Jordan Brand only introduced the Air Jordan 36 today, but it already has an Olympic gold medal to its name. For this summer's Tokyo Olympics, Jayson Tatum donned the model, the newest from Michael Jordan's multi-decade-spanning trademark brand, notably during his 19-point, 7-rebound effort in USAB's gold medal game.
Tate Kuerbis, a 26-year Nike veteran, was once again selected to lead the team for this newest installment of the game sneaker. The 36 is Kuerbis' sixth consecutive Air Jordan design, and his eighth overall. The shoe develops on a platform that started with the Air Jordan 34 and this time concentrates on the idea of "light." The notion is multi-faceted, referring to both the shoe's weight and the fact that, owing to a revolutionary top technology, daylight can really flow through it.
“The idea of taking back the courts, that’s been our big sole mission over the years,” Kuerbis says. “Looking back at it, the Air Jordan 34 was really the starting point of something new for the Jordan Brand and the Air Jordan.” That model introduced Eclipse Plate, a technology that built off the brand’s existing Flight Plate tech, aiming at maximizing the effectiveness of existing Zoom Air while also removing material from the shoe’s midsole. “When we moved on to the 36 we felt like if there was one thing we could do, we could really focus on creating one of the lightest weight Air Jordans we’ve ever done before.”
This weight loss was spearheaded by Jordan Brand materials designer Jacqueline Lefferts, who introduced a jacquard leno-weave top. Lefferts has been with Jordan Brand for four years and holds a master's degree in textile design from the Royal College of Art in London. She's worn almost every performance silhouette the brand has released throughout that time.
“When you look at [the 34], it is so light looking and lightweight, so we were like, ‘How do we make material that’s lighter than that?’” she explains. “Tate and I decided in order to do that we really needed a new method of making material and a new innovation.”
The Air Jordan 36 is expected to live up to the 34 and 35, which were both praised for their performance. The most essential inspection has already been completed. Kuerbis recalls Michael Jordan's response to the new model, saying, "I gave him the shoe, and straightaway it was like he couldn't believe how light it was." “And then he started looking at the material, and I believe he was captivated by the material, the fact that you could see through it, how rich it looked, how futuristic and technological it was. I believe that was one of his favorite things to get thrilled about.”
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