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Zion Williamson is one of the most-hyped players among the newer generations of NBA players, as evidenced by his selection to the official NBA All-Star game at the age of 20. He made history as a debut player with his straight 17 score during the fourth quarter, becoming the debut player with the most points per minute.
Nike has maintained a consistent dominance in NBA player partnerships, so a collaboration with Zion Williamson under the Jordan line was the ideal move for both the label and the player. Nike's basketball sub-section has occasionally offered sneakerheads great treats, and their newest Zion line was just what every sneakerhead and basketball fan desired.
Zion Williamson signed a seven-year contract deal for $75 million with the Jordan brand in 2019, well before making his NBA debut. His first signature shoe, the Zion 1, debuted in 2021. All of Zion's Jordan brand collaborations have featured a stylized "z" lettering as an icon, dedicated to the NBA player's moniker.
Having said, we've put together a list of Zion's top three collaborations with Nike Inc. and the Jordan label.
Top 3 Zion Williamson collaboration with the Jordan Brand
1) Zion Williamson x Jordan Zion 1 Gen Zion
Williamson's debut silhouette with Jordan Brand was named the Zion 1, which was released in 2021. For the color scheme for his debut shoe, Zion requested for a simple black / white colorway. Dubbed the "Gen Zion," it was the first colorway to hit the shelves from the Zion and Jordan's partnership.
The shoes feature a mid-top construction, with the most prominent design feature of the stylized "z" lettering extending on the forefoot, midfoot, and the heel.
The gigantic "z" stitching exterior improves performance by connecting the lightweight mesh of the forefoot to the more robust ankle and heel. The "z" makes Zion's Jordan shoes readily distinguishable and makes a powerful statement as the athlete's first signature shoe.
According to the Senior Footwear Designer of Jordan Sports, the Z letter was for power and speed. The tongue is constructed in a lightweight material with geometric padding.
The Zion 1 featured a full-length strobel, which arrived packaged in between the shoes' sole and sock liners. The full-length strobel works to give a balanced cushion, forefoot zoom bubble, extra cushioning, and packs some bounce for explosive energy.
The first Williamson shoes, Zion 1, Gen Zion were released on SNKRS on April 23, 2021 for a retail price of $120.
2) Zion Williamson x Jordan x Naruto Zion 1 SP Kyubi Mode
Zion Williamson continued his collaboration with Nike's Jordan brand with a new makeover of the Zion 1 silhouette inspired by his favorite anime / manga series, Naruto: Shippuden. The collection was released in three colorways, and included the Kyubi Mode, Shinobi Mode, and Nine Tails mode.
The first colorway to be released from the Jordan x Zion x Naruto partnership was the Kyubi Mode makeover. Leading the footwear line, the Kyubi Mode is dressed in Electric Yellow / Black / Chile Red / Alpha Orange colorway. The shoes were made available in men's and women's sizes ranging from US 3.5 to US 19.5. The product description on the Nike site reads:
"Pairing a down-to-earth persona with out-of-this-world athleticism, Zion brings his best to the game—and he's got footwear to match. His shoes are light, stable and strong, with a durable outsole that grips the court. Meanwhile, Air cushioning provides the plush underfoot comfort and rapid responsiveness you know and love."
The Kyubi Mode draws its inspiration from Naruto's Six Paths Sage Mode and adds a graphic motif to further highlight the six-path sage mode. The lateral heel on the rear of the shoe includes a graphic found on Naruto's jacket while in Kyubi mode. The colorway was released on SNKRS on May 11, 2022, at 10 a.m. ET.
3) Zion Williamson x Jordan Zion 2 Voodoo
After launching the Naruto-themed footwear, Zion Williamson collaborated with the Jordan brand to debut a new silhouette of his iconic signature line, dubbed Jordan Zion 2. The first shoe to be released under the Zion 2 was dressed in a voodoo-inspired colorway.
The pair is inspired by the African diasporic religion, New Orleans Voodoo, that evolved from Louisana. The pair is constructed out of a mixture of materials including, suede, knit textiles, and brown fur, to further highlight the traditional African religious dolls and their altars.
The shoe is dressed in muted and pastel Flax / Muslin / Sesame / Fauna Brown colorway, which are accentuated over the uppers of the shoes. The Fauna Brown color is seen in the darker shades featured over the laces, lateral sides, and heel areas. The fauna green colored textile is seen embellished over the lateral heels and toe boxes, whereas, a muslin shade is seen accentuating the eyelets.
A flair of voodoo dolls are added with the addition of sheeny faux fur material over the tongues, which also features Zion's insignia. The fur decorations are covered with the layer of brown laces.
The custom-made graphic sockliners accentuate a distict shade, which further features voodoo lettering in a graffiti font, and graphic designs of doll faces and skulls. The graphics continue on the heel, which adopts a similar spooky doll face alongside the iconic swoosh and Jumpman logo. The look is completed with the chunky off-white midsole and brown gum outsole.
The Zion 2 Voodoo sneakers was released on Nike's North American site and stores on June 22, 2022, for a retail price of $140.
More about the newly released Zion Williamson x Jordan Zion 2 silhouette
NBA player, Zion Williamson's style of playing basketball entails slam dunks, explosive post moves, and sharp cuts, so it is imperative that when Zion Williamson constructs his shoes he makes sure that shoes provides him performance ready qualities, i.e., both power and speed.
His new design in the Jordan Zion line, dubbed Zion 2, focuses on three essential elements : toes for mobility and comfort, middle for containment and resilience, and the heel for impact resistance. The previously formed full-length stober is broken up for the newly released Zion 2.
The new design features 20% extra zoom air cushioning on the forefoot for more comfort, explosive energy, and responsiveness. The addition of zoom air cushioning helps the player for a more plush landing on the heels after flying high dunks.
Additionally, the Zion 2 is constructed with a performance cup sole, which wraps around the foot, and the forefoot strap, which compliments the lacing system for extra support and form fit.
The shoe offers an evolved Zion logo, and instead of "z" now a cursive "Zion" lettering can be seen accentuated over the tongue.
