Image: Chris Gibbs

Sneaker Design in Action

Jordan Brand is looking toward the next generation of footwear designers. Through the Jordan Design Studio, eight finalists from eight cities around the world are paired with eight mentors from the Jordan family to reinterpret the Air Jordan 1 through a new creative lens.

For the Los Angeles finalist, Jordan Brand tapped one of the strongest names in the space: Union LA’s Chris Gibbs.

In an Instagram post announcing his role as a Jordan Design Studio mentor, Gibbs added an extra slide that gave sneaker fans a look at something unexpected — never-before-seen Union LA x Air Jordan 4 samples.

With the Guava Ice 4s sitting up front, the photo shows several alternate sample colorways in the background. One pair combines tan and grey tones with green accents, while another leans into a blue and yellow palette that almost feels Golden State Warriors-adjacent. Behind that, another tan and grey base appears with a black ankle collar and yellow branding hits.

What Could Have Been

That is what makes the photo interesting. These are not just random pairs on a table — they are part of the design process that eventually led to the Union LA x Air Jordan 4s that actually released.

The final pairs were polarizing at first, especially with the folded tongue and unconventional color blocking, but they have aged into one of the more memorable Jordan collaborations of the last few years. Seeing the samples makes that story even better because it shows how much gets tested before a final pair makes it to the public.

You have to break a few eggs to make the perfect collab omelet, and this behind-the-scenes look at Gibbs’ process is a reminder that strong design usually comes from trying ideas that never make the shelf.

Union LA x Air Jordan 4 Sample Details

The Union LA x Air Jordan 4 pairs shown by Gibbs are samples, so do not expect them to appear on Union shelves anytime soon.

For collectors, that might be the point. Samples sit in a different lane because they show what could have been. They carry the story before the story — the alternate versions, the scrapped colors, and the design decisions that helped shape the final release.

The Stashed Angle

For Stashed, this is the kind of archive moment worth watching. Union LA’s Air Jordan 4 project already proved that risky design can age well, and these samples only add more depth to the collaboration.

Not every sample needs to release to matter. Sometimes, seeing what stayed behind closed doors makes the pairs that did release feel even stronger.