When you see a sneaker, whether that be a collaboration or a GR, the brand that produced the pair went through countless samples before deciding on the final product. For the most die-hard sneakerheads, scouring online to find samples for the personal collection or to admire the work that went into the design is commonplace, however, we don’t often see the collaborator or brand employees showcasing the samples themselves. SoleFly, the Miami-based retailer owned by Michael Jordan’s brother-in-law, had its owner take to Instagram to share with the world samples that led to the creation of the retail version of the SoleFly x Air Jordan 13 Retro.
In the post, we see 5 alternate versions of the UNC-Esque SoleFly x Air Jordan 13 Retro that look oddly similar to the iconic “Flint” colorway. Some versions replaced the cream outsole with a gum rubber finish while others switched up the material makeup to feature all-suede, ballistic mesh, or OG construction you’d find on the first pairs of AJ 13s from the 90s. One pair that stands out amongst the pack is seen right next to the retail version which takes on a white and royal blue build and green accents featured on the outsole. This version comes with an all-leather upper which forgoes the 3M hits you’d find on many AJ 13s.
Many could argue the samples that led to the retail version of the SoleFly x Air Jordan 13 Retro are better colorways, however, we’ll just have to admire these versions from afar and these will likely never see a retail release. Peep below for a look at the various versions of the SoleFly x Air Jordan 13 Retro 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.
Image via Carlos Prieto
