The Air Jordan 3 Retro RTNA Sample Showcases Groundbreaking Color Technology
Published
Nike is always looking to innovate with its footwear technology, whether new cushioning or construction methods. In 2021, Nike’s Explore Team partnered with Andrew Parker’s Lifescaped company to create a new color technique purported to be the “future of color,” applying a special coating, Pure Structural Color, to the Air Jordan 3 and Air Force 1. These two concepts were never meant to be released to the public, but now the pair has made its way into the hands of collectors like English Sole, who showcases the wildest color spectrum possible with this technology.
Some of the big guns at Nike and Jordan Brand, including the legendary Tinker Hatfield, who designed the Air Jordan 3, got involved in creating this special Air Jordan 3 RTNA (Retina). Over two years, Lifescaped and Nike employees like Elizabeth Brock Jones, who currently has the role of Principal Innovator at The Swoosh and one of the developers of the Off-White x Nike The Ten collection, and Kim Kovel, Global Color Design Director of Footwear for Nike, worked together to apply this groundbreaking technology to footwear.
The coating, essentially a thin, transparent silicon dioxide made up of microscopic structure, is so minute that it is less than 1/100,000th of a hair thick. It can be designed to reflect specific wavelengths, making specific colors visible to the human eye. While the metallic silver upper of this concept Jordan 3 doesn’t come with this special coating, the tongue, elephant print, and heel tab feature the material. Here, we see a vibrant, iridescent finish that changes based on the angle at which you view the sneaker.
Unfortunately, the Air Jordan 3 RTNA will not be released to the public as it was a concept pair made specifically for the Naturally Brilliant Color exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which took place in 2021. Maybe one day, this technology will be useful to the footwear industry, but for now, you can view the pair via the image gallery below. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Air Jordan 3 Retro RTNA Sample
Images via English Sole
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
