When Jordan Brand's signature athlete Carmello Anthony was drafted by the Denver Nuggets the sneaker world knew they were in for some heat. Fresh off an NCAA Championship in his lone season with the Syracuse Orangemen the Jordan Brand wasted no time making Carmello the face of the franchise. The Nugget's light blue and white uniforms could easily play off the countless UNC colorways that already existed. One of the best iterations of that color combo came in the form of the Air Jordan 12 “Melo” during his rookie year.
Carmello’s Air Jordan 12 originally debuted as a Player Exclusive (PE) during the 2003-2004 season but then saw an actual release in 2004. The all-white leather upper accented by the University-Blue outsole that transitions all the way up to a heel tab still stands the test of time as a definition of refined simplicity. With a Jumpman logo on the tongue and sockliner in the matching pale shade of blue the shoe has just enough color to stay sleek and clean.
The Air Jordan 12 Retro "Melo" is set to release May 17th, 2025 through the Nike SNKRS app and select Jordan Brand retailers for a retail of $200. For the latest Jordan Brand release news, download our mobile app and follow us on Twitter.
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