How Nigel Sylvester Literally Built His Massive Jordan Collab Brick by Brick (EXCLUSIVE)
Nigel Sylvester, Jordan Brand's first-ever BMX athlete, is also currently its main man. He was the talent tapped to debut Nike's sneakerhead-dividing, skate-ish Jordan 4 remake sneaker, the Air Jordan 4 RM. Now, he’s taking on the OG Nike Air Jordan 4, and the sportswear giant is quite literally rolling out the red carpet for Sylvester’s literally fire new colorway.
Sylvester's smooth leather Jordan 4 is called "Brick by Brick" and it appropriately wears a brick-hued color scheme, officially (and maybe a tad confusingly) named "Firewood Orange." It’s a pretty shoe for sure. But it’s always more than that.
Sylvester’s latest AJ4 is a story about NYC's infrastructure, personal resiliency, and Sylvester’s quest to shape his future with bar spins and bunny hops. The “Brick by Brick” shoe is also a rather clever play on words, as the slang term "brick" refers to things that don't do well (internet folk might say "flop"). Sylvester's AJ4 sneakers are shaping up to be quite the opposite, looking to be one of the biggest sneaker collaborations of 2025.
The Jordan Brand has gone all in to make Sylvester’s latest release a huge deal, almost in the same vein as the label’s carefully-executed “Banned” campaign. The massive rollout began with a bespoke Nigel Sylvester x Jordan truck rolling through NYC, resembling a giant red brick on wheels, laying the foundation for another Sylvester banger. It was followed by a slick spoken word performance, called "Nigel's Frame of Mind,” where musicians Murda Mook and Loaded Lux spit effortless rhymes back and forth, one cleverly breaking down Sylvester’s mindset at 20-years-old and the other detailing the BMX rider’s current POV.
Finally, Sylvester got his own mom-and-pop shop for a day, hosting a pop-up store in Queen's Colosseum Mall. He named the space "Ann & Sons" as an homage to his mother, who used to take Sylvester and his brother to the shopping center when they were younger. The event, which offered early access to Sylvester’s latest Jordan goodies, packed out the block.
There was also a dinner-turned-runway show that unveiled both the “Brick by Brick” Air Jordan 4 sneaker and Sylvester's first-ever clothing offering with Jordan Brand, garments that also (surprise, surprise) hold deeper meaning.
"It was important to me that the world got to see the collection in motion for the first time. Motion and movement is such a big part of my brand," Sylvester tells me. "People have seen me in motion my entire career and life, so it was important that people got to experience that in the way it's intended to be digested."
Sylvester previously created a denim capsule with Levi's and seasonal collections for his own brand, Go, but he admits that this Jordan offering is his first time working with "this level" of fabrication, proportions, and shapes.
Sylvester's Jordan clothing collection, currently available on Nike’s SNKRS app, includes crisp flare trousers, AJ4-inspired nylon jackets, thick tees, and graphic-heavy jerseys stamped with his unmistakable Bike Air logo and infused with even more intelligent detailing. For instance, Sylvester’s phone also thinks it can fly: While the BMX rider is flipping mid-air, his devices often slip free of his pants pockets, heading straight into the stratosphere (and then the ground). Sylvester’s simple solution? Deep, zippered pockets cut with anatomical ease. And, for added airflow, most of the collection wears breathable paneling.
Part of the power fueling Sylvester's Jordan collaborations is the remarkable access the athlete gets to Jordan touchstones. For instance, Sylvester is debuting a never-before-seen Jordan 4 colorway dreamed up exclusively for this collaboration. But on a bigger level, Sylvester’s sneakers gain potency through intent. His collaborative Nike Jordan Air Ship, the first project to bear the "Bike Air" logo, came in a vintage-style blue and white colorway, drawing inspiration from the Queens’ flag (Queens is home for Sylvester). His Jordan 4 RM sneakers take us back to his grandmother’s house, where he first fell in love with biking.
Sylvester’s Air Jordan 4 "Brick by Brick" sneaker unravels the in-between. Rather than focusing on a particular moment, Sylvester's new shoe is dedicated to the intangible labor of his hard work. The shoe definitely looks good but this AJ4 is devoted to Sylvester’s grind, the diligent journey from his grandma’s driveway to the Jordan Brand. Sylvester’s Jordan 4 is just another (admittedly pretty) building block in a career shaped brick by brick.
Sylvester’s still writing his story, of course, and he wants to keep growing his Jordan Brand partnership to be more, as he puts it, “disruptive in a positive way.” Nike is clearly along for Sylvester’s ride. After all, hardly any Nike partners can say they have their own instantly recognizable logo (based on the iconic “Nike Air” branding or not), let alone an enormous campaign push that’s nearly on the same level of the return of the Jordan shoe that started it all.
During our Zoom call, Sylvester asked something that made me think: "Who would've thought that a BMX rider would be in this position at Jordan Brand?"
It does sound crazy. But, then again, replace the words “BMX rider” with “basketball player” and you could’ve said the same sentence in 1984, the year Michael Jordan signed with Nike. Who would've thought an NBA player would shape a Nike line that would forever change the sneaker game?
Another throughline connecting Sylvester and Jordan: The best, most lasting Jordan Brand's sneakers are both classic designs and tacit references to Jordan's most memorable moments. The “Lucky Shorts” 3s are a super clean sneaker inspired by MJ's blue practice shorts worn under nearly every game-day uniform, while the “Flu Game” 12s recall the story of Jordan putting on one of his best performances while down with a flu-level virus.
"When you look at the Jordan Brand, it's a reflection of MJ's super-iconic life and career and an extension of his DNA,” says Sylvester. “He was relentless, creative, and had that flash. He did so many amazing things and achieved so much. His focus was on winning and being the best he can be. I feel like I embody a lot of those same things. We share these values and the same goals."
