Air Jordan 17 Low Returns in Patent Leather, Swaps Croc Tongue for Perf Leather

This Air Jordan 17 Low update isn't about the colorway — it's about the most overlooked detail of the shoe: the tongue.

When the black leather version first dropped in 2002, its tongue featured croc-embossed texturing that matched the shoe's understated, businesslike vibe. The upcoming "Black Patent" version swaps the original smooth leather for glossy patent leather across the board, keeping the same black color-blocking and chrome-silver details — but the tongue now comes in perforated leather instead of the croc embossing. It's essentially the same shoe with a different way of catching light, minus the material that aged it the most.

The Air Jordan 17 Retro Low SP "Black Patent" launches first in Europe on August 8, priced at $245 under style code IV7640-001, as a limited release. The brand has also teased another colorway, Black/Black/Metallic Silver, which will see a wider global release later on.

Air Jordan 1 through 14 have always been Jordan Brand's go-to models for retros, while later numbers like the 17 rarely get much attention. But the tide seems to be shifting this year: this holiday season's Black Pack will pair the Air Jordan 17 Low in stingray leather alongside the Air Jordan 14 Low, 15, and 16. Come February next year, during NBA All-Star Weekend, the 17 is set to retro its original 2002 "College Blue" colorway for the first time. Around the same period, the Air Jordan 16 will also drop a collaborative release with Ghanaian brand Free the Youth.

Whether it'll land in Taiwan, and an exact release date, have yet to be announced.