Zion Williamson Helped Jordan Brand Debut The Air Jordan XXXIV

Zion Williamson made waves earlier this summer when he decided to sign a record-setting endorsement deal with Jordan Brand. Williamson, from the moment he entered the 2019 NBA Draft, became the hottest free agent in the apparel world, and amid a bidding process from all the major footwear companies, Jordan came out on top. Now, the New Orleans Pelicans young star is helping the company debut its latest major release.

Jordan unveiled the Air Jordan XXXIV on Saturday. The thing that sticks out about these is that they just look slimmer than past editions — in a release, Jordan said that the 34s got rid of “non-essential material from the tooling and upper” and the introduction of what they call the Eclipse Plate on the bottom of the sneaker.

“Work on this shoe began by collating feedback from the Air Jordan XXXIII,” Jordan Brand designer Tate Kuerbis said in the release. “Athletes noted a desire to improve traction and reduce weight — that became our starting point. We focused on athletes who are playing above the rim and making them more explosive.”

A pair of colorways — one in the red/white/black scheme that has become a signature for the company and one called “Blue Void” — were highlighted. The Blue Voids are slated to drop on Sept. 25, while the Breds will come on Oct. 10.

Williamson, meanwhile, helped debut the shoes in Harlem, tossing them on and doing what he does as well as anyone.

We’ll still wait with bated breath for the Air Zions to drop in the event those come sometime soon, but for now, perhaps we’ll get to see Williamson pull something like this off in the 34s during an NBA game.