The next silhouette to come from Nigel Sylvester’s tenure as a Jordan brand athlete is finally upon us, adding another story-driven silhouette to the books with a slick, worn-in vision of the Air Jordan 1 Low OG.
The label of Sylvester’s latest Jordan project — “Better with time” — not only serves as a surface reference to the scuffs and softening that happens to sneakers after hours working the pedals of a BMX, but also speaks to a concept of “time well invested” — in other word, the story behind the scuffs and the idea that every wear, ride, and mark adds character, purpose, and authenticity to both the shoe and the rider’s journey.
Mirroring his Air Jordan 1 release from 2018, Nigel has once again brought street-savvy freestyle energy to the godfather of basketball shoes, flipping the script by working on the low-cut version of model, while keeping the all-round weathered demeanour and cult design elements such as mini-swooshes and “Bike Air” branding.
In an Instagram post, Sylvester highlighted further pre-distressing, which extends from the supple leather uppers to the sole unit and swoosh, where Nigel has omitted the usual stitched construction in favour of a raw look outlined by reflective paint.
Packaging for the release mirrors the shoe’s storytelling, with a nod to Sylvester’s BMX journey embedded in the box print and paper wrapping, reinforcing the personal sentiment behind the design.
The Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 1 Low OG “Better With Time” drops this Saturday, August 16 via Nike SNKRS. Retail price is $150 USD.
