Cape Town - South African-based sneaker and streetwear store Shelflife has been chosen by global giant Nike as a partner for its latest sneaker release, the Jordan 2 shoe.
The collaboration will be the first of its kind in Africa, while Shelflife will be one of three stores worldwide chosen by Nike to do the special collaboration on the release of the iconic Jordan 2 shoe, according to Shelflife founder and creative director Nick Herbert.
Herbert said the idea behind releasing the Jordan 2 shoe, aptly named the “International Flight Club” pack, was to shine a spotlight on areas of the world that are passionate about Jordan sneakers but traditionally not represented in mainstream media.
He said: “The Jordan brand, which created its first Air Jordan Sneaker in 1985 with basketball legend Michael Jordan, continues 37 years later to earn an astounding $3 million (about R55m) every five hours for Nike. Resales between collectors on the secondary market fetch up to 500% more than the original retail price. The Jordan x Shelflife took two years to develop.
“I remember when they first called me, I was driving to a meeting. I actually couldn’t believe my ears and thought I was being pranked. They told me Shelflife had been shortlisted to do a collab, and we had to present to 30 members including top execs of Nike Jordan Global.
"It was the greatest experience ever. I never thought that this would happen. Every sneaker store owner or sneakerhead dreams of the opportunity to work with Jordan to design a shoe,” Herbert said.
The other two stores that Nike selected are Titan Store, in the Philippines, and Shop Two 18 in Detroit, US.
Herbert said in designing the shoe, Shelflife was given free rein on colours and materials the team wanted to work with.
He said: “We came up with the concept of focusing on the Shelflife team that makes it happen, to capture the essence of the team who show up each day to make sure the product gets to market. Often it is only the CEO or owner of a business that is in the limelight. But each member of our team contributes equally.
“The Shelflife team are the most passionate, knowledgeable sneakerheads around. They understand it and live it and speak about it all day long. When the shoe was being designed, we worked together, asking for input on the design, and each employee’s signature is featured on the shoe’s inner sole.
“We represent a collective who understand the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” Herbert said.
Commenting on its collaboration with Shelflife, Nike said: “Our collab with South Africa’s leading sneaker and streetwear store, Shelflife, this fresh take on the AJ2, grounds you to the spirit of ‘TEAM ONLY’. As Jordan Brand’s first collaboration with an Africa-based partner, it’s a celebration of bridging oceans and finding community.”
Shelflife employee Kezia Linderoth, who grew up in Retreat, Cape Town, and has been working at Shelflife since 2016, said the collaboration between Jordan and Shelflife was mind-blowing and well-deserved.
She said: “For the store to be recognised on the global scene will have a positive impact and will show the path for many other stores all over Africa. The time is right, and I am grateful to be part of the story.”
The Jordan x Shelflife range will be available at Shelflife in-store on October 20 in Cape Town and Johannesburg and online from October 21. In addition to the sneakers, retailing at R3 899 the Jordan x Shelflife range includes a TEAM ONLY range of clothing.
The range will be distributed through Jordan’s top-tier neighbourhood boutique partners and the Nike SNKRS app globally in October 2022.
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