Aside from sneakers, custom sneakers are likely one of the most lucrative markets out there. With plenty of creative artists who are bringing their own visions to life and artists who create sneakers for the customers commissioning from them, the possibilities are endless. Bringing his own vision to life, John Trottier has done it again, creating a gorgeous pair of sneakers with the J Balvin “RIO”-Inspired Air Jordan 1 sneakers.
Gorgeous J Balvin “RIO”-Inspired Air Jordan 1 Sneakers
With the gorgeous J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 “Rio” sneakers said to be released soon, it should be no surprise that artists worldwide have wondered what this gorgeous design would look like on different Nike silhouettes.
It didn’t take long for the brilliant John Trottier of @johnnyskicks_ fame to transfer the gorgeous design, with a few twists, to the Air Jordan 1 silhouette. To say that magic happened would be an understatement.
Trottier started the sneakers off from the bottom with a beautiful deep orange rubber outsole, topped by a matte black midsole.
From there, the upper moves in a completely different direction, with plenty of upper elements following suit from the midsole in plain black. The plain black elements include the toe box, the entire lace unit, the tongue, laces, the quarter of the sneakers and the Nike Swoosh.
A welcomed pop of light covers the mudguard and the area around the ankle with some white and grey elephant-print leather, a very clever nod to the original Air Jordan 3 silhouette, famous for including elephant-print leather.
That leaves the heel and ankle area gorgeously covered in the sunset-ombre effect that inspired the original J Balvin “Rio” pair, with a subtle ombre that transitions from a deep purple to reds, oranges, and ultimately yellow at the base of the heel.
They are gorgeous sneakers and a testament to Trottier’s impeccable work. Still, the sneakers are even more stunning as a tribute to the original. With elements that reference the original but also work perfectly with the design, you couldn’t ask for a better pair of sneakers.
Not Just Air Jordan 1s
If the Air Jordan 1 version of these gorgeous J Balvin “RIO”-Inspired sneakers isn’t quite your thing, Trottier has made an entire collection of different silhouettes with the same inspiration. Take a look at the entire collection on his Instagram post, which includes a pair that was clearly inspired by the Nike SB Dunk Low Pro x Grateful Dead collaboration, another that has taken some pages out of the Union x Air Jordan 1 High OG Woven playbook, a pair of modified sacai x Nike LDWaffle sneakers and even a pair of modified Air Force 1 Low sneaker.
The best part about custom sneakers is that they are sometimes one-of-a-kind artworks, but you can still own your own pair. Keep an eye on @johnnyskicks_ and his other profiles to see when they drop sneakers or open their commissions.
Would you wear these J Balvin “RIO”-Inspired Air Jordan 1 sneakers?
