While most athletes signed to major brands like Jordan or Nike play in the four major sports (hockey, basketball, baseball, and football), BMX star Nigel Sylvester became the first in the biking world to be signed to Jordan Brand when the two reached a deal in September 2021. However, years prior the two worked on an Air Jordan 1 collaboration that took inspiration from Sylvester’s personal pair of beat-up AJ 1s and even was gifted an exclusive “Black” version in honor of the release of his book “Nigel Sylvester: Go.” Now months after showcasing this AJ 1 PE, Nigel took to Instagram to tease an upcoming Jordan Air Ship PE SP, customed exclusively for the legend.
Originally the pair showcased by Sylvester and gifted to PJ Tucker was expected to be the exact design released to the public, however, legendary sneaker industry vet Frank Cooke stated this version will not release to the public. Although this won't be the exact construction and design that will be available to consumers, the color scheme used on both the F&F "Bike Air" and retail pairs will be identical, so expect to see some slight differences across the model. Taking a look at the "Bike Air" branded version Nigel posted, we see summit white leather take over the majority of the design with sail hits taking over the tongue and diffused blue suede landing on the Swoosh and collar overlay. Back on the heel, the aforementioned "Bike Air" embroidery replaces the standard Nike Air text while Nigel also adds mini-Swoosh embroidery to the mudguard of the model. Rounding out the design is the sail midsole paired with a diffused blue rubber outsole.
For the retail version of the model, Jordan Brand swaps out the full-grain leather used on the upper and replaces it with a cracked leather finish. Other details, like the suede eyestays, gets changed to feature the shade of diffused blue that is found on the Swoosh and collar of the upper. On the heel, Nigel's "Bike Air" branding is replaced with new text, "Every Game." Our final change comes along the mudguard that no longer features the embroidered mini Swoosh.
The Nigel Sylvester x Jordan Air Ship PE SP Bike Air F&F will remain an exclusive pair to Nigel Sylvester and his close friends/family. Check detailed images of the sneaker down below and keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Jordan Air Ship PE SP “Bike Air” (Nigel Sylvester F&F)
Images via ralphyramos
Image via Nigel Sylvester
