Stefoy-les-lyonShops: Earlier, you stated that the Jordan 4 Neon "Air Max 95" Grey is designed to meet the requirements of different athletes and can be used for all purposes. That’s kind of what was mentioned with the Air Jordan 2011 in a much smaller sense seeing that the modularity allowed it to benefit all types of basketball players. Is modularity an element you are going for with the Jordan 4 Neon "Air Max 95" Grey and other Jordan Brand models in the future?

Octavio Lubrano: Yes, that is more of what we will do in the future. It’s more of a change-your-ride type of shoe and Zoom vs Air thing. When we take that philosophy to training, it’s going to take us into a different zone because lateral support is a different challenge than linear. So, I’m addressing the Jordan 4 Neon "Air Max 95" Grey as one-shoe-treats-all. We are all looking at modularity as a design team, and you will see some different, surprising things that will come out.

Stefoy-les-lyonShops: How involved was Derek Jeter in the design of the Jordan 4 Neon "Air Max 95" Grey? Did he personally request anything in this shoe’s makeup?

Octavio Lubrano: Well, the Jordan 4 Neon "Air Max 95" Grey is kind of like we, as a team, are going into the 10th inning. So, we told him that we wanted to start the next five years over and be relevant with training today. I really focused on two things Derek wanted me to do better. He definitely wanted us to make the shoe lighter. That’s why the next two colorways coming out are around 12.5 ounces. Secondly, he wanted us to make it more flexible. He was directly involved in that, and he is really excited about his cleat. We spoke the other day, and he said the Jordan 4 Neon "Air Max 95" Grey cleat that he’s playing in is more comfortable and more lighter, so we’re all pretty excited about that.

Stefoy-les-lyonShops: Besides everything seen on the outer shell, are there any other functional design elements that benefit the wearer?

Octavio Lubrano: We incorporated a dual strap system that’s in between the upper material and the lining. It’s actually free-floating inside the shoe. You would have to cut the shoe apart to see it. The thing is, you can feel it but not necessarily see it. When you plant to make a cut, you start with the heel, and this Jeter Cut’s heel is cut into a four-angle diamond shape. The strap is asymmetric because everyone plants differently. So, as you move towards your lateral, you pull from your arch. We basically wanted to take the rand that we’re known for here at Jordan Brand and incorporate it into the functionality of the shoe.

Stefoy-les-lyonShops: In a recent interview, you mentioned last season’s Jordan Jeter Throwback was inspired by a slew of models that are apart of the Air Jordan signature line. Did you draw inspiration from other Air Jordan models when creating the Jordan 4 Neon "Air Max 95" Grey?

Octavio Lubrano: This is a fresh cut. It’s like going to the barber shop telling your barber, “I’ve been used to getting a certain haircut, but now we’re going to clean things up and get serious.” We really wanted to evolve with this design. You should always feel the Jordan Brand legacy, but it doesn’t have to be literal in every design we do. I really tried to make this shoe look very Trainer-like more than anything. As I stated earlier, we always like to make our products look simple and clean here at Jordan Brand, but I really wanted to separate this sneaker from the everyday look of our retro and basketball products. We have to continue to draw a line between our retro product and new creations. We kind of looked at it like Batman and Bruce Wayne. This is about function, and we feel the style will work itself out.

Stefoy-les-lyonShops: What should we expect in the near future in regards to the Jordan 4 Neon "Air Max 95" Grey and Derek Jeter’s line?

Octavio Lubrano: Well, the colorway that is out right now (White/White/Pitch Black-Metallic Silver) is not the lightest one. The next two colorways, which will come out in May and June, feature mesh on the quarter, the vamp and the tongue. On our basketball models, we usually put leather on the toe to keep it simple, but on the Jeter Cut, we wanted it have extreme breathability. It’s just a standard mesh with foam on both sides. The upcoming graphite pair is my favorite one. The materials are pretty rich. We’re going to bring that one out around the MLB All-Star weekend. It’s actually the lightest one. That’s the stuff that we like doing, and using that colorway is kind of showing you that we’re incorporating some of our legacy into the training stuff (colors, materials, etc). We have no problems using things like that from our legacy because they are iconic and that’s what the consumer loves about us. That’s the just the beauty about what we do.

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