Shifting from flight to foundation, the AJ39 is doubling down on the brand’s commitment to pinnacle performance.
Jordan Brand is taking its iconic flagship model to new heights with the Air Jordan 39.
To truly capture the essence of excellence, the Jumpman brought in his Airness himself to accurately uphold a level of performance that the Air Jordan line has always bestowed.
“[Michael Jordan], as the signature athlete, was very much the center of this shoe,” Joël Greenspan, Global Footwear Design Lead at Jordan Brand, said. “From concepts to the physicality of it, the performance that we needed to achieve for specific reasons, down to showing him sketches, renderings, building prototypes — every part of the way; he was very much involved.”
While Jordan has been a factor in the past signature models, his engagement on the Air Jordan 39 evoked a level of involvement that called back to his playing days.
“He has checked in on projects throughout the past, but he’s never been this involved in my recent experience,” Greenspan added.
Jordan was involved and pushed the Jordan Brand design team to expand the boundaries of the AJ39’s performance capabilities.
“His challenge to us was, first and foremost, [that the Air Jordan 39] has to be about the use on the court — it has to perform incredibly well; better than anything,” Greenspan said.
“Pinnacle performance was his statement to us — do not make any compromises,” he recalled.
Though, historically, the Air Jordan line has been focused on flight, the design team formed the AJ39 with a focus on footwork, and the ground game.
To accurately capture what the Air Jordan line signifies from a foundational standpoint, the design team focused on a move that epitomized Jordan’s game while also connecting it to the current regime of athletes.
“Our approach was to pick a move that we felt embodied the creativity and competence that he had narrowed down to one fluid move — a move that we could see that our contemporary players also doing that they learned from him,” Greenspan mentioned.
A cross-step. A change of direction.
In presenting the move, Jordan provided the design team insight on what goes on in his head and what a shoe needs to provide to perfectly execute the move time and time again.
What does it need in the underfoot in terms of cushioning? How’s the traction going to be different than traditional herringbone?
The result: a lower silhouette, a slimmer build, and responsive cushioning.
To identify the key points, the team coated a pair of Air Jordan 29s in white paint and executed the cross-step move hundreds of times, resulting in a crack pattern representing the DNA of the move.
That same pattern was ingrained into the AJ39’s final form as it inspired the shoe’s upper.
And like other Air Jordan models since the 31, the Air Jordan 39 is a nod to 30 years in the making with subtle references to its heritage. Though the Air Jordan 31 through Air Jordan 38 have had statement design cues, the AJ39’s link to the Air Jordan 9 is found in the details.
The Air Jordan 9’s signature global emblem on the heel is found on the flexible tongue of the 39 in blown-up form. Additionally, that same global emblem pattern is on the mid-foot rubber, with 39 panels to represent the Air Jordan 39.
While some of the details are focused on the past, the Air Jordan 39 is still forward-thinking as the Jumpman introduces ZoomX foam in any performance Air Jordan model.
The super foam, a staple in the Nike Running category that was introduced with Eliud Kipchoge’s Nike Zoom VaporFly 4% and now lives within the Alphafly series, delivers an 85% energy return and is coupled with full-length Zoom Air for the AJ39.
“[ZoomX] is the highest performing foam that exists,” Greenspan said. “It has the highest energy return and the lowest energy loss. It costs quite a bit, and it’s tough to resource, so we have to allocate it appropriately and only pinnacle products can get access to it at the moment, both from a price point perspective and a resource allocation perspective.”
Jordan’s request was achieved: pinnacle performance without compromising.
While Jordan aided from the performance aspect, a key Jordan Brand partner was also involved in the design of the AJ39 — A Ma Maniere‘s James Whitner.
“James Whitner was part of the ideation of the entire design,” Greenspan recalled. “[He] pulled the design team aside and mentored us.”
Thanks to his relationship with the brand and his influence in the sneaker scene, Whitner was able to lend a hand to the flagship model — an unprecedented feat for a collaborator.
“I’ve never heard of that happening before. But again, super thankful for it,” Greenspan stated.
“[Whitner] was riffing on what he sees in the store, what kids are wearing, and the next steps he felt that needed to be talked about. What are the references you’re making? How are you making them? How subtle can they be?“
As the Air Jordan 39 looks to dominate the game from the ground up, Orlando Magic forward and Jordan Brand athlete Paolo Banchero is already utilizing the Air Jordan 39 on the biggest stage as he debuted the model during the playoffs.
It’s an honor to represent the Jordan family in wearing the Air Jordan 39s for our first playoff series of my career.
MJ’s legacy is rooted in historic playoff performances, and to have the opportunity to honor that in unveiling the 39s is truly special for me.
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic forward & Jordan Brand athlete via press release
The Air Jordan 39 journey begins in July with the “Sol” colorway, French for “foundation.” Tying it back to the number 9, the Air Jordan 39 will be released in 9 colorways which also references Jordan’s number 9 jersey with Team USA as the brand will capitalize on the Paris Olympics to elevate the flagship model on the world’s biggest stage.
The Air Jordan 39 retails for $200 and will be available via Nike.com and select retailers.
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