Continuing to grow his designs along side Jordan Brand, Rui Hachimura always honors his Japanese roots, and now offers a Crane colorway design. The basketball player has helped create a range of footwear including the Air Jordan 8, Air Jordan 36, and now the Air Jordan 1 Low OG.
The Cranes colorway sees a series fo Japanese graphics that detail the base layer of the upper. This includes Sakura flowers in hues of red and pink, accenting the heels, toe boxes, and quarter panels -- this is accompanied by oversized white cranes. The Swooshes branding is detailed in a solid black hue with patent leather for a shining look -- it is also outlined in white for a contrasting design.
Image Credit: Uninstructedvision
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Cultural-themed Footwear
- Opportunity for designing footwear inspired by an array of cultures and narratives
- Customized-graphic Shoes
- Opportunity to produce personalized and unique styles by incorporating hand-drawn graphics
- Sustainable Athletic Footwear
- Opportunity to incorporate eco-friendly materials and production methods into athletic footwear design
Industries Being Reshaped
- Athletic Footwear
- Creating culturally-inspired and unique designs can set brands apart in a crowded athletic footwear market
- Sportswear Marketing
- Customizing designs and marketing them to niche group can create a strong and dedicated consumer base
- Graphic Designing
- Incorporating hand-drawn designs and emphasizing unique graphics can create opportunities for graphic designers
