Only Nike and Jordan Brand, with their cornucopia of classics in their back catalogue, can pull off this Frankenstein experiment. The most discerning eye will find the Jordan Legacy 312 uncanny, bringing about a sense of familiarity and novelty. For the sneaker culturati however, will be able to decipher it.

The MO behind some of the Jumpman’s contemporary body of work takes the best parts of some of their most iconic pairs and amalgamate them into a brand new silhouette. The “312” in the titular shoe is a nod to Chicago’s area code, the city where much of the brand’s legendary narrative was written.

The upper quite evidently displays its derivation from the Air Jordan 1, borrowing from its popular “Shadow” colorway—as seen from the toe box all the way up to the tongue. Emblazoned on the vamp is a hallmark from a non-Jordan model: the strap, borrowed from the “Alpha Force” featuring the classic Nike branding.

The entirety of the sole unit takes cues from the Air Jordan 3, as seen on the midsole and the design underfoot. But how can one take from the aforementioned, and not take its most recognizable feature. Thus, the iconic elephant print that envelops the heel on up top.

As far as branding elements go, they’re placed where they are as they did on their source, save for the one on the tongue. Instead of depicting the Jumpman, it instead features the Jordan “Wings” logo as a tongue tag.

The pair has already seen a release globally except for Japan, only getting theirs from 5th October onwards. If you have missed out, find the pair on the SNKRDUNK App.

While we’re on the topic of more contemporary designs from Nike, check out the Nike Offline 3.0 “Black/Ghost Green”.