First Look: Awake NY Reveals Its First Air Jordan Collaboration
Update: Feb. 24, 2025 at 12:30 p.m. ET:
After early reports of an upcoming Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 collaboration surfaced in November, the streetwear brand has shared a first glimpse at the project.
While teasing its upcoming spring ’25 collection, Awake NY also revealed the first physical look at the rumored collab. Expected to be one of two colorways of the sneaker, the “Arctic Pink/Metallic Silver/University Red/Black/White/Clear” style plays on Michael Jordan‘s original “Fire Red” colorway of the sneaker, swapping out its white leather upper for a pink shade. Other color accents, including a red liner and a red-accented black midsole, are kept true to the original.
But beyond the color changes, Awake NY also added branding to some of the sneaker’s signature features. Reminiscent of Supreme’s 2015 work on the same silhouette, Awake NY’s version of the sneaker features a molded “A” logo at the shoe’s side panel netting along with “NY” embroidery on the right foot in place of Jordan’s “23” personalization, which appears on the left.
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Despite this first look, a release date for the Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 has not been announced. Initial reports indicated the “Arctic Pink” style would be released in August, but this early teaser could spell a sooner-than-expected launch.
What We Originally Reported on Nov. 20, 2024
Awake NY, the streetwear label founded by former Supreme brand director Angelo Baque, will in 2025 get the rare opportunity to collaborate on an Air Jordan Retro sneaker.
After delivering two snakeskin-adorned colorways of the Jordan Air Ship in 2024 — a white/red in March followed by a white/blue in October — Awake NY will reportedly deliver another two-sneaker collaboration in the form of the Air Jordan 5 Retro. Details are currently limited, but early information shared by leakers @zsneakerheadz and SneakerFiles states the collaboration will come in “Arctic Pink” and “Racer Blue” looks. And like the staggered rollout of the Awake NY x Jordan Air Ships, the two pairs in the brand’s Air Jordan 5 Retro collaboration are also expected to be released on different days.
With a full colorway of “Arctic Pink/Metallic Silver/University Red/Black/White/Clear,” the first Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 Retro is expected to be released in August followed by a second “Black/Racer Blue/Metallic Silver/Silver/White/Clear” iteration in September. The exact color blocking for both shoes has not been confirmed, and the mock-ups pictured here are merely speculative based on the color descriptions.
Awake NY was founded in New York City in 2012 and is inspired by the city’s early 1990s downtown scene. More than just a product-focused venture, Awake NY emphasizes supporting underserved communities and regularly uses its resources to do so. Aside from its work with Jordan Brand, Awake NY’s previous footwear collaborations have included projects with Asics, Converse, Reebok and Vans.
The streetwear brand’s first brush with Jordan centered on the Air Ship. Described in a product description as the “ones before the 1s,” the Air Ship was infamously worn by Michael Jordan prior to receiving his own shoe and was actually the “banned” sneaker which Nike turned into a marketing campaign for the Air Jordan 1. Despite being a throwback model, the Air Ship is not considered part of the Air Jordan canon.
The Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 Retro “Arctic Pink” has a SKU of DV4982-600 and is currently expected to be released on Aug. 29. Meanwhile, the Awake NY x Air Jordan 5 Retro “Racer Blue,” which has a SKU of DV4982-004, is slated to arrive on Sept. 19. Retail pricing for both pairs is anticipated to be $225.
