Jordan 3 Retro x J Balvin

This Jordan 3 Retro x J Balvin has been nicknamed Medellín Sunset for its use of radiant colours to replicate the striking tones seen in Balvin’s Colombian hometown during the twilight hours. Its bold design also represents the Prince of Reggaeton’s vibrant music and the lively culture surrounding it. A translucent outsole with a creamy white tinge running through it starts things off. It carries just this single colour, which covers the various different grip patterns, including the circular indentations below the forefoot and the Nike text embossed below the heel. This cloudy rubber switches to opaque polyurethane as it becomes the midsole, its off-white colouration a deeper shade of cream. In the heel, a clear window shows off the shoe’s comfortable Air cushioning, and just above this, the first display of vivid hues can be found on the heel portion of the midsole. Here, the colour shifts from deep purple through hot red and into bright Solar Flare yellow, all in one stunning gradient.

Meanwhile, the upper is made of high-quality Coconut Milk leather that comes in two main pieces – a mudguard and a larger section that reaches from the toe through the quarter and into the heel. When it reaches the back of the foot, it meets the exaggerated heel panel, which is made of a translucent material that reveals another eye-catching splash of colour. This one has a smooth gradient just like the midsole, fading from Solar Flare at the bottom into red through the centre and purple at the top. Embossed onto the upper section of this panel is a set of ridges that makes it easier to pull the shoe on, while the lower part is adorned with a different emblem on each shoe – the left has Nike Air branding, and the right Balvin’s smiley face logo, with its recognisable lightning bolt eyes.

Extending out around the collar is a piece of tan-coloured suede that disappears beneath the overlay on each side before returning to form the uppermost part of the eyestay. Three TPU eyelets emerge from this plush material either side of the tongue, before the bottom segment of the eyestay forms out of the leather quarter panel. The eyelets in this last part are Solar Flare ringlets, with another pair of them set into the front of the collar. Cream-coloured laces pass through these holes to tie up over a tongue in the same colour which has tiny perforations pressed into its lower section for added breathability. At the top, a Solar Flare Jumpman logo has been embroidered, this tone being repeated on the padded underside of the tongue.

Elsewhere, the shoe’s inner is composed of an off-white lining and a black insole with a white Jumpman stamped onto it. Just below the feet of this logo is the word “Air” in Balvin’s favoured font with a lightning flash in place of the second letter to represent the popular singer’s contribution to this design once more. Further lines of Solar Flare can be seen on the outer when looked at from above as the bright hue decorates the edges of the mudguard and the quarter panel. Completing this memorable sneaker is one of the Air Jordan 3’s most beloved features – textured elephant print overlays in the toe and heel.