The Air Jordan 13 "Wings" releases August 6 for $215 in the colorway Black/Black-Black, style code IX1872-001, in men's sizing through Nike SNKRS and select Jordan Brand retailers. It is the first Air Jordan 13 issued under the Wings program, which has previously used the Air Jordan 3, 5 and 12.
The build replaces the Air Jordan 13's familiar quilted side panels with black denim twill, stitched over with small distressed X-shaped embroidery. Smooth black leather wraps the toe and mudguard. The denim is meant to degrade: the panels tear away with wear, revealing a layer of hidden artwork underneath that Jordan Brand calls the Wings Legacy graphic. The cat-eye hologram on the collar — the detail tied to Michael Jordan's "Black Cat" nickname, which the 13 has carried since 1997 — is tinted pale green here rather than the green lenticular disc used on OG colorways.
The Wings program appears across the rest of the shoe. "WINGS" is printed in white on the black leather at the toe, with a Jumpman on the tongue above it. The insoles carry a colorful graphic of school supplies, diplomas and creative tools. The traction pods on the outsole are mismatched in purple, blue, green and orange, which Jordan Brand ties to the range of students the program supports. The pair ships in a special-edition box printed with the Wings Legacy Graphic, an illustrated wing assembled out of books, pencils, lightbulbs and mortarboards.
Wings is Jordan Brand's education program, and the shoes exist to fund it. It grew out of an incentive scheme in Philadelphia called "A's for J's," which handed out pairs of Air Jordans to students who showed up and earned good grades, and became a formal scholarship program in 2015. The Wings Scholars Program gives graduating high school students full-ride scholarships to the four-year college of their choice, with no basketball or athletic requirement attached — the point Andscape made in its reporting on the program. Jordan Brand now puts Wings at more than 4,060 scholarships awarded since 2015, more than 1,450 students through its design program and 42 internships placed. A portion of the proceeds from Wings releases goes to the scholarship fund. The program has also expanded outside North America, into China, France and the Philippines.
It is Jordan Brand's second Air Jordan 13 release in under a week. The Air Jordan 13 "Flint" returned August 1 at the same $215, keeping its 1998 spec unchanged. Two more Jordan releases follow this month: the Air Jordan 3 "Laser" arrives August 22 at $230, and the Air Jordan 9 OG "Space Jam" closes the month August 29 at $215.
Source: Sneaker Bar Detroit
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