A Closer Look at The The A Ma Maniére Air Jordan 2

2021-22 has been a huge resurgence in popularity of the Air Jordan 2 following the release of the OFF-White collaboration in late 2021. Just last week, we saw Union LA releasing their popular take on the AJ2, despite the controversial rollout which saw Benjamin Kickz surrounded by numerous pairs, leading Union to apologise for the release. Still to come, Maison Château Rouge and J Balvin are waiting in the wings for their take on the second release in the famous Jordan Brand lineage. 

A Ma Maniere x Air Jordan 3, 2021

A Ma Maniere are no stranger to working with Jordan Brand, after the release of their widely acclaimed women’s exclusive Air Jordan 3 collaboration during 2021 which saw itself reach the top of almost every sneaker outlet's top 10 sneakers of the year list. Despite being the retailer's first collaboration, the sneaker told an incredible story with the founder of AMM, James Whitner going on to work with Jordan Brand again on the classic Air Jordan 1 silhouette. 

While the AJ 1 hasn’t instantly been met with the same groundbreaking feedback that the 3s have, the design and care that went into the materials and finishing touches on the sneaker were still second to none utilising faux snakeskins, cracked leather and quilted satin sock liners all within a tonal maroon colour palette. 

“Everything that we do at A Ma Maniere is always going to be timeless, classic, luxury” says Whitner when speaking about the collaboration with GQ. Designed largely with the idea of creating a sneaker that would look as if it was already vintage yet premium, the overall aesthetic of the shoe meets the needs of the current generation.

This sentiment has been carried over onto the upcoming Air Jordan 2. Titled the Air Jordan 2 ‘Airness’ the collaboration goes back to AMM’s roots and brings a story to the release. As with each project so far by AMM, including the AJ3, titled ‘Raised By Women’ which told the story of Whitner’s mother buying him his first pair of sneakers when he was a child. The stories and meanings attached to the sneakers build upon the releases and elevate them further, taking them a step above just another Jordan collaboration.

On the 26th of April, A Ma Maniere released a short promotional film titled ‘Your Airness’, seeming to follow on from the film released for the AJ 1 5 months earlier. 

Directed by the Tuner Brothers for Dreadhead Films, the same duo that directed the Social Status x Nike Dunk Mid ‘Free Lunch’ promotional video - the short film titled ‘Your Airness’ brings a powerful message written and performed by Poet, Kyla Lacey.

During an interview with Highsnobiety last year, James Whitner discusses the importance of allowing your work to tell a story, saying:

“Action takes 18 months as it connects to product, and if you look at the stories we've been telling, we've consistently been us every day...But the consumer and the marketplace generally acknowledge action through product... the difference is managing the narrative in between. Because we live in a world of sound bites and headlines.”

With the Air Jordan 1 seemingly kickstarting a new series between A Ma Maniere and Jordan Brand, the second addition takes very similar design cues; featuring the same cracked leather throughout the upper of the shoe sitting atop the faux snakeskin seen in their previous release. Additionally, the colourway of the sneaker is followed on from the AJ 1, keeping the predominantly beige aesthetic in conjunction with maroon and black hits. 

Key details include a black satin sock liner as well as a partially translucent heel in addition to ‘Work’ and ‘Harder’ on the lace aglets.

With the original release date for the A Ma Maniere Air Jordan 2 set to be the 13th of May, the retailer announced yesterday that the release will be pushed back to a date yet to be specified at the time of writing this. 

In an interview with GQ in November of 2021, Whitner suggests that the Air Jordan 4 is within his top 5 sneakers of all time: “The Jordan 4 is so fucking classic yo”. Looking at the current lineage between Jordan Brand and AMM, the AJ 4 only seems right. 

For all the latest on the A Ma Maniere Air Jordan 2 as well as other Jordan Brand collaborations, stay tuned to Kick Game.