Salutes to Jordan Brand

I want to take this post to give props to Jordan Brand for a change. I am one of JBs harshest critics. I hate the annual price raises retros while quality continues to decline. I hate that some of the greatest shoe silhouettes ever are bastardized by fucked up non-OG colorways and idiots licking the shoes and posting pictures on Instagram. A lot of the things I've come to hate about the current state of sneaker culture are tied directly to Jordans. It's a bummer that the greatest and most influential force in the history of sneakers has become a symbol for a lot of the bullshit in the sneaker world.

With that said, I sincerely applaud Jordan Brand for restocking/re-releasing the Black/Red XIs this weekend. I appreciate them for trying to supply the demand and doing right by the sneaker community and Michael Jordan fans in general. Even though resellers surely snatched up a high percentage of this new stock, this still lowers the prices on the secondary market. I would think that any sneakerhead that wanted a pair or two got what they needed to get at a fair price.

I know the only reason JB did this restock is because it made them even more money. However, it's rare that a Jordan Brand money grab results in something that appeases the sneaker community. In this case, everyone wins. Hats off to JB for this one.

Nike Solarsoft Moccasin Premium Woven

Nice Kicks brings us a quick look at one of my favorite releases of the year so far, the Nike Solarsoft Moccasin Premium Woven.

I didn't know that the brother who hosts the X-Games did sneaker reviews. Peace to Sal Masekela. 

So I Copped The Corks...Sue Me

A day after writing my post about how most sneakerheads should set their sights on some less in demand kicks during the weekend of the Corks dropping, I got a really great shot at copping the Corks for retail. I found out about a local boutique that was in fact getting them, but telling the public that "they weren't sure". 

This made the spot extremely low-key and for a short campout. Once there were enough people in line to account for every pair, the shop decided to just hand out size tickets and end the camping prematurely because they didn't want to attract a crowd for a release like this one. It was a major come up and more proof that sneaker karma is real. You don't help out others expecting a hookup. Just put that good sneaker energy into the world and good things will come when you least expect them. Just off that I feel a debt to the sneaker universe that I will pay forward when the opportunity presents itself.

I'm a pretty big fan of this shoe. Nike Sportswear did a great job with the crafting of the shoe. I have yet to see a glue stain or any signs of poor construction that we've become accustomed to with some Nike/Jordan products. The laser detailing and cloth material that binds the upper to the midsole are my favorite features on the shoe. The leather laces are dope, but a pain in the ass as far as lacing/wearing the shoe go.

Overall I'm a big fan of the shoe, but I would not have copped for more than retail price. I think the market for these should end up in the $500-600 range and that is more than they are worth to me personally. I look forward to rocking them and I'm not concerned about them falling apart because I'm pretty sure these will last longer than the midsoles on any of the recent Jordan 3 and 4 retros. I personally think the concerns about these creasing/falling apart are overstated and usually come from people who don't have a pair and are looking for a reason to bash the shoe. Is this a shoe for everyday wear? Absolutely not. But they should hold up fine if you take care of your shoes.

In conclusion, very nice shoe but don't break the bank and drop more than $600 on them, Be patient and they will be available at a fair price.