This month we saw the Asics Gel Kayano 14 JJJJOUND collab. The collab is somewhat interesting because it is the exact same shoe as the general release except for the JJJJOUND branding on the heal. The collaborator did the bare minimum with regards to shoe design. He took an existing shoe and put his name on it. The shoe sold out. And I know that for someone, this is their favorite shoe. Maybe the minimalistic approach is part of JJJJOUND brilliance. I’m not here to judge. And I’m a Nike guy, so this shoe wasn’t on my radar in the first place. But there are collaborators in the sneaker community that take big swings. And one collaborator specifically has taken his opportunities at bat to hit home run after home run. Let’s get into it.
Angelo Baque was born in Queens. In the late 90’s, he begins working at boutiques and becomes familiar with the streetwear scene. At the age of 19 he’s already crossing paths with fashion creators and retailors at events like Magic in Las Vegas. In 2006 he becomes the brand director at Supreme. While at Supreme, he’s doin’ design, marketing, brand collaboration and running campaigns.
He brings the Supreme brand global and stays there for over a decade. In 2012, he launches Awake NY. It’s a chance for him to be true to himself, instead of true to a brand. It’s his chance to have ownership over a brand. Awake brings big bold colors and graphics to separate themselves from other streetwear brands like Kith, Bape and Stussy. But the brand is absolutely rooted in the NY aesthetic and represents the NY identity. Baque explains that the foundation of Awake is rooted in Hip Hop. He was influenced by other genres such as Reggae and Caribbean music, but the heartbeat is hip hop. The brand is recognized by its colors and images but also its use of high-end materials. Awake has had incredible collabs with Carhart and Asics, but Baque begin his connection to Nike with an unexpected silhouette. The Nike Air Ship.
Here is 30 seconds of history on the Air Ship. In October of 1984, the Air Ship in the black and red PE colorway would become a lost piece of sneakerhead history thanks to Michael Jordan. MJ wears the black and red pair in an NBA game. On October 18th, NBA commissioner David Stern tells Nike that the shoe violated the leagues dress code because the colorway wasn’t 51% white. The League tells Nike that MJ will be fined $1000 per game for wearing the black and red shoe. Nike writes a check for $82K to cover every game of the season. Stern answers be saying the fine will be $2000 for the second game and $5000 for the third. And if MJ wears them in a 4thgame he will be suspended from the league. Nike produces the Jordan 1 in a colorway with enough white to meet the dress code. Nike then releases the Jordan 1 “banned” commercial that features the Air Jordan 1 in the famous black and red colorway. The commercial helps the shoe sell at a higher volume than Nike ever expected. Jordan became Jordan and the rest is history. However, the shoe that was actually banned was not the Jordan 1. It was the Air Ship. Michael Jordan didn’t wear Air Jordans in an NBA game until November 17th 1984. In fact, according to Complex, a picture of MJ wearing the Jordan 1 banned (the black and red shoe) in an actual NBA game has never surfaced. So the Jordan 1 was never banned. Only the Air ship was.
Fast forward to 2020, All-Star Weekend is in Chicago. The Air Ship PE is an all-star exclusive that is released in a two pack with a Jordan 1. The Air Ship PE does have a few differences from the Air Ship but its design is a slimmed down Air Force (introduced in 1981) with a high-top collar. It’s a nice acknowledgement from Nike on some slick advertising from 1984. And other collaborators have touched the Air Ship. A Ma Maniere released the Air Ship in three separate colorways, but they were numbered and no one has those. Corporate and Sole Goods both collabed on the Air Ship as well. Both offerings were clean and worked well. But the and REALTREE collab had the camo all over details, and the inscribed “Sweat and Blood” detail on the heel was amazing. The inscription has a double meaning with reflection on MJ dedication to basketball and Realtree’s commitment to the outdoor and hunting culture. But the best was yet to come for the Air Ship.
When Angelo Baque touched the Air Ship, the community had to take notice. Let me give Awake their flowers. On March 9th of last year. Awake NY’s first collab with Nike is the Air Ship. The release comes with the “Where I’m From” ad campaign that ties in perfectly to Baque up brining in NY and for Michael Jordan who was born in Brooklyn. The shoe has the weathered yellow midsole that works for the release because of the shoe’s history. The silver swoosh pops with red outline behind it. The snake skin on the collar leans in the high-end materials that Awake is known for using and the stitched “A” on the outstep is subtle but looks great. The branding on the box was also a nice touch and snake skin on the box gave us a hint of what was inside. Under the box lid are printed coordinates to, you guessed it… New York. Even the tissue paper has Awake branding. The paper displays the Jumpman logo over a street map of New York. Great details for sure. Now here’s the cherry on top. This is the first Air Ship with the Jordan wings logo on the collar. And the reason that this is so special, is the detail within the logo. The wings logo has Awake branding on the banner rather than Air Jordan. Subtle, but perfect. Awake NY gave us the Air Ship in University Red and Game Royal.
In August, we will get the Awake Jordan 5. At first glance, the shoe looks like a pair of fire red 5s that were dipped in Pepto. The initial feedback on social media was very “love it or hate it”. I am 100% in the “love it” camp. The A on the side sets this shoe apart from other Jordan 5s and makes a very bold statement. It’s a great way to put the Awake stamp on this shoe. Most of the details on the Awake 5 are perfect. The tumbled leather looks buttery on the early pairs that are already in influencers hands. The stitched Nike Air on the heel is always better than the Jumpman Logo and the icy blue clear outsole feels like a warm hug from an old friend. To me, the red hits are the cherry on top. The red on sock liner, the lace lock and the red teeth on the midsole tie together perfectly. The “NY” that replaced the 23 is also red and it could be my favorite detail on the shoe. The tongue is 3M just like the metallic 5 but it almost feels like the black tongue might fit better because of how much the colorway borrows from the fire red. The Awake branding on the tongue is loud. It should be. All of this shoe is loud. That’s what Awake wanted. And they certainly achieved it. It is a shoe that absolutely will break necks. The ‘bubble gum’ 5 is limited to 7000 pairs and is retailer exclusive, so I know I’ll never have a pair. But if I did, my pair would get a day one lace swap with black laces (Awake only boxed them with red and white alternate laces) and I would have my new sneaker con shoe.
The second Awake Jordan 5 collab is the pair is black and game royal. This pair isn’t as loud. It’s a much more “wearable” shoe. All of the remarkable Awake NY details are on the game royal colorway but black replaces the pink and blue hits replace the red. It feels like a shoe for a completely different collector. It feels like a shoe that honors all the NY energy that Awake put into it, but you could wear it with jeans and let the A on the side do all the talking. Its still a magnificent shoe. Just a little quitter.
As sneaker collectors, we are all drawn to different pairs for different reasons. But sneaker brands know that collectors and casual shoppers are drawn to collaborators. This isn’t anything new. Over the years, sneaker collaborations have given the community some of the all-time grails. Some collaborations push all their chips to the center of the table. Angelo Baque and Awake NY have gone all in on every offering. As sneakerheads, we are lucky to find pairs that resonate with us. The pink Jordan 5 x Awake NY is that shoe. If you get pair, your one of the lucky ones. And if you do, make sure you wear them!