Don't Sleep On These: Air Jordan 7 “Chambray”
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By Stadium Goods |Don't Sleep On These: Air Jordan 7 “Chambray”
The history of the “Chambray” Jordan 7, why it shouldn’t be overlooked, and why it should be in your collection right now.
Matt DeSciora
Air Jordans helped create the culture that exists in sneakers. From the Air Jordan 1 to the Air Jordan 3 and Air Jordan 4 up to the Air Jordan 11, and pretty much every other classic Jordan shoe that’s been in commercials, movies, music videos, and in all of the memorable moments in NBA history and more recently, the hyped collaborations, Jordan sneakers have been the backbone of our culture over the last thirty-plus years.
But with that being said, not all Jordan models and/or colorways have received the same amount of love by the sneaker community. Some releases, like the subject of this blog post, the Air Jordan 7 “Chambray,” have been slept-on in a big way. But we’re hoping to change that with the introduction of “Don’t Sleep On These,” a series that shines a light onto some of the most overlooked and underappreciated Jordans in the line's history.
The Jordan 7 “Chambray” debuted in 2006 during a time when Jordan Brand was bringing back classic models in “lifestyle” (or Retro+ colorways, as they were known at the time). These colorways didn’t necessarily have any ties to Jordan’s former teams like the Chicago Bulls or Washington Wizards, but were instead a casual alternative to the Bulls-friendly designs released by Nike in the 1980s and 1990s. The “Chambray” colorway was one of the Jordan 7’s first non-original looks. Only one non-OG Jordan 7 had been released before 2006, the classic “French Blue” edition from 2002. 2006 would turn out to be arguably the best year ever for the Air Jordan 7 (apart from 1992, of course), as the classic “Flint” and “Citrus” colorways also released alongside the “Chambray” that year.
In all honesty, we’re not really sure why the “Chambray” didn’t receive the same amount of love as other non-original Jordan colorways did at the time of its release—especially since it has a similar look to the always popular “UNC” color story. Maybe the fact that it wasn’t released in limited quantities on Jordan Brand’s former Jumpman23 website like the Air Jordan 4’s “Thunder & Lightning” pack, or designed by an artist like Eminem or a brand like Undefeated, two of the most hyped Jordan collaborators of the 2000s, had something to due with the “Chambray’s” slept-on status. But whatever the reason is, that may not be the case for much longer.
That’s because Jordan Brand just brought back the Jordan 7 “Chambray” for the first time since its initial release 17 years ago. The modern version of the “Chambray” features the same look as the original pair from ‘06, including the same black nubuck construction with “Chambray” blue details on the Jumpman on the collar, the “23” branding on the heel, and the accents on the midsole. With the hype surrounding “UNC” colorways still going strong, we anticipate there will be a new appreciation for the “Chambray” this time around.