No Green Screen Needed: FREE THE YOUTH x Air Jordan 16 SP Tells Its Story Through Handmade Sets

No wires. Not a single frame of CGI. In the images, members of Free The Youth are caught mid-air, leaping in front of hand-painted, hand-built backdrops that echo Ghanaian architecture and traditional print patterns — this is what photographer Ilya Chemetoff captured for the FREE THE YOUTH x Air Jordan 16 SP campaign, and it's exactly the point the collaboration is trying to make.

Jordan Brand and Free The Youth are calling everyone involved in this project "cultural stuntmen." Rather than relying on post-production trickery, every jump was performed for real in the studio, set against scenes drawn from Free The Youth's hometown of Tema, Ghana. Handbuilt sets replace digital backdrops entirely, giving the whole shoot a rough-around-the-edges, tactile authenticity — a fitting nod to the resourcefulness and community-driven creativity Free The Youth has championed since forming in 2016. This marks the latest chapter in the pair's partnership, following their "A Night of Flight" experience in Paris.

As for the shoe itself, the FREE THE YOUTH x Air Jordan 16 SP arrives in a Wolf Grey/Apricot/Black colorway under style code IV7638-001. The Air Jordan 16 silhouette is known for its sharp lines and removable shroud, and this iteration sticks to a muted grayscale base with apricot accents adding just enough contrast.

The release rolls out in two stages: an exclusive drop on freetheyouthxjordan.net on August 1, 2026, followed by a wider release via SNKRS and select retailers on August 15, priced at $255. No word yet on whether it will land in Taiwan.