Puff on This Air Jordan 6 ‘Cigar’ Alternate Sample

Michael Jordan has always had a penchant for cigars, especially after winning a NBA championship – something he developed a bit of a habit for. Back in 2014, Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan 6 ‘Cigar’ and ‘Champagne’ colourways inspired by His Airness’ celebratory consumption. As it turns out, the retail version of the former pair was a little different to its sample, which consummate rare pair collector @englishsole has come across.

Known as a look-see sample, this early version of the AJ6 ‘Cigar’ roughly plotted out the colour and material concept. There are a handful of changes: notably, the upper’s leaf texture is a bit more detailed than the retail version, and there’s a bit more gold on the forefoot eyelet and tongue loop. The midsoles also are considerably different as there’s an extra dab of ‘Infrared’ in the middle, and the heel portion is white, representing a cigar’s label. Beneath that, the midsole appears yellowed, but its amber tone is intentional as there are small brown flecks to nod to cigar wrap. There is also a Jumpman logo on the heel as opposed to the stamped crest.

It’s extremely unlikely these AJ6s will ever re-release – there’s very little, if not no reason to do so. However, it’s an interesting insight into the fact a sneaker’s development isn’t generally a ‘first draft’.