For Chris Gibbs, owner of UNION LA, basketball culture has a direct line and organic flow into streetwear. So it's fitting that the latest round of the ongoing Jordan x UNION partnership sees that train of thought through. It acknowledges the feeling and emotion of Jordan beyond the arena, continuing an effort to capture a holistic view of the late '80s and early '90s, defined by advertising, music, street style—and yes, a few magic, competitive moments.
Gibbs guides a collection that highlights creation and material. "The vision here was to mix suede and mesh, so we worked really hard to find the right materials", Gibbs says. "For the suede, we took hints from other products with really thick but plush suede … For the mesh, we wanted an old-school mesh like the OG sneakers of the '80s". Gibbs is a massive fan of the Delta's sole geometry, and the UNION design pulls in the same materials and colours as the collection's Air Jordan 4 to make the futuristic silhouette pop appropriately. The result is an avant-garde adaptation of the newly released Delta Mid that breaks new ground in more ways than one.