Sometimes we can overcomplicate shoes with loads of different color combinations, and sometimes it’s nice to return to a monochromatic look. This is what we did for our latest concept sneaker, where we decided to take a sneaker that was rich in details, the Air Jordan 4, and cover it entirely in shades of purple. Check out the finished concept above and read more about it below.
Our sneakers would come in a light purple leather upper, with a darker purple accenting the wings, laces, and offering a background for the light purple Jumpman branding on the tongue. Thes sole also features these colors, utilizing both shades of purple on the midsole, and pairing it with a light purple outsole. To finish it off, the netting comes in another dark shade of purple, and the crown eyelets come in a pinkish purple, with a chrome effect offering some sparkle to the model. By utilizing different shades on different parts of the shoe, our concept can accent the iconic features of the Air Jordan 4, whilst remaining exclusively purple.
We decided to cover our concept completely in purple, albeit in different shades, to give it a particularly unique look, that would stand out from other Air Jordan 4s. The closest thing we have seen to our concept was the friends and family purple Travis Scott x Air Jordan 4’s, which resell for over $25,000. But even then, that shoe still utilized black and grey highlights around the shoe, which although nice, made the shoe in our opinion much less exciting. Hence why we decided not to hold back on the purple on our concept.
Our shoe takes inspiration from the Roman empire’s use of purple as a color reserved for the emperor and banned from usage by the general public. This was done in an attempt to elevate the emperor, not just by his status but also by his looks. Similarly, our bold concept, dressed entirely in purple, would allow the wearer to stand out in a crowd of other shoes. Typically, the purple color used by the Romans would have more of a reddish tint, making it more of a maroon/burgundy color, but we chose to go with a more traditionally purple color since it is less common on shoes, and therefore would be more likely to stand out.
