The Air Jordan 5 “Grape” is making a comeback this year, but probably not exactly in the way you expected. The iconic original purple color is slated to return in a special edition that pays homage to the person not named Michael Jordan that gave it the most shine back in 1990: Will Smith — or more accurately, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air himself.
At first glance, the new version of the grape colorway, one of the most beloved original Air Jordans not in a Chicago Bulls color scheme, appears to be simply another retro version of the shoe. But look closer and you’ll see some special details.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl-RBEHFYku/?taken-by=sneakerjamz
In a series of early Air Jordan 5 previews shared by Instagram account @sneakerjamz, it’s obvious these new sneakers have no shoelaces. Even if you want laces, you cannot add them because there are no eyelets. This is no factory error but an intentional laceless homage to Smith, who often preferred to wear the Air Jordan 5 with no laces in an attempt to add his own flair.
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A close-up shot of the shoe’s tongue, which is visible in the Instagram photos, also reveals that the tongue is stamped with “West Philadelphia,” a reference to the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” iconic opening theme song.
No official release information for the rumored laceless Air Jordan 5 “Grape” is available yet, but it is expected to be an NRG release from Nike, which means it will likely be available in limited quantities.
