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The Skateboarder’s Air Jordan
Nike has announced the release of its first Air Jordan designed specifically for skateboarders. In a collaboration that has been decades in the making, the Nike SB x Air Jordan I offers the skating community a unique take on its traditional basketball shoe, guided by extreme sports legends Craig Stecyk and Lance Mountain. Credited with having brought skateboarding into the mainstream, and immortalised in the 2005 film Lords of Dogtown, Stecyk and Mountain were among the first to introduce the extreme sport to the natural appeal of Nike‘s then up-and-coming Air Jordan brand. Now an artist, Stecyk has produced a design intended to highlight the simultaneous rise to power of skating culture and the former Chicago Bulls star’s iconic brand. Using tribal visuals and taking cues from his famous Northwest Passage installation, Stecyk has created a design lead by his signature graffiti style. The shoe features a green and black upper with ‘AJ One SB’ tonally scribed in the same typeface that was originally featured in the iconic skateboarding magazine Thrasher in 1982. The same inscription also shows up on the shoe’s insole. Meanwhile, designers say the production and functionality of the latest Nike offering will remain largely unchanged from the traditional Jordan line. The team claims the shoe’s features were always ideal for skateboarders to begin with. “Skating takes its toll on a shoe, but it punishes the wearer,” a spokesperson said. “The supportive ankle height and Nike Air cushioning of the Air Jordan I, the very things applied to help Jordan hit terra firma with immunity, were perfect for vert’s needs. The premium leather was [also] durable than the baked rubber, canvas and suede of other models.” A second edition of the shoe, designed by Lance Mountain, is due to be released later this year. Nike SB x Air Jordan I, designed by Craig Stecyk, will be available from March 15 at select UK retailers and Nike.com. Retail price starts at $140 (£80).
Nike SB x Air Jordan I
