Virgil Abloh has perhaps already achieved the highest status in the sneaker and fashion world. His name and the ideas he expresses through his fashion are his unique trademark. This includes the deconstructed Nike Air Max 90, Air Force 1, Air Jordan 1, and the rest of the sneakers.

Born in Chicago, Abloh drops a big load of Off-white in just a few days in time for the NBA All-Star Weekend. At Jordan Brand, he explains how he came up with the idea and what drove him to redesign the Air Jordan 5.

The Air Jordan 5 was a very special sneaker for Virgil. The sneakers were part of the first Jumpman silhouette the designer was allowed to own in his childhood. To be more precise, it was in fact the Air Jordan 5 "Black Metallic". His parents did not understand the young Virgil back then. "To me it was like coming from a superhero," says the off-white designer. "I slept with the shoes in my room on the dresser so I could see them when I woke up."

With this background, the iteration aims at the old colourway. But, the details are quite abstract and very striking. The upper floor comes with a rather smooth leather. Virgil's version leans more on the technical track. The single inserts overlap and show distinctive seams at the edges. Typical prints on the sides and laces are part of Virgil Abloh's design language.

"You can give a child a sheet and tell him," Virgil continues. “That he should fly. Or you could give him a replica of a superhero cape. He'll think he can fly, even if it's just a piece of cloth. That's Air Jordan for me. Yeah, they're just sneakers, but MJ did something with them. If you give a kid a pair of sneakers and tell him to jump off the free-throw line, it's a superhero cape. I love that. It's all about believing."