Aaron Hope 
The Air Jordan VII represents the fusion of Nike’s Huarache series with influences derived from African tribal art, the latter of which in particular contributed lines that make this one of the most intricate and thus blocking option-heavy designs in the entire Air Jordan Legacy. The Sevens played with wild color schemes in a way that’d previously only been hinted by standouts like the ‘Grape’ AJ5, and two of the most memorable OGs are marked by their purples among a series of other bright pops against black nubuck. A fiercer and more Bulls-friendly expression of this colorful envelope pushing than the ‘Bordeaux’ pair retroed last year is this Air Jordan 7 we’ve come to know in recent years as the ‘Raptors’. They come off like a classic Playoff-time Jordan but the select purple hits and just a taste of yellow on the sole makes these every bit the ’92 flashback-inducing time capsule piece as ‘Baby Got Back’. Are these ‘too sexy’ to pass during an Olympic summer where we’ll be getting not only a few other AJ7s but also a ton of other Air Jordan heat? We’ve ‘Save[d] the Best for Last’ with some nice new close-ups after the jump, so click through and let us know where these rank on your summertime shopping list. Photos: Marquee Sole
Air Jordan VII
Black/True Red-Dark Charcoal-Club Purple
304775-018
09/01/12
