The prolific Jordan Brand collaborator brought four pairs of his Air Jordan sneakers, all but one of which were well worn. Brand new was his Air Jordan 1 Highs from 2018, an edition Sylvester said he’s probably worn through four pairs already. Lest you haven’t seen his range, he also brought a pair of chic Celine loafers.

What follows are his own words from the show-and-tell exercise.

Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 1 High (2018) 

“This is what started off my relationship with Jordan Brand. It was inspired by how my shoes naturally get beat up when I’m out bike riding and was modeled after a pair of AJ1 “Shadows” that I used to ride in constantly. They were beat down to the ground.

We mimicked the distressing marks from that “Shadow” AJ1 and applied them onto the shoe. We took the lateral Swoosh off and added these lines to symbolize me trying to draw the Swoosh back on because I was killing the sneaks. The medial one is 3M, which is really cool. And it says Jordan Biking Co., established in 2017, which is when we first started designing the shoe.”

Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 RM “Grandma’s Driveway” (2024) 

“This shoe is so significant because it’s the first time we put “Bike Air” on a shoe. and released it to the public.

“I fell in love with bicycle riding in my grandma’s driveway in Jamaica, Queens, and that moment changed my life forever. Being able to tell such an intimate story on a shoe of this caliber was amazing because it allowed me to relive that moment, draw inspiration and reflect on how far I’ve come.

It was also a bit of a challenge because it’s the first time we released an AJ4 RM. We all know releasing a new model can be kind of scary, but I’m grateful for the opportunity and happy the world loved it.”

Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 “Brick by Brick” (2025) 

“Several months later, we released the ‘Brick by Brick.’ It’s inspired by the mantra ‘brick by brick,’ which means to gradually and carefully build something with, which I felt resonate tremendously as I carefully an gradually build my career as a professional BMX athlete.

Also, it’s a tribute to New York City. I was thinking about New York City and was like, ‘What’s a color that is very dominant in the city that doesn’t get highlighted in the way it should.’ That reddish-orange brick is everywhere. It lines our homes, our schools, our institutions, our parks. Beyond the color, it’s part of the structural fabric of New York City. So that’s why this shoe means so much to me, and I feel that’s why it resonated with so many people, first in New York City, but also around the world.”

Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 1 Low “Better With Time” (2025) 

“This is a continuation of my first AJ1, and I wanted to dive a little bit deeper into the storytelling. ‘Better With Time’ represents the things we care about, things we love, things we value. I wanted to represent family, friends, our favorite vintage T-shirt, vintage car or even a good bottle of wine.

It has the ‘Bike Air’ Swoosh lock-up, which the original one doesn’t. So we added that to continue the storytelling. I feel like this shoe is an extension of a lot of things that I represent, a lot of things that are important to me. So I’m very excited about this is coming soon.”

Celine Luco Triumphe Loafer

“This is my definition of ‘sophisticated rebel,’ which is the energy I intend to [show] the world every single day. You can dress these up, down. These are my go-tos when I’m not in my AJ1s — obviously not when I’m riding my bike because there’s no grip on the loafer.

Style and fashion and self expression through garments is something that’s very important to me. I look at it as a medium for me to create and for me to have a conversation. So, you know, the Celine loafer represents the other side of Nigel Sylvester.”