The Jordan 22 Goes OG With the Denver Nuggets 2007
In 2007, D’Wayne Edwards was back as lead designer for the second time in a row, bringing his distinctive futuristic style to Air Jordan. Like the model he designed the previous year, the 22 features a deceptively simple aesthetic that conceals hidden details and big technology.
AJ 22 Design and Features
The Air Jordan 22 (often styled as Air Jordan XX2), like many previous editions, is inspired by a high performance vehicle. This year, Jordan Brand looked to the sky, taking design cues from the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet. Regarded at the time as the most advanced military aircraft ever built, the Raptor was fast, aggressive and able to easily blow past enemy defences before the enemy knew what was happening: just like His Airness.
Edwards began by translating the strong, angular lines of the Raptor into the aggressively sweeping panels and zigzag stitching on the upper. Hearkening back to the Raptor’s stealth capabilities, the shoe also features a special, reflective 3M material camouflage print that changes the look of the shoe as lighting conditions vary. Similarly, the heel features a special heel cap that makes the Jumpman invisible from certain angles.
Like Edwards’ other Jordan design, the 22s possess a super-premium look and feel that also provides long-term durability. The attention to premium materials continues inside the shoe, with a beautiful, comfortable quilted cloth lining.
As a tribute to the Denver Nuggets basketball team, the Jordan brand released the Denver Nuggets colourway on the Air Jordan 22 silhouette. A white leather upper sets the scene for this release, creating a city skyline on the side panel. The skyline features the word "DENVER" in various sizes in a brown tone. The trainer's midsole is a phylon University Blue that houses a Zoom Air insert. This insert aids in providing the silhouette with additional cushion while a shiny University Blue mudguard appears on the heel. The outsole is coated in a translucent Team Orange colour, and its bottom arch is constructed in a textured white pattern. This Denver Nuggets release hit shelves on October 6, 2007.
