Virgil Abloh Revives an Archival Icon With the Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Retro Low SP
Marking the triumphant return of a long-overlooked silhouette.
The Air Jordan 2 debuted far ahead of its time, eclipsed by the immediate and retroactive success of the Air Jordan 1 and Air Jordan 3 on either side of it. Like the AJ1 before it, however, Michael Jordan’s second signature sneaker rewrote the rules of athletic footwear for the second time in as many years.
Nike’s goal with the AJ2 was straightforward enough: to create the most exclusive sneaker with the highest quality materials. To do so, AJ1 mastermind Peter Moore reprised his role as creative lead with input from Air Force 1 designer Bruce Kilgore. Together the duo embarked on a series of experiments, first merging the AJ1’s upper with the sole of the AJ2. The two then went in a new direction entirely, creating a prototype that provides a glimpse into the silhouette’s experimental design language.
Moore and Kilgore ultimately settled on the Air Jordan 2 we know today, defined as much by its features as its omissions. New to Mike’s signature series was a speed lacing system and extended polyurethane heel counter. Absent from the shoe was Nike’s most recognizable detail: the Swoosh. But what set the sneaker apart more than anything was its construction. While the AJ1 was renowned for its durability on and off the court, the AJ2 had higher aspirations, becoming the first luxury basketball shoe through made-in-Italy construction, faux lizard skin and supple leather throughout. Limiting the model to 30 stores in 19 metropolitan areas during the first two months of release only added to the sneaker’s exclusivity.
Laced in mid and low-top versions of the AJ2 over the course of the 1986-1987 season, MJ scored a league-record 23 points in a row, became the second player after Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a single season, notched a career-best 37.1 points per game, and set an NBA record with 200 steals and 100 blocks. In short, the silhouette’s place in basketball and sneaker history was cemented.
Unlike other models in the Jordan lineup, however, the AJ2 faded into obscurity as time passed—at least compared to its familial counterparts. According to rumor, the original Air Jordan 2 molds were broken or lost, forcing Jordan Brand to slightly alter the design when it was released as a retro for the first time in 1994. 10 years later, the modified model returned for the second time, edging itself into the lexicon of sneaker culture, an evolution that has continued on and off through new and OG colorways since the mid 2000s.
And now, more than 30 years after the silhouette’s debut, Virgil Abloh brings his design vision to the archival model, all but guaranteeing the triumphant return of a long-overlooked silhouette. The Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Low SP arrives in 'White Varsity Red' and 'Black Varsity Royal' iterations, both bearing familiar Abloh motifs.
The former revisits the OG 'White/Red' colorway, pairing a white leather upper with a red heel overlay. Off-White trademarks arrive in the form of a plastic zip tie, Helvetica text on the medial side panel, and exposed foam on the collar and tongue. Michael Jordan’s signature written across a textured lizard-inspired overlay appears on the lateral side. A pre-yellowed midsole with cracked sidewalls references the crumbling commonly found on vintage sneakers.
'Black Varsity Royal' is dominated by a black leather upper with a tonal lizard-textured overlay. Contrasting royal blue accents land on the molded heel panel, midfoot piping and exposed-foam tongue, which features a Jordan Wings logo. Like the 'White Varsity Red' colorway, MJ’s signature appears across the lateral side, with Abloh’s mark arriving in the form of a plastic zip tie, Helvetica text and “SHOELACES” printing on the laces. Faux cracking on the midsole lends the shoe a distressed aesthetic, a nod to the silhouette’s unusual journey.
Releasing November 12, 2021, Abloh’s conceptual take on the Air Jordan 2 introduces an archival icon to a new generation, launching a piece of footwear history into the future.
The Off-White x Air Jordan 2 Retro Low SP 'White Varsity Red' and 'Black Varsity Royal' are available on the app and GOAT.com