Nike and Paris Saint-Germain have a partnership that dates back to 1989, which is just one of the many reasons Jordan Brand chose the storied club for its first-ever soccer sponsorship.
“Jordan Brand and Paris Saint-Germain share a distinct position in sport and style, so to partner with the club is a natural fit," said Michael Jordan explained in a press release.
The Jumpman and PSG have enter into an exclusive three-year deal kicked off with a full-fledged collection including the Air Jordan 5 and Air Jordan 1 retro sneakers along Nike Phantom Vision Elite soccer boot which was also inspired by a retro Air Jordan.
"When you look at that dot pattern, it's actually just a more modern and more performance driven pattern inspired by the [Air Jordan] 13," David Creech, vice president of design at Jordan Brand, told Sole Collector. "Obviously you start to see the bloodline colors of just not Jordan—the black, white, and red—but also that red is a strong color for PSG."
For those who haven't been keeping score, the collaboration may be unexpected, but Jordan Brand has been quietly gaining its footing in Paris for years.
"We've been building equity over the years in Paris," Creech said. "When you think about Quai 54, the Bastille store, and the French national team, another next step for us is PSG. We're really aligning with this collection. Jordan Brand and PSG are two icons that represent both sport and style, so with this collection we were able to apply not just cut and sew and footwear, but also from a graphic language culturally merge the two brands for this collection."
Outside of footwear, the PSG x Jordan Brand collection will also include apparel and match kits, which the team will wear on the pitch beginning Sept. 18.
The full PSG x Jordan collection launches Friday, Sept. 14 from select retailers.
