BEHIND THE DESIGN

You can't talk about the Fresh Prince without talking about his Jordans. He was fresh, he was fly and he definitely had a way of creating a look of his own with his footwear. Wearing Air Jordan icons during his on-screen come-up, Will Smith's youthful style helped further cement the Air Jordan line's place in pop culture. Now in 2018, his own unique touch on the original Air Jordan V becomes a footwear reality.

When it came time to celebrate the Fresh Prince, the design team initially began their work with iterations directly inspired by Will's youthful wardrobe. Other iterations include a gold-based version in honour of his upcoming 50th birthday on September 25th, to align with the shoe's retail release.

Ultimately, Will's style was celebrated in more of a subtle fashion with unique details throughout the shoe. These include a call-out to his hometown with "West Philadelphia" embossed on the tongue, and a moc design that recreates the unlaced styling he made famous on TV screens across the globe.

Inside, the sockliner goes full Fresh Prince with a striped graphic that is reminiscent of yet another vibrant T-shirt in his wardrobe. The Air Jordan V's original look and feel comes through with classic Nike Air branding on the heel and outsole. This is a first for the 'Grape' colourway since its original release in 1990.

In the end, the shoe's design not only provides a new take on an original colourway while celebrating a TV icon, it also honours the career of one of the most influential personalities of our time in Will Smith.