The Air Jordan XXX finally unveiled its features last Thursday. The space age themed sneaker was inspired by a photo of Michael Jordan from his1988 slam dunk contest.
According to Complex, Tinker Hatfield and Mark Smith, the designers who helped and made Jordan's visions dream come true. They said that it all started when Jordan sketched himself as Mr. Cosmos.
"I've known him for all these years and I'm still not certain that he's of this earth, he's like maybe from some other place," Hatfield said. "And I think that's how this drawing kind of started."
Reports say that the official release of the latest signature sneaker was rushed, but designers Hatfield and Smith said they were confident enough with their work. "I think it's most important to make sure that the athlete, and in this case, it is M.J., is comfortable with the direction. And he loved it," Hatfield said.
The sneaker upper features consist of the first-ever blend of Flyknit and woven performance material for an unparalleled lockdown fit. It also has jacquard construction and features an argyle pattern inspired by Jordan's jersey that he wore at the University of North Carolina.
The famous Jumpman logo is placed at the toe part; underneath is an abrasion-resistant lenticular lens - "The coolest material ever" according to Hatfield and Smith. At the back of the shoe is the XXX that looked like a basketball net.
With several midsole inventions today, Hatfield stuck with a FlightSpeed-based midsole. It will make the Zoom Air setup more responsive than the previous sneakers. The designers also didn't forget to put the "Cosmos" graphic on the front of the midsole which is the sneaker's main inspiration.
There are rumors that Russell Westbrook will debut the shoes. The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar guard is reportedly has a lifestyle signature shoe with Jordan brand. The Air Jordan XXX will officially launch on Feb. 12.
