On June 30th, Spike Lee’s iconic Do The Right Thing film turned 30 years old. Not only did the Spike Lee Joint serve as an accurate depiction of Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood at the time, but it featured a number of memorable moments that resonated with sneakerheads both old and young.
Serving as the first ever non-athlete endorser of the Jordan Brand, Lee has been connected with the Jumpman for decades now, whether it be by way of his hybridized Spizike silhouette, his countless courtside moments at the Garden, or his special colorways of existing models. Lee’s relationship with the Jordan Brand can be traced back to 1986, when his Mars Blackmon character became the star of an Air Jordan 3 commercial spot.
"In She’s Gotta Have It, I wore Jordans," Lee says. "Jim Riswold and Bill Davenport who worked at Wieden+Kennedy saw the film and got that deal put in to play Mars together with Michael Jordan, and the rest is history."
Now more than thirty years later, Lee is still heavily involved with the brand and he has even passed the torch down to his son Jackson, the designer of the upcoming Jordan Mars 270. Initially Jackson got involved with the brand when Reggie Saunders, the director of entertainment and marketing at Jordan, and Michael gave him an internship.
"I’m very proud of my son and he continues the history between MJ, Mars, and now the Son of Mars—Second Generation," Lee says.
Equipped with the larger-than-life heel unit of the Air Max 270, this new silhouette throws it back to the golden age of Jordan with clear inspiration from the Air Jordan 1, the Air Jordan IV, the Air Jordan V, and the Air Jordan VI. Earlier this month, Lee himself took to Instagram to give an "early peek" at the new model.
"The other day, like 100 boxes showed up at the house, so I was going through it to get my size," Lee says. "Then I went to Instagram to say how proud of [Jackson] I was."
In the colorway department, the Mars 270 features a number of looks that harken back to the annals of the Jumpman, including "Infrared" versions, Royal Blue-laden varieties in a "Top 3" fashion, and a "Fire Red" makeup. Beyond that, Jackson Lee’s design has earned entrance into Season 2 of Jordan’s collaborative collection with French football powerhouse Paris Saint Germain by way of a predominantly Black/Infrared look.
While no exact release information regarding this fusion creation has surfaced just yet, we do know that it is expected to be unveiled in a number of new colorways this summer. Between 30-plus years of Lee and a bright future for Jackson, the Lee family has made a serious name for itself in the sneaker industry and, more specifically, in the world of Jordan.
"We changed history, I just feel proud to be part of the culture," Lee says.
