Free The Youth and Jordan are Dropping Their Air Jordan 16 Collab Next Month

Published July 21, 2026 at 2:30 PM

Quick Facts

The silver 16 with splashes of orange on the heel and wings against a sky blue backing on the underside of the lace cover first debuted in June with a set of in-hand images
Now, the collab is ready for a retail rollout next month, complete with a gorgeous new campaign
The Free The Youth x Air Jordan 16 Retro will be released August 1, 2026 through freetheyouthxjordan.net, followed by a global release through Nike and select Jordan retailers August 15, 2026

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In the era of AI-assisted everything being shoved in our faces like slop in a pig trough, artists who make a point to avoid the computer-generated easy route immediately stand out. We were already excited for the upcoming Free The Youth x Air Jordan 16 collab, but a new handmade ad campaign immediately upped the hype.

Free The Youth’s Upcoming Jordan 16 Collab

Ghana’s Free The Youth and Jordan teamed up for the first time late last year on a friends & family exclusive Air Jordan 1 Mid, and this year, the brands are running it back on an Air Jordan 16 collab. The silver 16 with splashes of orange on the heel and wings against a sky blue backing on the underside of the lace cover first debuted in June with a set of in-hand images. Now, the collab is ready for a retail rollout next month, complete with a gorgeous new campaign.

Created by artist Ilya Chemetoff and the Free The Youth team, the campaign combines painted backgrounds and hand-crafted costumes with the collab sneakers and matching clothing capsule, including scenes of skydiving around the globe, flying with a Jordan 16 briefcase over a plaid city past a stilted sun, tight-roping while balancing buildings, and more incredible artistic accompaniment that’s been missing from the collab game lately.

Free The Youth x Air Jordan 16 Retro Release Info

The Free The Youth x Air Jordan 16 Retro will be released August 1, 2026 through freetheyouthxjordan.net, followed by a global release through Nike and select Jordan retailers August 15, 2026. Available in unisex sizing, the retail price is set at $255. For all the latest Jordan collab news and drop info, download the Sole Retriever App.