You may have noticed that we’ve been showcasing a multitude of artists lately here on the Foot District blog – many who have had nothing to do with sneakers – and been wondering exactly why. The truth is, far beyond official collaborations, the kicks that we love have been overwhelmingly influenced by the art world in all its many forms. In recognition of this, brands have continually paid tribute to history’s greatest artists, giving us everything from Piet Mondrian-inspired Nike SB Dunks to an official Vincent Van Gogh Vans collection. Today, however, we’re winding back the clock to focus on a very special sneaker made to honour one of Barcelona’s most revolutionary artists: the Air Jordan 7 ‘Miró’.
The Sneaker
The Air Jordan 7 ‘Miró’ was released in 2008 to celebrate the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. The shoe commemorated Michael Jordan’s own Olympic success as part of the 1992 Dream Team, in which he famously donned the Air Jordan 7 on the road to victory. As a means of connecting with ‘92’s host city in a creative way, Jordan Brand looked to the work of acclaimed Barcelona-born surrealist Joan Miró. The end result was an unusually colourful take on the Air Jordan 7 that featured vivid Miró-esque graphics on its upper leather overlays and beneath its translucent outsoles. As an added bonus, five sets of additional laces in the colours of the Olympic Rings were also included. These incredible AJ7s were notoriously limited on release, with less than a thousand pairs reportedly ever made.
The Artist
So, who is – or rather, who was – Joan Miró? Born in Barcelona on April 20, 1893, Miró is regarded as a pioneer of Surrealism, the art movement that would later be popularised by the likes of Salvador Dalí. Seeking to lash out against bourgeois society, Miró dove deep into the unconscious mind to produce work that challenged tradition across a variety of mediums in increasingly experimental ways. Although best known today for his paintings and sculptures, he also dabbled in a number of other mediums, such as ceramics and printmaking, continuing to experiment until late in his career. In 1975, Miró established the Fundació Joan Miró ( the Joan Miró Foundation and Centre of Contemporary Art Studies) on Montjuïc in Barcelona as a means to inspire future generations of artists to experiment and continue to push the envelope like he forever did. Visiting the museum today will expose you to what is undeniably the biggest collection of Miró’s work in the world. Miró passed in 1983 at the ripe old age of 90.
The Legacy of Miró
Eleven years have now passed since the release of the Air Jordan 7 ‘Miró’, but its appeal remains. It currently reigns as the most sought after retail-release Air Jordan 7, commanding a four-figure asking price that’s double that of its closest competitor, the ‘Bin 23’ AJ7. The Air Jordan 7 is often overlooked, but this is one release that’s impossible to ignore. Joan Miró left our mortal coil nearly four decades ago, but his work remains as impactful as ever, and this Air Jordan 7 release has served well as a vessel with which to spread his legacy among a new generation. Don’t expect this Air Jordan 7 release to ever cop a retro release, nor for its asking price on the secondary market to ever plummet, but, as a conduit of creative inspiration – and a tribute to Barcelona – we are proud that it exists.