You’ve waited for weeks now to find out what JB had in store. Here’s all the information from Nike. You can reserve your pair of the Air Jordan XXXI here. According to Heidi Burgett, retail is set at $185 and the release date is September 3.
Jordan Brand Unveils the Air Jordan XXXI
Defiance is at the heart of Michael Jordan’s success. Throughout his career, the champion faced hurdles — injury, repeated defeat, illness — and continuously soared above them to realize the unexpected. Along the way, he redefined basketball’s relationship to style, the sport’s connection to youth counter-culture and the game’s creative potential.
When Jordan’s footwear arrived during his rookie season, it shared with the world some of its namesake’s tradition-breaking bravado. A black and red colorway violated the league’s uniform policy, earning a stern letter from league officials and generating a $5,000 fine each time the player wore the shoes on court. “Around this time, if you knew anything about Nike…Nike stood on this kind of rebel behavior,” recalls Jordan Brand VP Howard “H” White, in reference to the runners and tennis players connected to the Swoosh. “This Jordan, that color of the Air Jordan I, kind of galvanized that universal scope.”
“The shoe represented that spirit that he brought to the basketball court by being so different,” adds Larry Miller, President Jordan Brand. “Michael kind of threw the rules out on how you were supposed to play the game. The shoe kind of threw the rules out on what a basketball shoe was supposed to be… People who weren’t even into basketball found out about the shoe and it became this catalyst for where we are today.”
The Air Jordan I set the tone for Jordan’s future, and his eponymous brand, transcending the court and finding favor across a broad spectrum of society, even with, as White reminds, skateboarders. “You just can’t make those stories up,” he says. “If somebody said, ‘Hey, here it is: Take the pen, take the pencil and draw it up just the way you want it,’ you probably couldn’t have drawn that up the way it came out.”
The Air Jordan XXXI represents a balance of Jordan Brand’s tradition of game-changing performance and its transcendent style: lightweight support for the world’s highest-flying athletes, including Russell Westbrook, and rich material details that exude an off-court sensibility.
The shoe’s first-of-its-kind Flyweave and leather upper incorporates a number of iconic Jordan elements, reintroducing the original Air Jordan “Wings” logo and a subtle Swoosh — not seen on a Jordan shoe since the Air Jordan I and the first time it has appeared alongside a Jumpman logo. And in its launch colorway the Air Jordan XXXI pays homage to the “banned” story.
“I think the spirit these shoes represent is a feeling of defiance. You know, you see the poster of MJ dunking with his gold chain, up in the air forever and defying gravity, wearing the Air Jordan I; you just can’t stop looking at that poster,” says Jordan Senior Designer Tate Kuerbis. “I think recreating and getting that feeling into a new game shoe is challenging, but it’s one of the things we wanted to do — instill this almost magical quality.”
Informed by Jordan himself, the Air Jordan XXXI also follows on a tradition of low-profile cushioning. “He needed to feel closer to the floor — that was his thing,” recalls White of the origin of Jordan’s desire for low-to-the-ground sole units. As such, the Air Jordan XXXI features FlightSpeed technology with full-length Zoom Air that enhances court feel, responsiveness and lateral support. “We really wanted to focus on propulsion in the forefoot, so when you’re coming down you’re engaging the FlightSpeed with the Zoom Air bag,” notes Kuerbis.
TATE KUERBIS’ DESIGN SKETCHES
“With the Air Jordan XXXI, we celebrate the risks and rewards of Michael’s career and look forward to a future of continued innovation,” says Larry Miller. “The Jordan Brand story is a testament to Michael’s enduring cultural capital and undeniable performance legacy.”
The Air Jordan XXXI “Banned” will be available globally September 3 in select retail stores and on Jordan.com. Stay tuned to @Jumpman23 on Instagram and Twitter for more information on the Air Jordan XXXI.
Source: Nike
FINALLY, A NEW AIR JORDAN PERFORMANCE SHOE WITH HEEL CUSHIONING.
Between the knit/synthetic leather upper, and the outsole, it really reminds me of the J Crossover 2. Except not nearly as good looking.
Idiot
Have to agree with you on that
I agree. Brandblack set a bar!
Looks like a Superfly to me but all the materials and full length zoom are great. The $185 (cuz the 1 released in 85) is a nice touch. I expect Eastbay to give some discounts on it soon after release like they did with the 30s.
Black & Red are classic but id like to see these in a Fragment style. Maybe even redoing the shattered backboards
I’m just happy with a price decrease. Competition changes things. And all JB/Nike stuff goes on sale two-three weeks after it drops
these will look good on he discount rack.
I like the transition from one material to the other. I don’t mess with signature Jordans anymore like that but these might call me back. I sold my xx8 and xx9 lows. These might be a keeper.
I haven’t bought a JB product since the Varsity IIs from 2014 I believe.
Trust, I have really preferred the performance of the other brands lately; specifically Brand Black and Adidas. Both have provided the bang for buck in performance for sure with models that are comfortable to play in, wear casually, and are easy on the eyes.
Am I the only one who doesn’t see the wings logo? They keep bringing it up in the press release, but I can’t see it anywhere.
The wing logo is on the medial side of the shoe. There are some other images in the Web that show it very well 😉
It’s on the medial side of the shoe.
Damn im drooling. If the price point is decent these will definitely be a must cop for me.
No way in hell is it going to be a decent price point. I would guess $220.
NVM, just read the part where it said 185, not bad.
$185
Aesthetically it’s very pleasing but i definitely don’t like the co-existence of Jumpman and swoosh logos. From performance point the full length Zoom Air that comes with the Flightspeed tech it’s an upgrade from last 2 years models. Apart from that i’m also very glad about their price tag.
I agree. I do like the faded swoosh, but the jumpman seems a bit close. I’d move it to the tongue, since the seam is on the back. Or left it off altogether, but they were probably afraid people who accuse them of just remixing the I and II. Either way…these seem like money!
The brands want you to KNOW who made this shoe…
LOL!
I understand that lol. I was referring specifically to the issue wear the swoosh and jumpman seem too close, plus there’s the flyweave/leather transition there too. I’m not asking for them too remove ALL logos, just the jumpman in favor of the wings logo and swoosh. Hence, that would make it a remixed I. Or if the opted for the jumpman, maybe blend the fade even more. Problem solve. I believe most people know who make a show with a swoosh/jumpman at this point…
I agree 100%! With all that information around the web and the excessive commercial bombarding people know exactly who is making their shoes.
Yeah I like it
does this mean unlock zoom is no more?
Its actually just be renamed….
Flight Speed is basically unlocked Zoom. So this model is full length unlocked zoomed
ohhh… interesting, thanks. looking forward to how full length unlocked zoom will perform
Damn!!!! Is this unlocked?? Flighspeed and full length zoom! Fire.
These are a must cop… price 185, full length zoom and flyweave. How can it get any better. Just how I’m able to get me the red and black pair. Sounds like only select retailers and the jordan online site are the only ones to sell it
Aesthetically, this is the first Jordan in I-don’t-know-how-long that I looked at and immediately thought “Yeah, that looks good.” It seems classic. That BANNED on the sole, though, is corny as hell. Like trying-too-hard super corny.
I like the full length zoom and the price point, as well. This is priced to move units as opposed to be some unattainable unicorn of a shoe(although its still pretty expensive). Still, this is going to come down to how the zoom feels if I’m going to consider it. With the KD9 and several adidas boosts out there, this better be damn good.
The outsole is SUPER corny!! For 185 it better be the best because there are a ton of options out there
Hey Noah, even if it is THAT good, there is so much out here for less than $150. The JB 31 looks good but it took 3 years to get cushion back in the heel. This is standard on adidas, Brandblack and UA. Hell Nike put heel cushion in the Hyper rev line. I’ll wait 6-8 months when the price drops to the CLB2016 level.
Loving how everyone is digging these. I felt like Jordan Brand needed to kill it on their next signature. And I think they did
Sure they did. These are fire.
And i recall tinker saying some bs like “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” about the 30s (29.5s).
Seriously. 30s are the biggest joke of JB’s history
I wonder why jordan stopped putting up the sig models on id. The 2011 was on it but they skipped the xx8 and xx9. Xx9 ids would have been awesome.
So that everyone can be an “individual” in the same product
Seeing the 1 and the 31 side-by-side really highlights the evolution of this brand, as well as sneakers in general. This is a really dope looking shoe. Probably won’t cop, but from a sneaker culture perspective these are killer.
Eh. Were you able to watch the livestream? SO AWKWARD. It was just salesmanship — why this product deserves to be bought and why it’s so special. The product may have evolved but the brand has too and it does not look like a good evolution.
Agreed.
Yeah I never liked that about Nike but it’s basically what they’re known for. The Apple of sneakers.
What annoys me is that consumers act like these companies owe us something. Nike and JB don’t owe us a damn thing. Like the shoe? Great buy it. Don’t like it? Great don’t buy it. Just don’t act like Nike owed you something and didn’t deliver.
Funny, many “sneakerheads” think this shoe is ugly. I think it is beautiful. I am curious on how the flyweave transitions into the leather without some sort of seam. I really think these are clean and simple. I also think these will look great off court and people will sleep on these which is awesome. I do want to see better colorways. Maybe infrared 3 colorway, UNC colorway of course, and the USA colorway looks great. This could be a go to sneaker for the year performance wise and for casual wear this winter. Do you guys think this was intended to be the XXX but ran into production issues so Jordan Brand quickly revamped the XX9 to give us the XXX? I personally think this had to be the case since they released this at this time of year so soon after the XXX. Thanks as always Weartesters
The time between the XXX and XXXI seems so short, like the xxx was just unveiled. We may never know what actually happened with that whole thing but the xxx was a dud. It is clear that the brand held out for the xxxi
Lol, no. I am sick of story telling coming from Nike. As soon as I read the narrative, I smell bullshit. We all know that none of this shit is true. They fucked up, went back to the drawing board, and tried to make something relevant. If they simply said this, I’d by it, but noooooo! They have to package this shoe with hyperbole, just so the non athletic public can want this shoe. Well, I hope this shoe falls flat on its face. The presentation was no better than Donald Trump’s intro of his wife the other night, which was also some bullshit. All of this talk about “zoom air” makes me sick, because in the advertising they are still going with the bullshit that sneakers like these can make you jump higher, which is something else that actually proves that Nike no longer makes shoe for actual athletes anymore, they make them for the wannabe’s, selling a bullshit dream. I am done, no more Nike for me. At this point I think I am going for the DAD shoe now.
I agree with you — on par with Trump. All fake, no substance
It would look a lot better sans jumpman or moving the kumpman to the medial in the same fade effect as the swoosh. Woukd create more color oppurtunities and a better look imo
Looks like the AJ 1 and the Rose 4.5 had a baby.
It’s basically just a fancier Super.Fly, combined with the Jordan Alpha 1(both Team shoes).
I really love the design. I love that it look likes the 1s but with modern materials. The only thing the irks me is the Jumpman logo on the side. They could’ve just stayed with the faded Swoosh and the Wings logo on the lateral side with the Jumpman logo on the tongue. More organized that way and less cramped on the side.
Having a huge jumpman logo and the Nike swoosh in the same area of the shoe is no bueno. Looks like someone slapped on a random Jordan logo as an afterthought. Reminds me of fake jumpman patches and car decals or something. Pass.
if only they kept the 1’s outsole
I’d like to see a black to white fade. I kinda like the new tech but I’d have to wait for Nightwing’s review to decide.
I always wait for the review.
I wonder how the 31’s cushioning compares to the 28’s. I’m not a fan of the Jumpman logo being right next to the swoosh.
Branding to an extreme
Makes sense to the why the FlightSpeed is on the forefoot of the Zoom.
Performance wise wonder how the transition is from heel to forefoot since FlightSpeed is on forefoot of the Zoom( makes sense why), and heel and forefoot stick out on the traction.
To add, it’s like revised from other two models, but with a clean inspired design.
If this was intended to be an homage to the 1, they should have kept the same exact look/design/colorway of the 1, but added today’s tech (flyknit, flywire, flightspeed, zoom, etc), like the flyknit Air Force 1’s. It was corny to add the “banned”, and the jumpman logo is just one too many logo’s… a 1 with today’s tech would have been perfect!
awful. everything about the shoe is so corny. “banned” on the outsole, thats so childish. its not orginal at all. just a copy of the Jordan I which is such a cop out and lazy. and its not even the first time the Jordan I has been redone. the swoosh looks like garbage. its not even a swoosh, its part of one! either do it right or dont do it at all. if you’re going take the easy way out and remake an old design at least make it look good. so are all the Jordans from now on going to be a remake of the previous 30? next yr are we getting a horrible looking remake of the II? Jordan brand is a parody of itself. has pretty much become the least interesting and least original of all the major brands. at this point they’re pathetic
As a professor of marketing, I can tell you that (in my opinion) this is a branding nightmare for JB.
I know one thing, the “co-brandnig” design would NOT pass Mr. Knight, if he was to be asked.. The AJ XXX was a total miss, and this one actually seems like a great shoe design, tech and story wise; but branding decision, oh boy is this a stepback for JB…
Can you elaborate on what the problem will be for JB moving forward as a result or the most critical issue that you have with the co-branding here? I am genuinely interested. I love to hear from people who have a certain insight and view with marketing and business. I was confused when I first saw it too but I don’t hate it per se.
It’s branding to an extreme. The brands REALLY want you to KNOW who made this product…
Doesn’t it kinda look like the Jcrossover 3?? Like it even has a shroud..
the XXXI does not feature a removable shroud
Wouldve rather had a faded swoosh into the Wings logo and stuck the Jumpman embossed on the leather tongue. Actually going leather heel and neoprene padded tongue like the 1 wouldve been cool. Banned is really dumb. Again, the blue, black toe, or shattered backboard colors would look better. Or do an all 1 color with the front weave fade being a giant Wings logo
Thank you. Glad to see I’m not the only one, but I dunno from the back angle pic it doesn’t seem so bad. So maybe it’s just something that grows on you.
The Jordan xxx1 has a one piece upper that blends leather and Flyknit, which is an industry first. The 31 has no resemblance of the Jordan 1 apart from the wing and Nike logo. I like that Jordan Brand paid homage to its origin.
This shoe will not stay on the shelves. Smart to price at 185 if true. Competition from Adidas and UA along with sneakerheads being smart about waiting for discounts finally made Jordan/Nike wake up. The only 31s going on sale will be size 16 and 17
Almost every single Nike shoe goes on sale exactly 3-4 weeks after it launches. LeBron XIIIs were at the outlets within a month I believe.
These remind me of a generic Jordan casual shoe bound for outlets. Adidas has all my shoe money on lockdown. This will be the first time I likely won’t even consider the flagship Jordan.
Agreed. /// is doing so much more for your dollar.
How to unpin an article here?
I don’t know what this means
So Nike is comnig back 4 the 1st place again new set up, brand new shoe, the traction looks beast and heel cushion and $185 bucks please let the games begin LOL
This Black/Red color is growing on me rapidly. I don’t like any of the other colors coming out so far. This shoe completely reminds me of the Air Jordan Alpha 1 but with a knitted forefoot. I actually LOVED the AJA1 and still wear mine from time to time.