around basketball and golf. Wearing the pair now ties back to that same shared history.
Barack Obama's Air Jordan 1 High "MTM"
The Air Jordan 1 has moved far beyond its original role as a performance basketball shoe. Today, it functions more as an everyday staple for sneaker fans everywhere. The "MTM" pack specifically marked a deeper collaboration than most retro releases get.
Nike's own CEO took part in the design process alongside Tinker Hatfield and Michael Jordan himself. That level of involvement made the pack stand out within Jordan Brand's catalog. Resale prices for the pack still range widely today, from a few hundred dollars up to several thousand.
