In 2022, Zion Williamson and Jordan Brand transformed the Air Jordan 1 Low OG through one of the most recognizable projects associated with the New Orleans Pelicans player: the Voodoo.
Three years later, that language has returned with the Air Jordan 1 Low OG Voodoo Alternate, a new version built with raw materials, exposed stitching, flipped elements, and a palette dominated by purple, blue, black, and green.
The story of the Alternate, however, is unique: before becoming a standard 2025 Jordan release, the sneaker appeared as a sample intended for Zion Williamson, initially suggesting it was a Player Exclusive that would never reach the public.
The first Air Jordan 1 Low Voodoo from 2022
The project began in 2022, when Zion Williamson brought the Voodoo theme to the Air Jordan 1 Low.
The first version used a combination of earthy tones, beige, brown, and green through a deliberately irregular construction composed of suede, canvas, visible stitching, and raw edges.
The design is linked to New Orleans, the city where Williamson plays for the Pelicans and which holds a central position in the project's identity.
The sneaker does not seek the symmetry typical of many Jordan 1s. The panels change between the right and left shoe, the stitching appears to be applied manually, and numerous branding elements are intentionally flipped.
Additionally, a small graphic motif associated with the Voodoo theme appears on the heel, while references to Zion and the project are hidden under certain rear elements.
The Air Jordan 1 Low OG Zion Williamson Voodoo has become, over time, one of the most recognizable Jordan 1 Lows of the early 2020s.
From a sample for Zion Williamson to a public release
The story of the Voodoo Alternate begins before its commercial launch.
An alternative version of the sneaker was shown in 2023 by Kelsey Amy, a designer who has worked on Player Exclusives and projects dedicated to Jordan Brand athletes.
At that time, the shoe appeared to be a personal variant created for Zion Williamson rather than a release destined for the market.
However, the construction was practically complete: the mixed materials, exposed stitching, rope laces, inverted branding, and hidden elements that characterized the first Voodoo returned.
What changed radically is the palette.
The natural, earthy colors of 2022 were replaced by Regency Purple, Vapor Green, Black, Dark Raisin, Daybreak, and Light Silver, creating a much darker and colder version of the original concept.
The design of the Air Jordan 1 Low Voodoo Alternate
The upper mainly combines canvas and suede, with panels that change color and material across different areas of the sneaker.
The edges are not completely hidden and numerous stitches remain intentionally visible, continuing the assembled and deconstructed aesthetic of the 2022 version.
A small Swoosh appears on the front, while the main side Swoosh is applied with very prominent stitching.
The tongue also follows the collaboration’s language through the flipped Nike Air branding.
The rope laces further reinforce the raw look of the construction and create a strong contrast with a silhouette that has historically been very clean, like the Jordan 1 Low.
The removable heel and hidden details
One of the most interesting elements of the Voodoo Alternate can be found on the heel.
The classic Air Jordan Wings logo appears upside down, continuing the play on inverted branding already present on the first Voodoo.
The rear also uses a double-layered construction that allows the outer element to be lifted to reveal inscriptions dedicated to “Voodoo” and “Zion”.
The small graphic motifs associated with the first collaboration and the cross-stitching perforations in the rear area also return.
These details are important because they demonstrate that the Alternate is not simply a new colorway applied to the Jordan 1 Low: it almost entirely adopts the construction language developed for the original model.
The connection to New Orleans and the Voodoo theme
The reference to Voodoo must be addressed with some care.
The first sneaker from 2022 was linked to the culture of New Orleans, a city deeply tied to Zion Williamson's history as a Pelicans player, where Louisiana Voodoo is part of a historical and religious context much more complex than the horror-themed pop culture representations.
The sneaker utilizes this imagery primarily through its construction, graphics, and small elements that resemble assembled and stitched objects.
However, there are no sufficient statements to attribute specific meanings to every color or detail of the Voodoo Alternate, such as “rebirth,” “protection,” “connection with the divine,” or “duality.”
It is, therefore, more accurate to stick to what the design actually shows: a reinterpretation of Zion Williamson’s Voodoo concept through materials, branding, and deconstructed construction.
Voodoo 2022 vs Voodoo Alternate 2025
The two sneakers share much of the same design idea, but they look very different.
The 2022 Voodoo uses a natural palette built primarily around brown, beige, and green. The 2025 Voodoo Alternate replaces those shades with purple, blue, black, and green accents.
However, numerous common elements remain:
- mixed material construction;
- canvas and suede;
- raw edges and exposed stitching;
- rope laces;
- inverted Nike Air and Wings branding;
- hidden Voodoo and Zion details;
- deliberately asymmetrical panels.
The Alternate can, therefore, be considered a true second chapter of the project rather than just a Jordan 1 Low inspired by the first one.
When was the Air Jordan 1 Low Voodoo Alternate released?
The public release of the Air Jordan 1 Low OG Zion Williamson Voodoo Alternate took place on October 29, 2025.
The model arrived via Nike SNKRS and select Jordan retailers in adult and GS versions.
The date is particularly close to Halloween, and the sneaker's construction lends itself naturally to that period, so much so that the model has even become part of the narrative of Nike sneakers linked to Halloween aesthetics.
However, it is important not to confuse the proximity of the release with the existence of an actual “Halloween Pack”: the Voodoo Alternate remains first and foremost a project connected to Zion Williamson and the language of the previous Voodoo.
Why the Voodoo Alternate is interesting in the history of the Jordan 1 Low
The Jordan 1 has been reinterpreted in thousands of colorways, but the most interesting projects are often those that also modify the way the sneaker is built.
The Voodoo Alternate keeps the Air Jordan 1 Low silhouette perfectly recognizable, but alters the perception of it through stitching, raw panels, different materials, and intentionally flipped branding.
The fact that the model was born as a sample directly tied to Zion and only later reached the market also adds an interesting chapter to its history.
The Air Jordan 1 Low OG Voodoo Alternate now allows you to officially purchase a design that for a long time seemed destined to remain exclusive to the player.
A reinterpretation, not an invented meaning
The most interesting thing about the Voodoo Alternate is not seeking hidden meanings in every shade of purple or every stitch.
Its documented history is already unique enough.
It starts from the Voodoo project developed for Zion Williamson in 2022, appears the following year as an apparently exclusive variant for the player, and finally reaches the public in October 2025.
In the transition, it maintains practically all the elements that made the first sneaker recognizable, while completely changing the palette and visual atmosphere.
It is precisely this continuity that makes the Alternate a credible second chapter: it does not seek to replace the original Voodoo, but shows how the same language can change simply by modifying colors and material combinations.
