Hiroshi Fujiwara Shares First Look at Scrapped Fragment x Air Jordan 3 “The Ten” Sample

2017’s “The Ten” Collection from Nike and Virgil Abloh wasn’t always set to be an OFF-WHITE Collaboration. In fact, they gave Fragment Design’s Hiroshi Fujiwara a crack at ten iconic Nike silhouettes, too. Nike ended up riding with Virgil’s reimagined releases, for reasons like silhouette selection, a unique design aesthetic, and — let’s be honest here — his alignment with Kanye West. It was the right call for Nike, a move that reinvigorated the brand who had copped a beating from adidas, and it birthed an entire deconstructed movement in footwear across the board. But that’s not to say that Fujiwara’s efforts weren’t great — they just weren’t the right fit for the time. But what is most intriguing is how the project played out behind the scenes.

Apparently both Virgil Abloh and Hiroshi Fujiwara were tasked with creating their own “The Ten” iterations. No one knew this, even though the Fragment founder was leaking samples sporadically in the lead-up, people didn’t understand the framework until he later revealed that he was tapped for consideration. Years later, we get a first look at his Air Max 1 remake, which seemingly splits the design into two distinct sections. Firstly, the mudguard and sole unit look to arrive unchanged, with the suede upper streamlined into what looks like a one-piece (plus heel overlay) cut. He’s also added an ultra-wide lacing system that may have even served as inspiration for Virgil’s future efforts on the OFF-WHITE Dunks and women’s track and field drops. Capping off the design is a minimized and embroidered lateral Swoosh, added heel pulls that read “THE TEN”, co-branded insoles, and another aspect that’s evidently inspired Virgil’s releases; technical language utilized above the lateral Air bag.