Jordan Horizon

With its roots from the Air Jordan line, the Jordan Horizon was a metamorphosis of the brand into sneaker lifestyle's increasing demand.

Signing a shoe deal with a global brand was kind of the thing of the 80s when basketball superstars highlight the game. This act is prevalent with spontaneous athlete endorsements that brought the A-game into the court. But not all of them have proven their self in a professional sense before acquiring a legitimate offer from a major sports brand. He was Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan was performing exceptionally well during his high school and college days. Known to be a multi-sport superstar, Michael excelled in the fields of soccer, baseball, and basketball during his high school years. Although he was somewhat short as a sophomore, he trained harder to be included in the junior varsity team the following year. That was the onset of Jordan's deep perseverance on winning.

His progress as a player did not halt there. In his college years in North Carolina, he continued to enhance his skills by scoring more than 50% of his shots and adding a handful of rebounds. After three years of college ball, he was defiantly made eligible to be drafted into the NBA subsequently.

Upon his arrival to the professional realm, Jordan has consistently been sought out by major footwear brands. As a kid, he would be loyal to his Adidas kicks, and college made him wear Converse sneakers. He was thinking of signing with Adidas as his sneaker choice for the NBA debut, but the company did not come close to what another company had offered.

Nike had a rough first quarter in 1984. They needed an immediate boost to shift the sales momentum back, and Michael Jordan was the top option in their heads. Through impressive presentations and a formidable offer of $2.5 million in 5 years, Jordan signed with Nike. The proposal included a separate sneaker line with Michael's name on it. It was branded as the Jordan.

Michael Jordan's basketball prowess, along with several controversial advertisements, helped regain Nike's losing streak from their running line depression. Suddenly Nike was the leading footwear manufacturer of basketball shoes approaching the 90s. With three championship rings on his finger, the Air Jordan subgroup of Nike continued to flourish as the years passed.

Three decades had gone before the Oregon-based company realized that the Jordan sneaker series would cater the feet of consumers that weren't even born when Michael had retired. The Airness' dynasty would be deemed irrelevant for future generations, so Nike came up with a backup plan. They conceptualized a sneaker that takes on the shape of the Air Jordan XI, but with a more lifestyle-oriented and casual flair. Alas, the Jordan Future was born in 2014.

Following the footsteps of the Future, the Jordan Horizon has released dates in the following year with almost the same polarizing views from the public. It portrays hints from the Air Jordan XIII, as seen with its shape and sole but stripping the eye-of-the-cat hologram at the heel. A portion of the public was mad with this creation stating that it was a rip-off of the original 13, but it was also equally embraced by many.

                 Famous Jordan Horizon versions

Though critical reception was shaky and some fans of the Jordan Brand were half-hearted, the Horizon continues to glorify its franchise by introducing numerous options. From austere silhouettes to avant-garde designs, the off-court high top smudges lifestyle all over the Jordan Brand franchise with contemporary flair. But the one who started it all was PSNY’s take which introduces creativity to a whole new level.

Mistaken as an Air Jordan 13 colorway, the Public School x Jordan Horizon came in a pack including a revamp of the Air Jordan 12 in a special PSNY makeover. The duo was teased on October 2015 which carried over the next year dumbfounding some of the fans with its unique look. Geometric shapes were printed all over the Horizon Premium’s upper resembling the weaves of indigenous tribes although its origin does not say so. All of this mumbo-jumbo lies on top of black mesh underlay ready for sporting to the streets.

Coming up hot in 2016 is the Jordan Horizon Black/White colorway. The January release of this coveted sneaker offers the public a taste of how the Horizon feels thus making it a GR model. Black dominates the mesh underlays of the sneaker while the white perfectly outlines the net-like accent found wrapped all over the high top. The brilliance doesn’t stop there as the sneaker’s webbing is made out of 3M detailing. Some retailers casually name the sneaker as the “Oreo” colorway.

Along with the release of the Oreo was a Grade School edition exclusive for girls. The Jordan Horizon combines Dynamic Pink, Wolf Grey, and black in a satisfactory manner where the pink tones rest on the tooling. Another silhouette flashing the pink color palette was simultaneously released alongside the Wolf Grey which exposes a black/white upper. Even though the Horizon was initially a men’s sneaker, this pack was released in GS sizes only.

The Bred colorway, an absolute staple within the walls of the Jordan Brand kitchen, would inevitably surface in the subsequent iterations of the cat-pawed-inspired sneaker. The Jordan Horizon Gym Red features the said black and red combo in a minimalist manner with the blood-color dominating the upper. Of course, the netting is painted in white to brilliantly contrast the red mesh wrap. To top that off, the laces and tongue are also covered in the same color. The black element covers up the paw-like outsole.

Though hailing from a family of white-leather bound shoes like the Air Force 1s, the Jordan Horizon has no all-white version or any case of a white upper. It can be tricky at first, but the model who showcases these kinds of colorways is the Jordan Horizon Low; a low-top revamp of the 2015 Jordan shoe. The Jordan Horizon Low comes in grey editions also specifically called Wolf Grey.

Blue is the color of the ocean that splashes even the most unexpected objects in this world. Fortunately, it dripped down and splashed the Horizon. The one being talked about here is the shoe, not the line where the sky meets the sea which Moana roots for. The Jordan Horizon flaunts its French Blue masterpiece with the same white webbing on its upper. Luxury is best exemplified by this French-named colorway as it employs a smooth leather lining. Eyelets, laces, and the midsole are also dipped in blue tints.

Approaching spring 2016, two more colorways of the high top were introduced by JB. The first one is the Jordan Horizon Green Glow which is a tribute to the upcoming St. Patty’s Day exclusively available in kid’s sizes. The rendition of the Horizon dresses the sneaker in Platinum with a hint of pastel green along its interior and soles. The next sneaker for the season is the Jordan Horizon in purple with hints of Sail and Squadron Blue. This Hyper Violet colorway was released in May 2016.