Spike Lee has been around the Jordan Brand for a long time. His character, Mars Blackmon, debuted in the 1986 film She's Gotta Have It, and Lee has reprised the role in Jordan commercials ever since.
Along the way, Lee designed shoes of his own. On Wednesday, the Jordan Brand debuted the Spike Forty, the third silhouette of the Spike Lee Franchise, following the Jordan Spizike and Jordan Son of Mars.
The Spike Forty takes inspirations from the Air Jordan V, unveiled in 1990 as a game shoe, and sketches made by Jordan designer Tinker Hatfield. The sneaker also pays tribute to Lee's 1990 contract with the Knicks, the team that he has expressed unconditional support for over the last two and a half decades (thus the incorporation of the 1990 Air Jordans).
Two of the four Spike Forty colorways are "total orange" and "game royal." The orange-dominant style launched Wednesday and the blue-dominant style will be released next Nov. 4.
Two Mars Blackmon colorways launch closer to the holiday season. The white/fire red design will go live Nov. 18. The black/fire red anchors the campaign on Dec. 16.
The sneakers have a suggested retail price of $180, and starting Dec. 1, there will be a NikeID option.
It's gotta be da shoes.
-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.
