March Madness is about to tip off, and while today’s top teams are competing for college basketball glory, Converse is taking a moment to remember one of the most iconic championship moments in NCAA history.
Ahead of the annual tournament, Converse — not his namesake Jordan Brand — unveiled a look dedicated to NBA icon Michael Jordan‘s college basketball title win in 1982. Rather than give a new look to an Air Jordan, the heritage athletic label — with the help of Tinker Hatfield and Dan Sunwoo — reimagined its classic Pro Leather silhouette for the “Birth of Michael Jordan” iteration.
“MJ was wearing the Converse Pro Leather in the 1982 championship. He is often quoted as saying he felt he became Michael Jordan in that moment,” Hatfield said in a statement. “To signify the birth of MJ, I had the Converse logo fade out and the Jumpman appear.”
Jordan wore the Pro Leather style during the 1982 tournament, and for this particular iteration of the shoe, Converse added Jumpman to the upper instead of its typical Star Chevron.
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Also, on the look’s left heel is a nod to Jordan and North Carolina’s shorts in 1982, and on the right shoe is a reference to the 2017 championship team’s now-well-known argyle pattern. (Converse also said the shoe is in recognition of the North Carolina’s championship win in 2017.)
If you’re looking to pick up a pair, your chances of doing so are slim to none. Pairs of the Converse Pro Leather “Birth of Michael Jordan” will be gifted to the current North Carolina team and friends and family of both the school and Jordan Brand.
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