Last Friday saw the release of the first Jordan collab with an African brand. Speaking to Nick, the Founder and Creative Director of Shelflife about the process felt a little like someone describing a fever dream. Hearing someone from the same space as you speak about the process of designing a Jordan is something that’s long felt completely out of reach but, as we discussed the SL team pushing for their favourite elements, felt so natural and fitting at the same time. The scale and importance of this collaboration are easily one the biggest moments in SA sneaker history.
Shelflife’s focus was set on creating a versatile model that would suit different styles and people, made from premium materials, with great attention to detail across every inch of the silhouette. Plate lizard leather, native to SA, covers sections of the shoe as a parallel to faux iguana leather used on the OG Jordan 2, native to Jordan’s home, Chicago. The shoes’ green laces come courtesy of one team member’s insistence on their inclusion while the shoes’ inner soles, featuring the signatures of each member of the team, are now destined to be worn by enthusiasts across the globe.
Herbert’s love for his team cannot be overstated. It’s abundantly clear that the inception of this TEAM ONLY model is by no means a marketing angle but rather a result of sincere intent to celebrate the people who make up the brand. “It has taken 16 years to build the business to this point. The team takes their jobs seriously and they work super hard – and I wanted to celebrate that.”
Kezia Linderoth grew up in Retreat, Cape Town, and has been working at Shelflife since 2016. To Kezia, the collaboration between Jordan and Shelflife is mind-blowing and well-deserved. “For the store to be recognised as such on the global scene will have a positive impact and will show the path for many other stores all over Africa. The time is right, and I am grateful to be part of the story,” says Linderoth.
Speaking to Nick felt almost as surreal as this shoe’s existence. As someone engaged with the store since a teenager, Herbert has always been something of an urban legend. While his position as a shaper of culture in SA is undeniable, his approach to staying out of the spotlight in favour of focusing on his team over the past 16 years and his attitude towards creation shines through in the DNA of this global offering. From a Nike global direction, the idea was to spotlight areas of the world that are passionate about Jordan sneakers but traditionally aren’t represented in mainstream media. Established initially as a way to provide the right spray cans and nozzles to local writers and coveted global releases to the then often not acknowledged sneakerhead community in Cape Town, Shelflife stands as an unrivalled example of what it can look like and where we can go when we stand with and believe in our people.
With the shoes on his feet as we spoke ahead of the official launch of the sneaker, the excitement was palpable as Nick expressed his delight with the fact that he’s finally got the opportunity to wear a pair of Jordans ahead of a global release, trumped only by the fact that they are a pair that he got to make with his team.
The Jordan x Shelflife range is available at Shelflife in stores in Cape Town, Johannesburg and online. In addition to the sneakers, retailing at R3,899, the Jordan x Shelflife range includes a TEAM ONLY range of clothing. The range will be distributed globally through Jordan’s top-tier neighbourhood boutique partners and the Nike SNKRS app globally in October 2022.
