J Balvin’s Latest Air Jordan Collab Is a Sun-Kissed Beauty
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Nike; Gabe Conte
J Balvin has a busy 2024 lined up. The Prince of Reggaeton in the middle of his massive Que Bueno Volver a Verte tour in stadiums across Europe. His sixth studio album is on the way, as well as an upcoming collaborative LP with Ed Sheeran. And later this week, he has a brand-new sneaker dropping designed in collaboration with Jordan Brand. The J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 “Rio” releases tomorrow, May 22, via Nike and the SNKRS app—and if the tour and the albums are even half as good as these shoes, Balvin is about to have one hell of a year.
The Colombian hitmaker and flamboyant menswear icon has now released four Air Jordan collabs, each of them with a distinctly vibrant aesthetic. His debut Jordan 1—unveiled during his Super Bowl halftime performance and released toward the end of 2020—was one of the most out-there takes on the much-iterated silhouette we’ve ever seen, featuring tie-dye canvas, a cut-out fabric upper with jagged edges, and a thick foam tongue. His spin on the underrated Jordan 2, circa 2022, took the opposite approach, with subtle sky-blue color blocking and a light cloud pattern on the heel.
This latest sneaker feels like a direct sequel to Balvin’s third collaboration with Jordan Brand: The Air Jordan 3 “Medellin Sunset,” with its orange-and-yellow heel set against clean sail-and-bone uppers, became an instant fan favorite when it dropped last September. The “Rio,” named after Balvin’s son, retains the sunset-hued heel but pairs it with a black leather exterior instead, inverting the style from day to night. Jordan Brand says the shoe is “inspired by the tranquility of a sunset viewed from the mountains of Medellin,” adding a personal touch to the design. To drive that home, the packaging also includes this quote from Balvin himself: “A sunset always reminds me, a new day full of opportunity is coming.”
Originally Appeared on GQ
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