A Ma Maniére x Air Ship: Sneaker Release Date, Price, Where To Buy

James Whitner has had a string of excellent collabs with Nike/Jordan Brand of late, and the latest chapter in that story comes on Friday with the release of the A Ma Maniére x Air Ship.

And story is a key word here. Whitner was recently a guest on the great Complex Sneakers Podcast and spoke of the importance of the story and message behind his releases, including last month’s Air Max Penny x Social Status collab. For the Air Ship collab, A Ma Maniére states on its website that the collaboration “is inspired by the deep struggle for the Black and Brown community to constantly prove itself in the face of doubt, adversity and systemic issues, with redemption and validation coming at the cost of countless hours doing the work in silence and anonymity.” To further that story, A Ma Maniére has produced another short film as Whitner and Social Status did in support of the Penny 1 collab:

The Air Ship has quite a story of its own. Most know the story about how the NBA banned Michael Jordan from wearing a pair of black and red sneakers early in his rookie season. Nike cultivated that story and turned it into a powerful advertising campaign for the Air Jordan 1. However, it was not the Air Jordan 1 that was banned — it was actually the Air Ship.

The Air Jordan 1 wasn’t quite ready for the start of the 1984-85 season, so Jordan actually began his career wearing the Air Ship, which would have many similarities to the eventual Air Jordan 1. One of those shoes would go on to have a massive impact on sneaker culture thanks to the banned mythology. The other would fade into obscurity. However, recently the Air Ship has begun to receive its due, even getting a release as part of the New Beginnings pack in 2020. Now is the next step in its journey.

The A Ma Maniére x Air Ship will feature white leather with royal accents and A Ma Maniére branding on the tongue. The shoe will be individually numbered and limited to just 2,300 pairs and sell for a retail price of $140. An apparel collection will also drop along with the sneakers.

Best of luck to all looking to pick up a pair of these historic sneakers.

To see more of this month’s releases, check out our release date calendar.