Year: 2001

Without a doubt one of the most important Concept Japan releases of all time, the “Linen” Air Force 1 represented the peak of the program’s surging presence in 2001. This is one of the rare pairs that is recognized globally despite its original local presence. The “Linen” Air Force 1 features a tan linen colorway on a premium leather upper, atop a white midsole, with “Atmosphere” (pastel pink) accents on the outsole and Swoosh.

The aforementioned Fieg officially brought the “Linen” colorway back in 2016 during Art Basel in Miami. In conjunction with his Kith Miami launch, Fieg released a limited number of “Linen” retros via raffle. “The Linen is my favorite shoe, period.” he told Nike in 2016, which explains why he was so passionate about finally bringing a retro version to life.

The release was a huge success and served as an inspiration for Fieg as he produced his own “Tokyo” Air Force 1 in 2020.

Year: 2001

The Jordan I was solidified in sneaker history by the time 2001 rolled around, but as the Jordan retro market began to boom, the brand kept finding creative ways to market its ubiquitous sneakers. The Jordan I was the first and only Jordan Brand model to be incorporated as part of the Concept Japan program, with the “Tokyo” colorway being the centerpiece. The metallic silver/space grey colorway first released in 2001 and was limited to just 2,001 pairs. At the time, this take on the Jordan I was reportedly the first “new” colorway for a Jordan I, outside of the original colorways that were a part of the initial Jordan Is release runs in 1985 and 1986.

A unique facet of this Japan-only Jordan I release is its size run; of the 2,001 pairs, Nike prioritized production of smaller sizes. For Western sneaker hunters, this diminished size run made finding a pair in your size far more difficult than just buying a plane ticket or finding a proxy buyer—it was like finding a needle in a haystack.

The 2020 version, which is releasing Friday, August 7, 2020 remains true to the original in nearly every way. It features the same grey nubuck upper and metallic silver accents. This time around, the inner tongue tag features a graphic with the years 2001 and 2020 stitched onto it. There is also a limited version releasing exclusively in Japan which comes with a briefcase, which mirrors the suitcase packaging paired with the original 2001 release.

In addition to the “Tokyo” colorway, Jordan Brand released three other Jordan Is that same year, only in Japan. A White/Midnight Navy colorway (3,000 pairs), a Black colorway (3,000 pairs) and a Navy/Metallic Silver/White Retro+ pair all dropped that same year in Japan in the original high-top cut. Don’t be surprised if we see one of these other pairs come back next.

Year: 2001

Before Nike SB became the end-all for skateboarding sneakerheads, Nike introduced its Pro B line of Dunks. They featured fat laces and durable materials in an effort to attract the skateboard demographic, and the Dunk’s transformation from basketball shoe to skater shoe was underway. One of the more notorious Pro B releases is what’s affectionately known as the “Ugly Duckling Pack,” which featured three distinct colorways–”Plum,” “Veneer” and “Ceramic.”

All three colorways featured bright colors and brilliant suede uppers, and all were exclusive to Japan. The “Plum” colorway was one of the first sneakers released under the Concept Japan banner, and featured a barnyard red/plum/light grey color palette. For 19 years, fans of the “Plum” Dunk were finally rewarded as Nike released a retro version in 2020. There are rumors of the “Veneer” and “Ceramic” colorways receiving proper retro releases later in 2020 as well, which would make sense given the success of the “Plum” retro.

Year: 2002

The “Viotech” Dunk was one of the first CO.JP releases to receive multiple retro versions over the ensuing decades. Originally released in 2002 in Nike’s Pro B line, the “Viotech” Dunk pulls out nearly every color of the rainbow to complete its suede upper.

It would receive its first retro release in 2013 with the only noticeable difference being the black leather tongue. For its retro encore in 2019, Nike went back to the original olive mesh tongue from the 2002 OG. This remains one of the more popular models from the CO.JP run.

Before Nike SB took the Dunk silhouette to the stratosphere in 2002 and beyond, Dunks were first popular overseas in Japan before booming here in the States. Like the “Viotech,” the “Argon” Dunk released in Japan in 2002 and helped set the tone for all the great Dunks that were to follow in the coming years.

Sporting a smooth leather upper, the “Argon” colorway features a bold and beautiful blue paneling with Flash blue overlays and white Swoosh/accents. The “Argon” Dunk really took off in Japan and was important in the Dunk’s evolution from simple basketball sneakers to pillars of a new era in sneaker culture.

Year: 1999

Inspired by the popular Japanese sci-fi hero from the 1960s, the “Ultraman” Dunks derive their name from the show’s titular character and his red and grey suit. Released in 1999 as part of the CO.JP program, the Ultraman Dunks are also a part of Nike’s City Attack series, which featured four distinct colorways and accompanying inverted versions. When the Nike Dunk—which first debuted in 1985—was relaunched in 1998, this 1999 release was ultimately produced to bring more global exposure to the Dunk revival initiative.

The “Ultraman” Dunks bear a striking resemblance to the “UNLV” red and grey Dunks from Nike’s “Be True to Your School” collection. While both sneaker colorways are commonly and colloquially referred to as "Ultraman" dunks (especially when shopping online), it's technically the gray sneaker with the gray swoosh and red accents that is the more accurate version of the "Ultraman" Dunk title—mainly because it is slightly more common than the other iteration. Regardless, both “Ultraman” pairs are extremely rare and have never seen a release here in the U.S.

Year: 2001

Another Dunk that’s expected to receive a 2020 retro release is the “Samba” colorway, appropriately named after the Pantone shade of red on the upper. Originally released in 2001 as a Concept Japan-exclusive of the Pro B line, it features a Hyper Blue leather upper, a textured Samba Red Swoosh and silver overlays.

The next year Nike trotted back out this Samba color palette once again for the Vandal Supreme in its OG colorway and materials. Originally released in 1984, people often called the Vandal Supreme “Moon Shoes” for its flashy, spacey appearance. The colorway is much subtler on the leather Dunk Low.

Year: 2001

The next three pairs of Air Force 1s listed were released as part of Nike CO.JP’s Air Force 1 B series, all of which could only be found in Japan, starting with the “Wheat” colorway.

While the “Wheat” colorway of the Air Force 1 Low could easily pass for a New York-exclusive, this was another pair you could only acquire in Japan.

Sporting the smooth, buttery tones of a Timberland work boot, the “Wheat” Air Force 1 features a tan suede upper with a tonal Swoosh, Mocha lining along the collar and a gum sole. While Japan may have been influenced by NYC on this one, those New York sneakerheads had to work overtime to get a pair of these back in 2001.

Year: 2001

Originally released as a Japanese exclusive in 2001, the “3M Snake” sports a snakeskin Swoosh front and center, complemented by a black leather upper and toe box with reflective silver 3M overlays.

There is also the “Cocoa Snake,” which was released the same year overseas. While similar in aesthetics, it features a much more snakeskin-heavy colorway, topped with a black textured Swoosh. The “Cocoa Snake” received a U.S. release in 2006, then received a limited retro release back in 2018 at ComplexCon.

Year: 2001

The “Hong Kong” Air Force 1 was another piece of the Air Force 1 B Series that tried something different. Sporting a full forest green leather upper, the “Hong Kong” Air Force 1 has a stitched hollow Swoosh, a marked change from most Air Force 1 models. It also features burgundy accents in the collar and laces for an elevated aesthetic.

Like the “Cocoa Snake,” the “Hong Kong” pair saw a retro release in 2018. The design remained true to the original and gave a new generation of Air Force 1 enthusiasts a shot at the once elusive Japanese-exclusive.

Year: 2001 & 2017

Simple yet perfect, the “Atmos” Air Force 1 remains one of the silhouette’s best colorways. Decked in a Georgetown Hoya-esque grey and blue colorway, the “Atmos” was another great pair of Air Force 1s from the early-2000s you could only get in Japan.

In 2017, atmos paid homage to that CO.JP era by releasing a “Mismatched” version of the classic Air Force 1, this time on a Dunk, which once again dropped uniquely in Japan at atmos, Nike Harajuku and NikeLab MA5. The sneakers feature an inverted colorway on each shoe, with the “CO.JP” graphic printed on the insole, releasing alongside a capsule collection of apparel featuring vintage Dunk ads.

Year: 2017

Another recent mismatched release designed to pay homage to the storied history of the Nike Dunk is this Japanese-exclusive “What The” Dunk.

Not to be confused with Nike SB’s ridiculous “What The” Dunk, this CO.JP release featured a return to the original Dunk colorways, way back when it was still a basketball shoe. Between the different mismatched color palettes on the two sneakers, the “What The” Dunk covers all six sneakers from the original “Be True to Your School” Nike Dunk collection from 1985.

A green, gold and grey colorway of the Dunk dubbed the “OnkoChishin”—available at Japan’s mita—also released alongside the “What The” and “Mismatched” colorways to round out 2017’s “Japan Pack.”