Even for a brand with a backbone in innovation, the new Air Jordan 40 from Nike‘s Jordan Brand is even more impressive than expected: Announced this week, the updated basketball kicks appear to seamlessly merge cutting-edge sneaker tech and design in one groundbreaking silhouette.
One could have guessed big things were on the way for the sportswear giant on the heels of last year’s Air Jordan XXXIX line, but the forthcoming July 12th release dials in performance innovation to another degree. The Air Jordan 40 uses a full Zoom Strobel (for maximum cushioning) paired with full-length Nike ZoomX foam (for rebound and support), a first-of-its-kind move designed to offer Jordan Brand hoopers like Paolo Banchero “unparalleled responsiveness and explosive force with every movement.”
In addition to groundbreaking tech, the sneakers draw on the impressive heritage of Air Jordan, with details (including the heel clip, eyelets and tongue) nodding to previous releases like the Air Jordan 3 and 5 models. Reflective touches and an iridescent window pair with 360-degree containment webbing, which itself nods to namesake Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships.
“This is the definitive performance basketball shoe on the market,” said Jordan Brand Chief Design Officer Jason Mayden, also nodding to Air Jordan’s role as a lifestyle sneaker,” noting the shoes sit at “the intersection of style and performance. This shoe helps you get buckets and look good while doing it. It perfectly embodies the essence of effortless versatility.”
Banchero, the former Duke and current Orlando Magic star (and the on-court face of Jordan Brand in the NBA) is excited by the prospect of putting the new kicks to the test. “I can’t wait to take the court in the Air Jordan 40 this season,” Banchero said, adding that the Air Jordan 40 is “truly a shoe built for today’s style of basketball.”
Banchero and other Jordan Brand athletes should find plenty to love in these clean basketball kicks, including a traction system set at 40-degree angles on the outsole, which Nike said should “help hoopers start and stop on a dime.”
The sneakers, priced affordably at $200, hit the market on July 12th online at Jordan Brand through Nike, with its “Classic” colorway set to debut first. Blue Suede and Dusty Rose uppers will follow on August 20th and September 20th, respectively, followed by six additional colorways to celebrate four decades of baseline-to-baseline excellence.
