Laika X Air Jordan 15 (Kubo)
UPDATE: For those of you with cash to splash, the for the LAIKA x 'Kubo' are now live.
200 pairs of the limited edition collaboration are up for grabs, each with custom packaging and shoe bags. To further sweeten the deal, ten pairs have been signed by the sneaker's designer – and Air Jordan legend – . A further ten signed by Matthew McConaughey, the star of Kubo and the Two Strings and co-founder of the Just Keep Livin Foundation. You'll need to check the individual auctions to determine whether you are bidding on one of the specially autographed pairs.
The auction description states that a total of 1000 pairs of 'Kubo' AJ15s have been made. With 220 pairs being auctioned off for charity and 250 pairs up for grabs through the online game, we can deduce where 470 of those pairs have been allocated.
This is a charity auction with all proceeds going to the Just Keep Livin Foundation, so head on over to and get bidding.
Nike's partnership with world-class animation studio LAIKA has birthed a new milestone with the reveal of the first ever collaboration. Created in celebration of LAIKA's latest animated feature, Kubo and the Two Strings, the oft-overlooked Air Jordan model has been hit with a drastic split-shoe makeover. Building atop the AJ15's customary woven black base, the left and right shoe each embrace unique embroidery, colour pops and feature materials to convey the contrast between good and evil told in the upcoming film.
For the AJ15's big return, its creator, footwear legend , has taken the silhouette back to the drawing board. Often proclaiming the AJ15 to be his least favourite of all the Air Jordan designs, Hatfield has embraced this surprise return as an opportunity to improve upon the aesthetics OG design. This change has meant the removal of the AJ15's criticised 'elf-boot' tongue, which has been replaced with a sleek zippered collar. OG Jordanheads might consider the change blasphemy, but we here at Sneaker Freaker HQ are digging the redesign hard.
Like with previous LAIKA collaborations, the LAIKA x Air Jordan 15 'Kubo' will be crazy limited and wont be hitting retail accounts. Fortunately, Jordanheads will have a few opportunities to try and secure a pair for their collection. Ticket buyers to 'From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical Laika Experience' opening August 5 at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Globe Theatre, will be given a chance to win a pair. On August 8, the Just Keep Livin Foundation will host a live eBay auction with dozens of pairs up for bidding and all proceeds going towards the foundation's fundraising efforts. that they will be hosting an exclusive giveaway for the coveted kicks in the very near future.
A further 250 pairs will be up for grabs is through an online contest to be hosted at . This time around, the contest will take the form of an online action game called BEAST BATTLE, putting players in the shoes of Kubo in battle against the legendary Moon Beast. The top 250 players will take home a pair of the limited edition Jays. Better brush up on those skills unless you want to fork out big money once these sneaks hit the resale market.
– Originally published August 5, 2016