Air Jordan Ceramic VII

The Air Jordan VII’s hold a very special place in my heart.  I would say from my childhood they were probably the most popular shoe kids owned.  I think everyone had a pair of the bordeux’s.  They are also the first sneaker I associate with Warner Brothers.  I think the reason is because when the VII’s released, it was when Wieden + Kennedy started doing Air Jordan Bugs Bunny commercials.  Those ad’s were so captivating and really developed the mystic around Michael Jordan.  I also liked how they featured Marvin the Martian as the villain.

My first retro of VII’s were the Ceramic VII’s that released in April 2006.  I bought the shoes because I really loved the colorway.  A unique feature of the VII’s has been the African tribial art inspired tongue, which really paired nicely with the Ceramic’s use of colors.  The only problem of course was that they didn’t really match with anything.  Not that I’m one of those coordinated guys, but the colour just seemed out of place when worn.  The shoes are really comfortable and fit me true to size. The over-all quality of these sneakers is top notch with nice thick leather that is durable.  I like leather in shoes because you don’t have to worry about scratches or smudges like you do when you wear nubuck or suede.  There is also very little paint used on this sneaker, which means you don’t have to worry about chipping; like you do with the III’s or VIII’s.  These shoes are excellent and one of the best retro plus sneakers released from the mid 2000’s from Jordan Brand.

Brand: Air Jordan

Name: Air Jordan VII, Air Jordan 7, Ceramic VII

Year: 2006

Product Code: 304775-281

Additional: Had LS (lifestyle) clothing that matched the shoes, released in a black and grey Air Jordan box, and featured a black and white retro card.

Air Jordan:

www.jumpman23.com

Air Jordan 1 Super Mario Bros.

To celebrate their 30^th anniversary, I think Jordan Brand should release a special edition Air Jordan 1 featuring Super Mario Bros.  Both the Air Jordan 1 (unofficially) and Super Mario Bros. were released in 1985, and I have been a fan of both Nintendo and Nike since then.  Beyond sharing a birthday together they also share a name; Super Mario was initially called “Jumpman”, the same name of Jordan Brand’s logo.

Air Jordan Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Jordan

Super Mario Bros. Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros.

Air Jordan 23 XX3

The Air Jordan 23 was the last official Jordan signature sneaker I bought on release day.  Jordan Brand did an excellent job building up to its release.  Sneaker forums were still pretty new and the anticipation they provided for how great the sneakers would be made me interested in them from the beginning.  Then the media press conference that featured both Michael Jordan and Tinker Hatfield was icing on the cake.  The XX3’s felt important and the hype that surrounded it reminded me of the wonderful years I experienced with the first Air Jordan releases.

The shoes were designed by Tinker Hatfield, who wanted to make an eco-friendly sneaker that didn’t rely heavily on toxic and harmful glues.  The result was a sneaker that merged utilitarian stitching with elegant embroidered design in its construction.  Tinker, who is known for hidden details even added Michael Jordan’s initials in the stitching pattern.  To finish off the shoes Tinker added Jordan’s thumb print to the bottom soles, a feature that not only is creative but is also practical as it provides traction on the floor.

The version I own is the black, varsity red “stealth” colorway released in 2008.  The toe box and tongue use a superior quality suede that makes it luxurious. A simple yet aesthetically pleasing feature that I like, is the bright red thread that mergers the uppers with the sole.  Although the shoes are beautifully designed, my only complaint about them is that the toe box is too tight.  The shoes fit like a glove causing people with wide feet (such as myself), to have pain on their pinky toes.  I prefer comfort over style, so unfortunately I can’t recommend these Jordan’s if you have wide feet.

Brand: Air Jordan

Name: Air Jordan 23, Air Jordan XX3, Stealth 23's

Year: 2008

Product Code: 318376-001

Additional: Designed by Tinker Hatfield, Considered the last of the Air Jordan signature sneakers

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp5rgg4po-k

Air Jordan V "Fire Red" 2012

I didn't think I would buy another Jordan again, but these were so easy to get I couldn't pass on them.  I just walked into the store and asked for my size and they brought them out.  I guess my luck was based on the aftermath of the Christmas holiday and how broke that left people.  Sneaker collecting is seriously getting crazy with how many different shoes are releasing.  I know when I first started officially collecting, I wanted to buy as many sneakers as possible.  But back then all I cared about was Air Jordan retro’s.  Over time I did grow my collection to include other sneakers, but it was never as crazy as it is now. 

Today there are at least 15 pairs of sneakers a month that I really want.  Obliviously not having the money to buy them is what’s stopping me from getting them.  But at the same time, the need to buy them all has also subsided.  This has been the result of not investing too much time on sneaker websites to find out about the latest releases, and also being a little jaded with seeing the same thing being retroed over and over again.  It’s like once you own the sneaker you have been wanting for years, and then you see it be retroed again in 2-4 years that excitement to get it isn’t there anymore.  So for me, it’s more of a case where I have all the sneakers I wanted as a kid, and I’m happy with what I have and don’t need to look elsewhere.

From this point on if I do get a pair of Air Jordan’s it’s going to be a pair that I don’t already have.  The Air Jordan V white/fire red/black colorway has been a sneaker I have wanted for years, but had passed up on previously because I didn’t like the versions that had released (23 on the side, or patent leather.. gross).  These are probably my favorite Air Jordan's of all time because of how much I wanted them as a kid.  In my opinion the 2013 retro is made pretty well, I really like the quality of leather, and how it was stitched together.  Overall I’m satisfied with this release because it was easy to get, besides the Jumpman on the back it was true to the original, and because the quality was better than previous Jordan Brand retros.

The Air Jordan V fire red 2013 retro was released on January 26^th, 2013.  They feature a reflective 3M tongue, a P51 mustang fighter jet shark teeth design on the mid-sole, clear soles (the 2013 featuring a blue tint), and red lace locks. The colors used on these V’s are white, fire red and black, they also came packaged in a retro box.  My pair are deadstock, are a size 10.5, and the style number is 136027-100. 

Air Jordan:

www.jumpman23.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0A0ObmtDzQ

Air Jordan VIII Retro Aquas

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the Aqua VIII’s is the Kanye West video for “The Good Life.”  I think it’s because of a mix of many things; the music video has the same colors featured in the sneaker, the Graduation CD released around that same time so I was really digging that song, and also because Kanye wore the Aqua’s to many places.  It’s such a beautiful sneaker and one of Tinker Hatfield’s greatest masterpieces.

The Aqua VIII’s were first retroed back in 2007, and sold for $140 US.  They fit true to size, and came in a black and grey sneaker box with a retro card included.  The shoes were very close to the original except for the color placement of the bottom sole.  The only complaint I’ve heard about these sneakers are that the paint on the midsole can chip easily.  Other than that these sneakers are a great release from Jordan Brand, and have sky-rocketed in re-sale value.

I bought my pair through a friend, after waiting years for Jordan Brand to retro these.  I remember how popular these were, when I was a child; though the Playoffs were much more common.  I just always loved these sneakers because of the carpet like Jumpman logo on the tongue, and the straps that were placed on the sides that would come across the laces (probably a useless feature).  These were the type of sneakers that would make you think you could play better because of them.  Unfortunately I wanted to wait a little longer until I did a blog post on these sneakers, but a friend of mine really wanted to buy them.  I ended up trading them, so I was unable to take better pictures of them.  The good news is that rumour has it Jordan Brand does plan to release these again.

Air Jordan:

www.jumpman23.com

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-oQ9_s_Bdk

Air Jordan Chambray VII

The Air Jordan Chambray VII’s were released in February 2006, and came with a black and white retro card.  I really miss the days when Jordan Brand would include retro cards.  I assume they stopped putting them in because retro sneakers weren’t as limited as before.  Now you get a retro Jordan every month, so there’s no need to add an additional item with a release.  Not many people cared for the card when it stopped being included, but I did.  I just felt a special attachment to the artwork and photos when I would look at them.  It’s like it would remind me of the ‘good-old days’ when Air Jordan’s were the best sneakers.

Today, I have a different opinion of the Brand and the sneakers.  Not that I think they’re producing garbage, but is just not the same quality.  I do however still treasure the sneakers that I have in my collection.  The pair I’m reviewing for this post are the Air Jordan Chambray VII.  I bought them back in 2006 after many months of waiting for them.  I would look at websites that would show pictures of the shoes before the release and I would save up to get them.  It kind sucked that I was broke at the time because I also wanted the Flint VII’s, but could only afford one pair, so I went with the Chambray`s which I don`t regret.

The shoes are made with black nubuck and feature chambray (a powder blue), white and grey accents throughout the shoe.  The item number for these sneakers is 304775 042.  According to Tinker Hatfield he got design inspirations for the shoe from African tribe artwork.  The triangles are a real nice touch, and I really love the circles on the soles which act as traction for the shoe.  The laces are thin but come with lace tips that are painted chrome which shine when light hits them.  Though this is a retro, the overall silhouette of the sneaker is still faithful to the original VII’s.  This is an excellent release and I highly recommend them if you plan on getting them.

Air Jordan:

www.jumpman23.com

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s_AJ2BfVKM

Old Love New Love

I started collecting deadstock (never worn) sneakers around 2005 when I first became aware of the Air Jordan XX.  I was reading a magazine when I came upon a Michael Jordan ad featuring his latest Air Jordan’s.  I hadn’t been interested in Air Jordans since the XI’s, so I had assumed that the line had died off after he retired the second time.  This magazine ad peaked my curiosity because it brought back childhood memories of sneakers as a kid.  Back in those days, I remember Air Jordans and Nike being so amazing and yet I took them for granted and never assumed that as an adult I would want to own them again.  I would simply get a new pair of sneakers and dirty them up as soon as possible.  I guess that’s why they’re so sentimental to me now, because I actually enjoyed them until they fell off my feet.

Fast-forward to 2005, and I went to the sneaker store to buy myself my first pair of Air Jordan’s.  Unfortunately they didn’t have my size so I had to go online (which was my first time looking for shoes on the internet), and try to find a pair.  To my surprise I came upon a vast collection of websites dedicated to sneakers and Air Jordans.  Over the next several weeks I dedicated myself to learning all about the sneakers I had missed out on since the Air Jordan XI’s.  What excited me the most through my research was when I found out that Jordan Brand and Nike would retro sneakers from the past.  These were sneakers I had always wanted, sneakers I had owned, and sneakers I had never known existed.  Truth be told until that time the only Air Jordans I had ever known about were the III’s-XI’s.

Knowledge is power; is an excellent quote to remember when entering a new hobby.  All I knew at that point was that I wanted to buy all the Air Jordans that were retroed.  Lamentably around that same time period, the DMP packaged released and I didn’t even know about it.  I felt terrible after because I had loved both those shoes in that package and was even willing to pay $500 to get them (luckily I didn’t).  I did however promise myself that the next package that Jordan Brand would release I would buy.  That package was the Old Love New Love package, a.k.a. OLNL pack, and Beginning Moments Pack, BMP pack.  They were going to be my first Air Jordan I’s and my first package.  I assumed that the package gimmick would only be used once in a while and the shoes would be well made.  Oh how little did I know.

My thoughts on the package are that I pretty much hated it from the beginning.  They’re not the same height as the original black toes, they don’t come with a Nike Air logo and instead have a Jumpman logo, they crease easily (after one wear), and the leather isn’t as thick as the originals.  While I do recognize that Jordan Brand wanted to release a package that was different from other releases, I also felt cheated because I had to settle for the only sneaker that came close to the original Air Jordan 1’s at that time.  It’s not so much that the sneakers are terrible, but it’s that I wanted to own a pair close to the OG’s and any substitute would not satisfy.  The positive aspects of the shoes are that the insoles have been upgraded and are comfortable, the shoe paper is lasered (similar to the CDP’s), and the shoe box was nicely designed.  (Speaking of the shoe box, I am also providing a picture of the box with Jordan’s back beside a photograph of him wearing the #45.  This has always made me assume that the picture on the box must have been photoshopped.)  Over all the shoes are great, but I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone who wants a retro similar to the 1985 black toe 1’s.

Jordan Brand:

www.jumpman23.com