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First Look At The Air Jordan 36

Although Michael Jordan’s signature sneaker line has become synonymous with street style, its focus continues to be performance basketball. The last handful of models had received a noticeable amount of mixed reviews, but the Air Jordan 34 was widely-lauded for its fit and responsiveness. Its direct successor has panned out to be more of an evolution than revolution, but the forthcoming Air Jordan 36 may take on the latter approach, as a first-look by Isatou “Satou” Sabally suggests it’s picked up a few design updates.

Seemingly on the set of marketing campaign for the shoe, the German-American professional hooper shared a brief look at a new shoe from her Brand Jordan family. Clad in a wine-like shade of burgundy, the (potential) latest Air Jordan is reminiscent of the current Air Jordan 35 in shape and silhouette. Screengrabs of Sabally’s Twitter video don’t deliver a high-definition look at the shoe’s materials, but it displays the shoe as sharing cues with previous Air Jordan sneakers worn by Russell Westbrook; furthermore, no “NIKE AIR” appears at the heel. The model’s most distinct features arrive via the sole unit, which boasts a decoupled white midsole accented by a wavy, 1990s-appropriate magenta stripe. This area also reveals the latest iteration of the Eclipse Plate (likely the 3.0), a support system that’s allowed for lightweight, but durable and responsive support. Traction patterns aren’t depicted in the potential first look, but the Air Jordan 5-inspired model’s possible launch colorway indulges in a vibrant orange tone across the outsole.

Keep it locked here for more release details on what might very well be the Jordan 36, and anticipate a Nike.com launch around the same time the 2021-2022 NBA season begins.

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The Futuristic Air Jordan 33 Gets a "Utility Blackout" Makeover to Close out November

The laceless Air Jordan 33 will soon hit shelves in a brand new “Utility Blackout” colorway to follow up last month’s “Tech Pack” iteration. Its translucent outsole unit supports a monochromatic upper that subtly welcomes an elephant print on its heel area. The sneaker’s pull cord matches the rest of the upper in black with its release cable adding a few drops of yellow for some contrast. To close things out, the ”Utility Blackout” edition is topped off with a Jumpman logo on the exposed tongue and a throwback Nike Air stamp on the heel.

The Air Jordan 33 “Utility Blackout” hits shelves on November 29 for $175 USD at select Jordan Brand retailers and Nike SNKRS. For those who gravitate towards JB’s older models, the Air Jordan 10 “Orlando” is set to hit shelves in December.

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The ‘Donda’ Air Jordan 6 and the Real Story Behind Kanye West’s Most Elusive Sneaker

The sneaker was not meant for public consumption. It was not a marketing project or a commercial release. It was not a collaboration, but a token of condolence made just for Kanye West. Fittingly, it has been elusive since it was designed in 2007 and produced in 2008, a true rarity that has not been spoiled by endless social media reposts.

“We really wanted to just send an honest expression of compassion towards him,” says Jason Mayden, the former Jordan Brand designer who created the shoe. In his time at the company Mayden worked on product for athletes like Carmelo Anthony and Derek Jeter, but this was something entirely different. “It wasn’t something for clout chasing, it wasn’t something that was supposed to ever be seen.”

In West’s long, twisting sneaker catalog, there are few entries as rare and enigmatic as the “Donda” version of the Air Jordan 6. The shoe was made in memory of his mother, Dr. Donda West, who died in November 2007. Her name, along with lyrics from the Kanye West song “Roses,” appears on the sockliner. The upper is decorated with lasered roses. The Jordan 6 model was a favorite of West’s in that era.

“I personally didn’t want a pair because I didn’t wanna keep anything like that in my collection, because it was something special and meaningful for him,” he says. “It wasn’t a typical release or a typical quickstrike or a typical collab.”

At least one set made it out beyond the tight group that they were intended for. A collector based in London acquired the pair of the “Donda” Air Jordan 6s shown here around two years ago. He is hesitant to share too many details about them and asked that his name be withheld from this piece.

How much did he pay for the shoes?

“A lot,” the collector says. “I signed an NDA to not give the exact number. It’s a lot of money.”

He won’t disclose who he got them from either, although he says the previous owner claims to have obtained them from someone connected to West’s inner circle. The shoes are tucked away, held in an environment engineered for their preservation.

“It’s stored securely,” he ensures. “Temperature, moisture-proof and all that kind of stuff. Especially on a pair like this, you just want to make sure it doesn’t deteriorate.”

His collection includes other samples, including a Nike Air Yeezy that never released. The plan is to start sharing them via Culture Curation, his new Instagram page dedicated to rare shoes and the stories behind them. The collector’s pair of the “Donda” Air Jordan 6 is a size 12, which is West’s own size. Because the shoe is so unique, one can’t really confirm its authenticity by comparison to other examples, but the he says he did his due diligence before buying it. Mayden believes the pair is legitimate, but it differs slightly from the ones that were sent out.

“The shoe appears to be an authentic sample but not the final product,” he explains. “We didn’t do molding on the tongue portion. It was just clean with the embroidery of the rose from what I remember.”

The designer is one of a small group of people who worked on the shoe—longtime Jordan entertainment marketing lead Reggie Saunders was also involved, as was Gentry Humphrey, a Nike exec whose tenure at the company includes stints at Jordan Brand. Mayden says that trio alone was involved in the sneaker, adding that Michael Jordan himself did have to sign off on it. Jordan Brand has never worked with West on a sneaker, although they were sending him free shoes at the time.

West has maintained an affinity for Jordans despite being aligned with Adidas, the principle rival of Jordan Brand’s parent company, Nike. Given his long-term deal with Adidas though, where his Yeezy Boost sneakers helped make him a billionaire, a more official Air Jordan sneaker by Kanye West in the future is extremely unlikely.

The European collector has no plans to sell the “Donda” sneaker, but it’s hard not to wonder what such an impossibly scarce shoe could go for on the secondary market given the recent string of mammoth sneaker sales at auction houses. In April, Sotheby’s sold a sample pair of Kanye West’s Nike Air Yeezy signature shoes for $1.8 million.

“If anyone is willing to offer that kind of money, I’ll probably consider it,” says the owner of this “Donda” Air Jordan 6 pair, laughing. “Otherwise I’ll hold onto it, because I know once I sell it I won’t get it back.”

Their meaning and their place in history is not lost on the collector. The meaning runs even deeper for Mayden who, like West, hails from Chicago. Many of his childhood memories take place at Chicago State University, where his father studied and the late Dr. West taught.

Mayden is still surprised to see the shoes, which were meant to serve as a private gesture for a grieving man, surface online. His wish now is that some of that original purpose is fulfilled by their current owner.

“Hopefully that person treats it the way it should be treated,” Mayden says, “because it is an artifact of compassion, it’s not an artifact of clout.”

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Nike’s Air Jordan 1 Trademark Challenged in New Filing

When news broke last week that Nike had secured a trademark for its iconic Air Jordan 1, a sneaker from 1985 that the brand regularly releases in retro form, it was viewed by many as a death knell for the wave of bootlegs borrowing the shoe’s silhouette. But a petition to the United States Patent and Trademark Office submitted on Sunday shows that designers seeking to make their own Jordan-esque sneakers are not necessarily going down without a fight.

In the filing, New York City-based Robert Lopez accuses Nike of fraud, saying that it submitted false statements to the USPTO and that its trademark for the Jordan 1 that was granted on June 1 was hence “improperly issued.” Lopez is the founder of RGL Consulting Group, a firm that, per its website, has “assisted independent brands and small business owners in successfully enforcing their brand ownership rights against corporate giants.”

The trademark Nike secured this month protects the overall composition of the Air Jordan 1, along with the Air Jordan 1 Low and Air Jordan 1 Low SE variations, under trade dress, which pertains specifically to the physical appearance of a product. It arrives amid a trend of smaller designers releasing their own versions of the Air Jordan 1 that essentially copy the model but replace its Nike and Jordan Brand imagery and wordmarks with new logos. Crucially, Nike’s new trademark can help the company defend its intellectual property and go after similar shoes even if they do not use its logos.

The trade dress for Nike’s Dunk sneaker, a style similar to the Air Jordan 1, was pivotal in the brand’s legal battle last year against independent designer Warren Lotas, who sold Dunk lookalikes.

Lopez argues that the rendering of the shoe Nike entered in for its trademark, which lacks the Swoosh that cuts across the upper of the Air Jordan 1, is not a version of the sneaker the brand has ever sold and thus should be canceled. Nike’s Dunk trade dress rendering also does not feature a Swoosh, despite most Dunks having a prominent Swoosh. This did not render it unenforceable—Nike eventually reached a settlement with Lotas, who was forced to change his designs.

While the vast majority of legit Jordan 1s do feature a prominent Swoosh on their upper, Nike subsidiary Jordan Brand has in fact occasionally removed the symbol from retail offerings. The Jordan 1 High released in collaboration with artist Dave White in 2012 did not have a Swoosh, nor did the “NS” series of Jordan 1 Lows from 2016.

Lopez in his petition frames Nike’s actions as overreaching and detrimental to designers who do not possess the clout or financial backing of the sportswear behemoth.

“Nike, Inc. is attempting to secure an IP portfolio of unregistrable or improperly registered marks so that it can implement its enforcement actions against small and independent clothing store owners to gain a strong hold and monopoly over the sneaker and apparel industry markets,” the filing reads.

Lopez, who goes by TradeMarkRob®, is described in the petition as an apparel industry entrepreneur who worked at a New York City intellectual property law firm for over a decade. According to the petition for cancellation, he is developing his own shoe that will be sold at his store. He writes that the Jordan 1 patent “places a cloud on” his right to make his own shoe that may incorporate some elements of the recognizable Nike silhouette.

Lopez’s website is currently promoting (among other things) a book release for 2021. On the cover of what appears to be a mockup for the book is the text “how to acquire wealth and get rich.”

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THE AIR JORDAN 1 HIGH OG "BUBBLEGUM" GETS A RELEASE DATE

Images of the highly anticipated Air Jordan 1 High “Atmosphere,” also known as the “Bubblegum,” first began to circulate back in July, with on-foot images surfacing later in August. The women’s exclusive sneaker comes in a combination of smooth and patent leathers, with “Atmosphere” pink at the collar, toe box, heel and outsole. Navy blue covers the rest of the model, appearing on the toe cap, Swoosh, tongue, eyestays and lining.

The AJ1 “Bubblegum” releases December 22. It joins other Jumpman December drops including the Air Jordan 1 High “Patent,” Air Jordan 11 “Cool Grey” and the Air Jordan 1 High “Hand Crafted.” Look out for the aforementioned sneakers on the SNKRS app and at select Jordan retailers.

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Check Out New Images of The Air Jordan 8 Rui Hachimura

Name Air Jordan 8 Rui Hachimura Colorway Twine/Gym Red-Black-Sesame Release Date March 24, 2022 Style Code DO2496-700

Rui Hachimura has had some trouble staying healthy during his young NBA career but Jordan Brand sees something special in him, so special that he’ll be getting his own PE retro with the Air Jordan 8 Rui Hachimura. Covered in earth tones throughout, this appealing colorway of the Air Jordan 8 takes on an official color scheme of Twine/Gym Red-Black-Sesame as the sneaker features a wheat suede construction on the upper with twine detailing on the overlays. For contrast we see the addition of black and red on the inner liner, eyelets, and the rubber outsole. Unique touches include Rui’s logo on the tongues and a unique box that the sneakers come housed in. The latest reports have the Rui Hachimura x Air Jordan 8 releasing on March 24th for a price tag of $225. You adding these to the collection?

For a complete guide including official photos, release dates, pricing and where to buy, visit: Air Jordan 8 Rui Hachimura.