When Michael Jordan was entering the NBA, Nike gave the eventual mega-star a pair of Nike Air Ships to rock on the court prior to the debut of his first Air Jordan model, the AJ 1. Once he took the court rocking the non-conforming kicks, the league fined MJ $5,000 for every game he wore them, and The Swoosh footed the bill. This would all pay off as at the end of the day, this was a perfect marketing opportunity to push the signature Jordan line into the spotlight by spinning the story to make it seem like the iconic Air Jordan 1 “Bred” was being banned by the league. Decades later, Jordan Brand is bringing back the original Nike model with AJ 1 tooling in a variety of colors, including the Nike Air Ship “Team Orange” which has just received official imagery.
This classic 1984 design comes back to the modern day in close to OG form with an all-white leather upper coming accented by team orange hits on the collar and branding details. Starting down on the toe, the mudguard and toebox closely resemble the AJ 1 while the rest of the sneaker, from the midfoot back, gets covered in a singular piece of leather. Stitching details run vertically from the eyestays down to the sole, passing over the orange Nike Swoosh. Back on the rear of the orange leather collar, “Nike Air” is stamped in its retro font while a rectangular strip of leather runs down the spine of the heel and splits the sneaker in two. Orange on the sockliner and tongue tag complete the accenting hits on the upper while the entire design is finished off by the sole unit, which now features AJ 1 tooling, in a white/orange combo.
The Nike Air Ship Team Orange is set to release this Holiday 2022 through Nike and select Jordan Brand retailers online and in-store. Some retailers, like Trophy Room in the US and Bottega Backdoor in Italy have announced release details with each coming on different dates, indicating that the release may be spread out across different dates. Releasing in men’s sizing, the retail price is set at $150. Keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest in sneakers, streetwear, and more.
Nike Air Ship "Team Orange"
Images via Nike
