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Brand: Nike
Model: Air Jordan 14 Low “Red Lipstick”
Release Date: September 16
Price: $170
Buy: Online at JD Sports US, Nike SNKRS US, Footlocker, and Finish Line
Editor’s Notes: Although one of the lesser-known Nike Air Jordan silhouettes, the AJ14 has spent its fair share of time in the limelight over the last couple of years, thanks to collaborations with CLOT and Aleali May.
Interestingly, the Air Jordan 14’s recent iterations have been women’s exclusive releases, and the upcoming “Red Lipstick” is no exception. The low-top sneaker adopts color blocking that is wholly familiar to Air Jordan fans – black and red, or “Bred” as we’ve come to know it.
This pair gets a full suede treatment with a smooth texture – unlike the textured midfoot on both the CLOT and Aleali May pairs – and providing an aesthetic more in line with the OG “Laney” and “Ginger” AJ14 Lows. The black suede wraps the shoe and provides a solid matte block on which the red tongues, laces, and lining create a bold contrast.
When adopting a colorway as iconic to the Air Jordan lineup as “Bred” to women’s exclusive release, it does leave us wondering why Nike feels the need to apply hyper-feminine branding and storytelling to sell the sneaker. Female sneakerheads are just as familiar with the “Bred” colorway – it doesn’t need to be rebranded into “lipstick” to be understood.
With the limitations on sizing, Nike’s new storytelling-focused strategy to engage female sneakerheads seems puzzling, when dropping gender-inclusive sizing seems like the most logical solution to a problem and frustration that has been echoed over and over by sneakerheads.
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