Sashiko Gals Create One-of-One Air Jordan 1
The Japanese women's cooperative built a custom Colette-branded sneaker with multicolor denim patches for Colette founder Sarah Andelman.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Women’s Clothing
Sashiko Gals, a cooperative of 15 women aged 40 to 90 based in Japan, created a one-of-one custom Sashiko Gals x Colette x Air Jordan 1 for Sarah Andelman. The shoe features multicolor denim patches applied asymmetrically across both shoes.
Why it matters
The project shows how a group formed to aid recovery after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake has grown into a fashion label with collaborations spanning sneaker and apparel brands. It also highlights the crossover between craft-based textile work and high-profile footwear customization.
The cooperative has worked with New Era, New Balance, and CP Company, and previously made a one-of-one Vomero Plus for then-Apple CEO Tim Cook. The shoe itself is a single custom pair, with the Colette logos and 2017 date on the heel left unaltered.
The players
Sashiko Gals
A cooperative of 15 women aged 40 to 90 based in Japan that began in response to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and has since become a fashion label.
Sarah Andelman
The founder and creative director of the Paris retailer Colette and the daughter of its namesake, Colette Roussaux.
The details
The custom Air Jordan 1 uses denim patches of several colors laid over much of the shoe's original surface, with exposed stitching running in right angles along the base. The Colette branding on the heel is kept intact, while the patchwork differs between the left and right shoe.
Timeline
2011: Sashiko Gals formed to help recovery from the Tohoku earthquake
2017: Colette logos and year appear on the shoe's heel
2024: The group reconvened as a fashion label
Late 2025: The Vomero Plus made for Tim Cook was featured on the front page
Culture Shift
The collaboration reflects a broader pattern in which sneaker culture absorbs handcraft traditions such as sashiko stitching and boro-style denim repair. The Sashiko Gals' path from relief work after the Tohoku earthquake to fashion collaborations with New Era, New Balance, and CP Company illustrates that shift.
Readers interested in this kind of custom work should note that the shoe is a single one-of-one pair, so it is not available for purchase. The broader lesson for everyday style is that denim patchwork and visible stitching can be used to personalize existing footwear.
The takeaway
Visible repair and patchwork techniques, long used in Japanese textile traditions, can be applied to personalize everyday clothing and shoes. Consider using denim scraps or contrasting thread to refresh a worn pair rather than replacing it.
Further reading
For more on everyday style trends, see Women's Clothing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sneaker News.
