Jordan honors Carmelo Anthony's childhood in Baltimore with Melo M12
To add a little design inspiration for Carmelo Anthony’s 12th signature sneaker from Jordan, the brand dipped into Anthony’s childhood days at “the dungeon,” a recreation center in Baltimore where the Knicks star grew up and focused on basketball.
With the unveiling of the Jordan Melo M12, Anthony wanted to step back and look at the importance of experiencing the journey, paying tribute to his youth and the lessons he learned along the way. You can see this tribute to his Baltimore upbringing on the Melo M12 most notably on the rear of the shoe, where graphic overlays provide a mural of sorts to Anthony’s life.
Courtesy of Jordan Brand
From a technical point of view, the Melo M12 continues down the track of turning more lightweight and flexible with a mesh upper, asymmetrical webbing loops and a pared-down heel and ankle design. Jordan opted for zoned cushioning around the ankle with four foam pads to pinpoint support for Anthony.
For underfoot cushioning, two Zoom Air units combine with the Jordan FlightSpeed technology designed to compress and deflect with the movement of the foot, all geared toward a low-profile feel, the company says. Of course, the brightly colored pink, blue and orange sole gives a bit of extra life to the largely black colorway.
Expect the Melo M12 to release Jan. 2, 2016, in its debut colorway, with more options coming throughout the spring, with our without the dungeon theme.
Tim Newcomb covers stadiums, sneakers and technology for Sports Illustrated. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.
