AIR JORDAN V 'FRESH PRINCE'
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 honor 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 callout 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. A first for the “Grape” colorway since its original release in 1990.
In the end, the shoe’s design not only provides a new take on an original colorway while celebrating a TV icon, it also honors the career of one of the most influential personalities of our time in Will Smith.
