A Ma Maniére X Jordan Brand: Drops that are Bigger Than Sneakers

A Ma Maniére and Jordan Brand’s Latest Release

The latest in the saga of culture giant A Ma Maniére’s collaborations with Jordan Brand has finally hit the market. On June 1^st A Ma Maniére launched the A Ma Maniére x Jordan 2 and an accompanying apparel collection. This collaboration checks a couple boxes that add to its hype value. First, it is the latest car added to the Jordan 2 hype train. Second, it is the latest in the line of A Ma Maniére’s highly anticipated Jumpman collaborations. Given the success of the previous two pairs, the public has high expectations for anything the two brands release collaboratively.

We’re not here to talk about hype, however. If you’ve been in the game for a while, you know that many of the best shoes tell a story. This should recall some iconic sneakers, such as Nike KD Aunt Pearl, Nike N7, and Nike/Jordan x OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital releases. Of course, a factor that these sneakers have in common with the A Ma Maniére Jordan 2 is hype. Another similarity that many seem to overlook, however, is a message.

The Message Behind the Shoe

We urge you not to just subscribe to hype for this release, but peer a step deeper. Amidst A Ma Maniére’s promotions, we found that this pair released alongside a message. The theme of the shoe is a simple line, “Your Airness”. That seems to be simply referencing Michael Jordan at face value. It isn’t. A Ma Maniére highlights a poem written by Kyla Lacey displaying the theme. “Airness” equates to strength, resiliency, Blackness, and pride. All these themes tie into the pillars that A Ma Maniére stands upon and uses its platform to promote. A Ma Maniére released a short film highlighting the poem. The poem performed with imagery of resilient and gifted Black youth and families perfectly demonstrates “Airness”.

A Ma Maniére Jordan 1’s Hidden Message

This is not new for A Ma Maniére, however. In their previous collaborations with Jordan brand, the brand utilized their opportunities to push other important messages. Their prior collaborative silhouette, the Air Jordan 1, was also predicated on the concept of “Airness”. “Airness” was also explained via a short film for this release. The film ends with a powerful image of a rose sprouting from a concrete sidewalk. The same imagery can also be seen at the beginning of the short film for the Jordan 2 collaboration. This metaphor perfectly defines the meaning of the release, highlighting the strength, resiliency, and beauty that comes alongside Blackness.

A Ma Maniére Jordan 3’s Hidden Message

A Ma Maniére’s Jordan 3 release spreads a different message – the strife, power, and resiliency of women. Publications for the sneaker released alongside a short film. It powerfully highlights the struggles that the women, notably mothers, face daily that often fall upon deaf ears.

The shoe itself even contains hidden messages which are meant to motivate the women reading them. Inside the back tab of the left shoe is the message, “All we have is each other.” Inside that of the right shoe is the message, “You have to get comfortable walking alone.” Finally, the most imminent detail, the sneaker is a women’s silhouette. Being released in Women’s sizing, men who wanted the shoe were left to do something they rarely do. They must figure out what their equivalent Women’s sneaker size is. All of this is in fairness. Women are left to find their equivalent men’s size for nearly every hype sneaker they want.

The Details

Using its platform to create an instant classic (with a meaning) once again, A Ma Maniere doesn’t disappoint. Featuring an aged-white cracked leather and hits of deep burgundy, this pair falls right in line with the palette of its sister shoe, the A Ma Maniére Air Jordan 1. The shoe also features a quilted sock liner which not only screams luxury, but also remains consistent with all other pairs in the A Ma Maniére x Jordan Brand timeline. They also come with a unique box encapsulated by the now iconic A Ma Maniére “A” clear box sleeve. A notable difference from past pairs, the A Ma Maniére Jordan 2 features snakeskin detailing, and a lot of it. The entirety of the midsole, wrapped in a black snakeskin print, serves as a nice contrast to the upper of the shoe.

All-in-all, we believe this will go down as yet another iconic collaboration between A Ma Maniére and Jordan Brand, and we hope to see the two brands come together again in the future to provide us with another amazing shoe, and another amazing message.

Artwork by John Jankowski