The AIR JORDAN 2011 Feature From Complex's Feb/March Issue

Check out this selection from the new issue of Complex, dropping early next week.

Photography by Aliya Naumoff

Complex's February/March issue hits stands next week, featuring cover stars Seth Rogan and Jamie Chung. It also has our feature on the AIR JORDAN 2011, check out the full scan and text below. Also make sure to check out these other AIR JORDAN 2011 links:

AIR JORDAN 2011 First Releases
AIR JORDAN 2011 All Black Everything
10 Questions Answered About the AIR JORDAN 2011

The Long Interview: Tom Luedecke, Designer of AIR JORDAN 2011, Tells Us Everything About the AIR JORDAN 2011

The AIR JORDAN 2011 is Modular
The newest iteration of MJ’s iconic kick comes equipped with interchangeable midsoles that allow players to customize their support and cushioning profiles.

For the AIR JORDAN 2011, the legendary Nike and Jordan designer Tinker Hatfield wanted his team to explore the idea of modularity in a performance basketball sneaker. “Modularity” refers to designing a product with pieces to allow for flexible arrangement and use, and the AIR JORDAN 2011 can be customized to match different styles of play.
     Tom Luedecke, senior footwear designer at Jordan Brand, has eight years of Nike Innovation Kitchen experience and several successful Nike projects under his belt (Zoom Trainer 1, Hyperdunk, Kobe IV, V, and VI). So it made sense that he’d be tasked with tackling the next step in the Jordan Brand’s evolution.
     “We created a sneaker with a midsole that wasn’t just removable for the purpose of airing the shoe out, but a shoe that actually provided two distinctly different midsoles. These are two fully removable footbeds with support properties that athletes can tell the difference from underfoot—one is soft and cushioned, and the other is firmer and more responsive,” explains Luedecke.
     “With this project, we are able to service both extremes within the player spectrum with a single product,” he continues. “Quick, fast players who cut a lot want something firmer underfoot, while the bigger guys need shoes with more cushioning. If you’re going to be training for three hours, maybe you don’t want to beat up your feet, so you could use one midsole for practice and then for game day, when you’re counting on responsive cushioning, you can switch it out. This shoe allows users to tune the product to their style of play as it evolves through a game or season.”
    The AIR JORDAN 2011 isn’t the first time modularity has been applied to a performance footwear product, but never in the basketball category has the idea been so thoroughly executed. Air Jordans have featured interchangeable Zoom Air stacks in former iterations, but it wasn’t until advances in digital molding and 3-D technology that designers were able to perfect the press-fit concept (the mechanics by which all of the components in the 2011 lock together).
     The AIR JORDAN 2011 is lightweight and comfortable, and its streamlined silhouette gives a nod to historical Jordan models. The side panel of high-grade patina leather is embossed with a warrior-paint motif, ensuring that the shoe will look as good in the streets as on the court. $175, jumpman23.com