In an announcement made on Nike's official website last Thursday, the company said the characters created by manga artist Takehiko Inoue will be featured on a new pair of Jordans, as part of the Jordan Brand x Slam Dunk collaboration.
"I have been hugely inspired by Michael Jordan’s game, as well as his attitude. It’s been a great honor to have this opportunity," Inoue was quoted on the website.
"At first, he was someone from a different planet — he could stay in the air longer than anybody else. Then I began to see him as someone who always encourages you to set a vision and challenge yourself to achieving it," he added.
The Air Jordan VI, the more expensive of the two, will sport Sakuragi's -- the main protagonist of the mentioned manga series -- jersey number on the outside heel and some iconic scenes from the manga.
The Jordan Super.Fly3 sneakers, on the other hand, will feature all-new illustrations that continue Sakuragi's story, which according to Nike, will "never be published."
"Using a legacy shoe like the iconic Air Jordan VI, as well as our latest performance model in the Jordan Super.Fly 3, served as the perfect vehicle to highlight the past and present — both in the product and the manga storyline,” said Gemo Wong, energy director for Jordan Brand.
The collection will also include a red T-shirt with Sakuragi’s player number 10 in large elephant-print numerals and a white T-shirt with a sketch of the player and a nod to his fictional high school, Shohoku.
The Slam Dunk collection was launched in select Asian markets on Saturday, to be followed by a global release on November 1.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
