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words // Nick DePaula:
In a major leadership change at the Nike World Headquarters, longtime Swoosh designer Ken Link has recently been named as the new Jordan Brand Design Director, where he’ll set seasonal initiatives and frame the design language of the brand’s performance footwear. His first full season of led products is expected to release in Summer 2017.
Since Nike launched the Jordan Brand as its own subsidiary in 1998, both the performance and lifestyle product silos have come from the same team of designers, with designers working on sneakers of all uses simultaneously. Going forward, the company has decided to split their team of designers into two separate design teams that will focus individually on performance and casual sneakers.
Link, one of the most respected personalities on campus, has been with the company for twenty years, and created several iconic basketball and football models throughout his career. He’s previously held down roles as Design Director of Nike Basketball during the mid to late 2000s, and most recently worked as a Design Director at the Nike Training and Nike Cleated categories.
“Kenzo” worked on the Zoom Kobe 1 and 2, and is most associated with his design work for LeBron James on the LeBron 2-6 and the first three Zoom Soldier models. While working on training and cleated product, he crafted the Zoom Revis, Alpha Talon, Zoom Vapor Untouchable, Lunar Trout and many, many more statement level products.
As Jordan looks to expand further into football, after recently announcing the University of Michigan will become the first Jumpman football program, you can also expect to see Link’s work showing up again on the gridiron.
Stay tuned for more information on a new design direction for future Jordan Brand products, and we’re looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the brand ahead.
above: Kobe Bryant and Ken Link at the Zoom Kobe 1’s spring 2006 launch event.
above: Ken Link’s Nike Zoom LeBron II design
