Now that J Balvin has gone right down the line of Jordan collaborations with a 1, 2, and 3 (in that order) you have to wonder where it goes next. Will he run the entire gauntlet and eventually put out a Jordan 37 sometime around the year 2055? Will it stop once he hits 5 or 6? Since we can’t predict the future let's take a look at some of the fun- shoes this collaboration has brought us to date.
It all started at Super Bowl LIV in 2020 when J Balvin popped up to drop a few bars with J-Lo and Shakira. When he took the stage he debuted the Nike Air Jordan 1 Coloroes Y Vibres and etched his name on the long list of Air Jordan collaborators. The pair was fun, the tye-dyed design and custom-cut paneling really lived up to the name of the shoe. The blending of green, yellow, red, and blue coupled with his signature smiley-faced design made for one of the most lively Air Jordans in recent memory. The barely pink sole, and mismatched tongue tags, were truly a stroke of modern design genius. Bright, loud colors but impossibly well-balanced.
Nike Air Jordan 1 Coloroes Y Vibres
Though Balvin pulled up to the Superbowl laced up in the Colores Y Vibres in February of 2020 sneakerheads would have to wait a long time for their chance to touch the pair. Many wondered if they would ever actually release or if they were just some sort of PE. Then, close to a year later in December of 2020, they loaded up on the SNKRS App. Though the crepes had more of a summer-time vibe the sneaker world was very happy to take them whenever they could.
Next up for release was the J Balvin x Air Jordan 2. The release was first teased in posts that simply showed the glow-in-the-dark sole illuminating the silhouette. By the time actual images of the shoe were leaked curiosity had seriously spiked. However, many sneakerheads viewed the celestial motif as a bit of a letdown. The rip-stop-clad upper was cloaked in sky blue with cloud patterns symbolizing Balvins “Sky’s the limit” mantra. Alas, the J Balvin x Air Jordan 2 failed to live up to expectations and became another Jordan 2 on a long list of 2’s that Nike used to try and build energy behind the silhouette.
There was one bright spot in the Balvin Jordan 2 stop though. The release included a collection of apparel and also a pair of slides. The J Balvin x Jordan Super Play Slide was a fun little piece of whimsy that saved the project from being a total dud. The seafoam-colored sole and padded sky blue foot strap held down by the white strap with the Balvin smiley face was just jovial. The multi-colored stitching on the shoe was reminiscent of the Colores Y Vibres from 2020.
Fast forward to the present day, and J Balvin may have just reignited the flame of sneaker hype. When the Colombian-born reggaeton star pulled up to the Formula 1 Miami race he brought something new. Before the race, Balvin met up with sneaker-hawk DJ Khalid who spotted the unreleased sample from a mile away. The J Balvin x Jordan 3 Medellin Sunset features an off-white upper, pale grey cement print, and a hombre feature representing the color transition of a sunset seen in Balvin's hometown. The next day, he wore the shoes courtside during a Miami Heat playoff game. The day after that, he ambushed Khalid on the golf course and gifted him the only pair right off his feet.
Those few instances are all we have of the shoe right now. The lone pair was only the approved sample that is expected to be released sometime in the near future. If and when it does come out, expect collectors to go all out for this pair.
The logical next step after the 3’s would obviously be a Jordan 4 collaboration, then a 5, 6, 7, etc. Who knows if that’s the shape of the J Balvin and Nike union going forward but don’t expect to see them slow down anytime soon. As always, stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest on sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles.
Images via GOAT & @shotbyretro6
Now that J Balvin has gone right down the line of Jordan collaborations with a 1, 2, and 3 (in that order) you have to wonder where it goes next. Will he run the entire gauntlet and eventually put out a Jordan 37 sometime around the year 2055? Will it stop once he hits 5 or 6? Since we can’t predict the future let's take a look at some of the fun- shoes this collaboration has brought us to date.
It all started at Super Bowl LIV in 2020 when J Balvin popped up to drop a few bars with J-Lo and Shakira. When he took the stage he debuted the Nike Air Jordan 1 Coloroes Y Vibres and etched his name on the long list of Air Jordan collaborators. The pair was fun, the tye-dyed design and custom-cut paneling really lived up to the name of the shoe. The blending of green, yellow, red, and blue coupled with his signature smiley-faced design made for one of the most lively Air Jordans in recent memory. The barely pink sole, and mismatched tongue tags, were truly a stroke of modern design genius. Bright, loud colors but impossibly well-balanced.
Nike Air Jordan 1 Coloroes Y Vibres
Though Balvin pulled up to the Superbowl laced up in the Colores Y Vibres in February of 2020 sneakerheads would have to wait a long time for their chance to touch the pair. Many wondered if they would ever actually release or if they were just some sort of PE. Then, close to a year later in December of 2020, they loaded up on the SNKRS App. Though the crepes had more of a summer-time vibe the sneaker world was very happy to take them whenever they could.
Next up for release was the J Balvin x Air Jordan 2. The release was first teased in posts that simply showed the glow-in-the-dark sole illuminating the silhouette. By the time actual images of the shoe were leaked curiosity had seriously spiked. However, many sneakerheads viewed the celestial motif as a bit of a letdown. The rip-stop-clad upper was cloaked in sky blue with cloud patterns symbolizing Balvins “Sky’s the limit” mantra. Alas, the J Balvin x Air Jordan 2 failed to live up to expectations and became another Jordan 2 on a long list of 2’s that Nike used to try and build energy behind the silhouette.
There was one bright spot in the Balvin Jordan 2 stop though. The release included a collection of apparel and also a pair of slides. The J Balvin x Jordan Super Play Slide was a fun little piece of whimsy that saved the project from being a total dud. The seafoam-colored sole and padded sky blue foot strap held down by the white strap with the Balvin smiley face was just jovial. The multi-colored stitching on the shoe was reminiscent of the Colores Y Vibres from 2020.
Fast forward to the present day, and J Balvin may have just reignited the flame of sneaker hype. When the Colombian-born reggaeton star pulled up to the Formula 1 Miami race he brought something new. Before the race, Balvin met up with sneaker-hawk DJ Khalid who spotted the unreleased sample from a mile away. The J Balvin x Jordan 3 Medellin Sunset features an off-white upper, pale grey cement print, and a hombre feature representing the color transition of a sunset seen in Balvin's hometown. The next day, he wore the shoes courtside during a Miami Heat playoff game. The day after that, he ambushed Khalid on the golf course and gifted him the only pair right off his feet.
Those few instances are all we have of the shoe right now. The lone pair was only the approved sample that is expected to be released sometime in the near future. If and when it does come out, expect collectors to go all out for this pair.
The logical next step after the 3’s would obviously be a Jordan 4 collaboration, then a 5, 6, 7, etc. Who knows if that’s the shape of the J Balvin and Nike union going forward but don’t expect to see them slow down anytime soon. As always, stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest on sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles.
Images via GOAT & @shotbyretro6
