It was announced last year that Jordan Brand will release Zion Williamson’s signature shoe this spring. Being drafted the first pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Zion signed a $95 million contract with Jordan Brand making it one of the biggest shoe contracts in NBA history. Recently, a front view of his signature shoe, the Z Code, was leaked allowing us to make a few predictions on what to expect from the New Orleans All-Star’s first signature shoe.
Upper
The upper consists of a simple mesh upper. The Z Code is a mid-top sneaker. It makes sense as Zion wore mid-top sneakers such as the Kyrie 4 in college and wore AJ 34 and 35s which are both mid-tops. The upper is made up of a performance mesh that is combined with fuse for strength. The lacing also features thick lace-loops on the forefoot to allow forefoot lockdown which is essential for a player of Zion’s size and playstyle.
Midsole Cushion Set-up
The midsole cushion set-up will implement Air units. The lateral image shows the Nike Air logo around the forefoot area, making us believe that the Z Code will feature a forefoot Air unit for its cushioning. No other labels to hint us for additional tech can be found.
Outsole
The outsole pattern is similar to the forefoot pattern on the Zoom Freak 2 with more sharp turns and thinner grooves. The circular Jordan logo can be found, probably to highlight the Air unit that is on top of it.
Overall, with the use of a forefoot Air unit, we could predict that the Z Code will be an entry-level performance shoe. A strange move considering Jordan introduced the Why Not 0.1 with full-length Zoom a few years ago. However, considering Zion’s performance this season and his first appearance in the All-Star game, we could expect a significant upgrade in his second signature shoe.
Source: Image via Instagram/@solebrothers_ig
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