Jordan Brand Introduces the Melo M11

Monday night at Terminal 23 in New York City, Carmelo Anthony and Jordan Brand unveiled Melo’s newest signature sneaker, the Jordan Melo M11. Anthony is Jordan Brand’s most tenured signature athlete, this being his 11th signature model with the brand. For starters, the seven-time All-Star led a small group of media members on a guided tour through the revamped T23 space, completely re-done to reflect Melo’s journey from Brooklyn to Baltimore to Syracuse to Denver to New York, and anywhere and everywhere in between.

It’s fitting that the unveiling went down at Terminal 23, where Melo held a series of pickup runs and workouts over the 2014 summer, as he tried to slim down for the 2014-15 NBA season. Likewise, Jordan made adjustments to this edition of the Melo signature sneaker to slim it down, with a simple, sophisticated look.

Perforations in the upper synthetic leather enhance breathability for the foot, while a webbed strapping system accounts for lockdown. FlightPlate is back this year, with a plate placed directly over a Nike Zoom unit, giving the foot an even bigger explosion point. The heel has a distinctive pattern that is meant to be a repetition of the letter “M.”

Scroll through the the gallery above to see photos of the launch event and the Melo M11 in detail. The Melo M11 is already available for pre-order at Jordan.com, and hits retail shelves on January 3. You can always follow Jordan Brand on Twitter @Jumpman23 for up-to-the-minute updates.

Here’s more detailed info on each specific colorway, from Jordan:

CONCRETE ISLAND (Launching 1/3)

Inspired by the concrete jungle, this colorway of the Jordan Melo M11 juxtaposes the grit and shine of one of the world’s greatest cities. Gray across the forefoot echoes the concrete streets and the detailing on the tongue is a nod to brightly colored graffiti and street art, while a subtly speckled midsole evokes the bright lights of the city that never sleeps.

JORDAN FAMILY (Launching 1/3)

Melo wanted to include a colorway tribute to the Jordan Brand family, who have been with him and supported him throughout his career. Featuring the traditional colorways worn by Michael Jordan — black, red and white — the shoe calls to mind the great Jordan rivalries with New York throughout the 1990s.

RED HOOK SUNSET (Launching 3/1)

Born in the Red Hook projects in Brooklyn, Melo remains inspired by and committed to remembering his roots even as he achieves great personal success in basketball and business. This colorway brings to mind sunsets in Red Hook and early memories of his childhood in the famous New York borough.

BLACK/GOLD (Launching 1/3)

Featuring a simple, premium color scheme, the black/gold colorway has luxury touches, and highlights throughout. As a tribute to his fans, Melo asked the Jordan Brand if he could poll the social media community to name the black/gold shoe, a first ever in the Melo shoe franchise history. Starting today, fans can vote on the name of Melo’s favorite M11 colorway. Voting will take place on @carmeloanthony’s twitter account tonight at 7pm EST.

Images via Jordan