Tasked with revitalizing the later-era Air Jordans — namely from the post-Chicago Bulls era up until the XX3 model — Jordan Brand has been concocting some clever schemes to reintroduce that specific era of Jumpman back to the masses. The success of the Air Jordan 17 Retro and collaborations was to be expected and the response to hybrids like the 4016, 4020, and 4023 has been a boon, but the larger challenge lies within the models that only have appeal to the older generation that was around during the initial drop.
The Air Jordans in the 15-23 range are actually a better fit for the current era of baggier pants in which loose-fitting legs drape down and drag at the heel. This leaves more emphasis on the design of the toe, and this recently leaked set of unreleased Air Jordan 18 samples proves that the Jumpman understands that direction.
The Air Jordan 18 is one of the more unique models in Air Jordan history; designed by Tate Kuerbis and hitting retail in 2003 for $175, the Air Jordan 18 was heavily inspired by Michael Jordan’s love of Italian supercars and features details commonly seen in the motorsports world. The AJ18 had a one-piece upper and was offered in either full with leather (white/red, white/royal) or full black suede (black/royal), featured a rubber heel traction seen on driving footwear, and even came with a brush for the suede pair.
Given the construction of the model, traditional color-blocking is limited. However, these samples reveal a potential direction for the Jumpman, which includes psychedelic multi-colored patterns on the upper or even flame detailing stitched and painted on. As of now, these Jordan 18s are samples and a release has not yet been confirmed, but we do get a peek into the a potential route for one of the more distinct Air Jordans in history.
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The post Unreleased Air Jordan 18 Samples Hint At A Promising Future For Later Models
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The post Unreleased Air Jordan 18 Samples Hint At A Promising Future For Later Models appeared first on Sneaker News.
