For our latest sneaker concept, we decided to take an already beloved series of Air Jordans and apply its signature orange color to the silhouette we think it would look best on, the Air Jordan 4. Inspired by Jordan’s dunk that shattered a glass backboard in a 1986 exhibition game in Italy, check out the result above and read more about our concept below.
Whilst the “Shattered Backboard” name we have given our concept might first remind you of the Air Jordan 1 Shattered Backboard, we have instead taken inspiration from the Shattered Backboard Air Jordan 5. Featuring a sail color in place of the white used on the original Shattered Backboard release, we decided that this offered a slightly more unique look for our concept, considering the number of white leather Air Jordan 4s that have already been made. Moreover, we saw it as more fitting considering it gave the sneaker a more vintage look and more closely matched the grainy, yellowish tint on the few videos we have of Michael Jordan breaking the backboard.
The sail leather base is paired with orange accents on the tongue’s lining, the wings, and the TPU heel tab, and black details are present on the netting and the rest of the shoe’s lining. The sole then features matching orange and sail colors on the midsole, and an orange outsole. To top it all off, the tag on the tongue is black with an orange Jumpman silhouette, and the crown eyelets are given a silver finish, similar to the Air Jordan 5 Shattered Backboard’s silver tongue.
Although previously looked over in the sneaker world, the color sail has seen quite a rise in popularity over the last few years, as more worn looks have become trendier. White on a shoe has often been popular as a signifier of wealth since it suggests the shoes are relatively new and that you have the financial capacity to keep a pair of shoes looking brand new. But after so many years of white being the go-to color in sneaker culture, consumers have started to consider other light colors, that offer an
alternative look. Added to the popularity of earthy tones over the last couple of years, partly as a result of their presence on recent Yeezy models, sail has started to be quite heavily utilized by manufacturers like Jordan brand. Hence why we think our concept would be perfect for 2022.
