1994 Chicago 1 Care

[J4CC]

Hey guys, glad to be a part of the community. I recently cleaned out nearly half of my collection to put toward what I consider to be my all time favorite shoe, the 1994 Chicago 1's. I found them in my size (10.5) with the box and couldn't pass them up. I'm tracking them and patiently awaiting their arrival in a couple days.

I've searched the forum quite a bit including the sticky thread above, as well as youtube and other sources. I'm just wondering what you guys think I should do as far as preventative maintenance before I start wearing them regularly, given the age. I've never used sneaker shields before, but I just placed an order for one pair of the universal and one of the protectors. I'm not a fan of sole shields, but would like to prevent heel drag as much as I can to prolong the life of these over the years. I've looked into using painters tape, but would like to hear from you guys if you have any other creative solutions that I haven't come across. This includes buying cheap eBay heel protectors to save money and avoid a full shield..

Lastly, I was wondering what the safest route would be as far as cleaning the midsoles. With the age of the materials I just want to ensure that I use extra caution. I personally don't mind a little yellowing so it's not too much of a priority, but I thought I would ask the experts while I'm at it. Other than that, I just plan on wearing them as soon as I get my Superfeet insoles so I can store the originals. I also figured with the age it would be better to just wear the leather naturally, without spraying any kind of protectant on them. But, if there's anything that I'm missing please let me know. I hope I posted this in the right section!

Here are some pictures! Let me know what you think.

 

[3thaman]

Still wear my pair also. Don’t do too much or you’re liable to do more harm than good and i’d leave those midsole’s alone, that little bit of yellowing adds character. You might rub a little bit of vaseline into the black ankle collars if they look like they’re cracking but if not leave them be too. As far as shields for creasing I never got into that, wear them and enjoy them I’m sure you put alot of money in them. For the most part these things are tanks.

 

[Bert.]

Wow

 

[J4CC]

Still wear my pair also. Don’t do too much or you’re liable to do more harm than good and i’d leave those midsole’s alone, that little bit of yellowing adds character. You might rub a little bit of vaseline into the black ankle collars if they look like they’re cracking but if not leave them be too. As far as shields for creasing I never got into that, wear them and enjoy them I’m sure you put alot of money in them. For the most part these things are tanks.

This is a great response! I never thought about the Vaseline, I’ll give it a thorough check. I’ve never been a shield guy but figured this would be the shoe to give them a shot; I don’t see them staying in long.

Wearing them is all I want to do. The heels give out on my shoes before anything, as it’s the only variable I can’t control without some tape or protection. These are TTS for me. I figured if I can find a 5 minute preventative procedure for the drag it would be the one thing that’s worth doing, as all the beat pairs I see have held up great except for the heels. I’m excited that I get to be the one to weather them over the years, and I think the price I paid was well worth skipping over an already aged pair/without the box.

Opening these in this condition is going to be an experience that is worth every dime to me. I’m not a guy who spends crazy amounts on wardrobe (or anything, really) and I always buy things used and hunt thrift stores, so this was a personal treat for me. Selling almost 10 pairs of my own helped ALOT, and felt like the best trade I’ve made. I was born exactly a year after their release, making them a time capsule I will never forget opening! I guess these would qualify as my grails, though they’ll be on my feet more than anywhere else.

Wow

My thoughts exactly, as I proceeded to sprint to the bank in my yin yangs

 

[thegamemodo9]

Where did you find them?

 

[SteveSteve72]

Please use this thread for this topic https://niketalk.com/threads/official-sneaker-care-maintenance-post-its-back.15471/