// All-Star Game Nike Air Jordan 3 //

// The All-Star Game Jordan 3s are a tribute to what, in my opinion, are the most legendary uniforms in NBA history: the 1996 All-Star jerseys // When I was really young I’d watch Michael Jordan highlights for hours on end // I was so used to watching him dominate his opponents in the classic red and white Chicago Bulls uniforms, so I was confused when I first saw him wearing turquoise // The distinct details and colors of the East squad’s jerseys have remained my favorite to this day //

// I got a hold of a pair of the “Unite” Jordan 3s which released during All-Star Weekend 2020, and thought it would be fitting to customize them in an All-Star theme // My first instinct was to do a red, white, blue, and chrome design based on the uniforms worn in the early 90s All-Star games, but I figured the ‘96 jerseys stood out more //

// Aside from the colors, my favorite parts of those uniforms are the style of the numbers and the triangle pattern along the side // In one of my initial mockups I placed the triangle pattern on the mudguard of the shoes, but it looked too weird so I moved it down to the midsole // The slanted nature of the typeface used on those uniforms made it very easy to place the “23” and stars snuggly next to the elephant print on the quarter area of the Jordan 3s // After placing the pattern and details, the shoes still looked a bit blank, so I topped them off with black and orange pinstripes around all of the leather panels //

// To start off the customs, I painted the midsole and upper of the shoes grey followed by multiple layers of white // Starting with lighter base coats makes the following colors brighter and more saturated // Unfortunately, I didn’t have a 1996 All-Star jersey on hand but did my best to mix colors that matched based on numerous pictures of the uniforms in different lighting //

// Once all the prep-work and base coats were done, I laid down stencils on the upper and midsole // The next step was to airbrush multiple layers of turquoise until I had a solid background // After that, I proceeded to remove part of the stencils so that I could brush-paint bold black outlines around the stars and numbers // The final step was to outline each panel with orange, followed by black, and then do a few touch-ups here and there to ensure a clean final product //

// I’ve been customizing shoes for nine years now, but this is the most fun I’ve had designing and executing a project in as long as I can remember // Stay tuned for more customs of similar detail dropping throughout 2021 //