25 and older Jordan heads

[passitback]

I'm 33. I was introduced to the J game as a child. Pops brought home a pair of the Chicago's 1s and I've been into sneakers ever since. Like many of you, I stick mainly to OG color ways, but sometimes purchase retro + models (Toro IVs and low top XIs). Since I teach, I have the opportunity to wear my kicks more frequently than other professionals. I wear all of my kicks, and only have a few on ice (Royals, extra pair of XIs). I love Jordan's, but find myself becoming more and more selective. I trust that I will continue to cop for the next two years, and figure I'll have most of what I want by then. 

Glad to know there are some folks close to my age on here. 

 

[brennanizm]

I'm 33. I was introduced to the J game as a child. Pops brought home a pair of the Chicago's 1s and I've been into sneakers ever since. Like many of you, I stick mainly to OG color ways, but sometimes purchase retro + models (Toro IVs and low top XIs). Since I teach, I have the opportunity to wear my kicks more frequently than other professionals. I wear all of my kicks, and only have a few on ice (Royals, extra pair of XIs). I love Jordan's, but find myself becoming more and more selective. I trust that I will continue to cop for the next two years, and figure I'll have most of what I want by then. 
Glad to know there are some folks close to my age on here. 

Feel you. I'm 35 and mom bought me the AJ-1 in 1985...
She was a Bulls fan, so she kept me laced in AJs from 1 to 12 (until I went to college).
The 12 dropped when I was a freshman in college (I bought my shoes from then on).
To this day I only by Retros 1 thru 12

 

[kawarskiharris]

Man it's some great stories in here...im 30...I was always a shoe fanatic but being an army brat in Germany didn't bring me many Jordan's...I always had the latest iversons tho...it wasn't until we got the 14 lows on post (laneys and gingers) that I was finally able to get my jordan collection started...I still remember how for years people would say I can't believe you like those, and I just saw a pair of each on eBay last week for 400+, crazy huh? Lol anyway, over the years I probably have had close to 200 pairs of kicks, 150 of them being Jordan's... During my recent move from Louisiana to Cali, I gave away like 40 to goodwill (which included 2000-2001 11s, lightning 17 lows and some out gems)...when I moved to Texas from Cali for work, gave away another 20 pairs....I'm slowly getting out of numbers, and into just keeping what I love..I think I'm down to 50 pairs of Jordan's, and I sell regularly on Instagram, all for retail or less..don't understand trying to rape someone on the price of shoes..ill probably quit for good when the columbias down, I need a fresh pair

 

[bryonrussellhustle]

I'm 27 and started with the Flip 3s back in 06. I was in college which meant I received credit card offers galore. No interest for 18 months, so I said wth and the onslaught of kicks came. Then Microsoft Live cashback program rolled around 08 and I became a reseller. I had just graduated college and needed to eat and reselling was real easy for me back then. Fast forward another 5 years, I'm newly married (weddings are expensive af) and a homeowner ( should've moved into an apartment) and it's a little difficult for me to keep going financially. I limit myself to 3 pairs a year now.

 

[jkickzzz]

27 here. Been obsessed with the swoosh since I was a kid, and growing up in the Chicago area watching the Bulls, I've been nuts about Jordans since I can remember. Got into a pinch about 5 years ago and had to sell off most of the collection, but the interest never faded. Shoes are the one thing I still love the same, if not more, than when I was a kid. Like many of you, I can't wear them as much due to work, or whatever, but I still get that same good feeling every time I pull a pair of shoes out of the box to throw on for the day.

 

[passitback]

Feel you. I'm 35 and mom bought me the AJ-1 in 1985...
She was a Bulls fan, so she kept me laced in AJs from 1 to 12 (until I went to college).
The 12 dropped when I was a freshman in college (I bought my shoes from then on).
To this day I only by Retros 1 thru 12

Me too; I only wear 1-13 retros (no 2s, 9s, or 10s though). 

 

[asianplayer]

Shoes meant to be worn for me so I'm wearing it no matter what. Love my shoes, but I would sell them if the price is high or I needed the money which is highly unlikely.

 

[scollard23]

Great thread and I love reading all the stories, some very similar to mine. Good to know I'm not alone.

34 year old here. I've been a fan of shoes since 4th grade. Parents divorced and I grew up with my mom and she was a teacher in a small *** town in Wyoming. I rarely got new shoes and when I did they were like Airwalks or Vans or yes even LA Gear. I always saw the other kids in Jordans and Nikes and I wanted them so bad. I remember my first pair of nice shoes, Reebok Pumps, some Omni-Lites. It was a great day. I had Air Mowabbs, OG 180 Airs (Dad bought me 2 pairs for track), and these:



Who remembers those? Air Trainer TW Lite IIs, Totally Washable...LOL I ran those into the ground.

Guys on our high school basketball team had Vs and VIs and I dreamed of owning a pair of those. I was fascinated by the littlest things like toggles, the details of the Jumpman on them and the materials they used.

First pair of Jordans was the Shadow Grey 10s, got them for Christmas and I beat the hell outta those things. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't' wear those things.

Once I graduated high school in 97 and was on my own I didn't have the money to get myself the shoes. I wore whatever I could afford. When I met my girlfriend (now my wife) in 1998 and she was working at Footlocker she bought me the Hyper Blue Air Max Plus and that was one of my favorite shoes of all time. They got stolen from my at my fraternity (and I've been wanting some to replace them ever since). All through college never really picked up Jordans I was grabbing other stuff as my love for shoes never died.

Fast forward to post-college and I have a good job (officer in the USAF) and I can start trying to make up for lost time and all the stuff I missed out on when I was a kid. I start searching the net and eBay for past releases. Slowly I start picking up the stuff that I wanted for the longest time when I was a kid. I wear everything that I buy. If I notice that I'm not wearing it then I will sell it or trade it for something that will get more use. I've branched out a little bit into New Balances and Saucony and picked up some KDs and LeBrons here and there but there are still a few Jordans that I am always looking out for.

Met all kinds of great people. I enjoy tracking down stuff and the feeling you get when you open that box and lace them up for the first time is great.

I pick up the kids sizes for my little girl (3 years old) and my son gets her hand me downs. If he wants them, all my shoes will be his at some point. If not I am going to make some kid somewhere very happy.

Don't think I will ever "retire" maybe just slow down and be much more selective. I've started to be really picky in what I pick up now.

Great story, thanks for sharing.  I can relate to growing up with a single mom who is a teacher.  My biological father split when I was 2.  I have only met him twice in my life.  Once when I was about 6 and the last time when I was 16.  I'm almost 40 now.  My mother remarried when I was 19, but needless to say, it wasn't too feasible for a single mother to spend $100 on a pair of shoes for a growing kid... especially a kid who grew really quickly (I was 6'5" by the time I was 16-17).  Luckily, I was the only grandchild in my family until I was 19, so my grandparents got me sneakers when my mother couldn't.  They got me my OG WC 3's, my OG black/red 4's, all red Air Flight '89s.  I was really lucky.  When I was about 15-16, I started working in summer camps and saved for Jordans and other Nike's.  I always got sneakers to wear.  I always wore my J's to play ball and other Nike's, such as the Air Tech Challenge to play tennis.  It was only after I stopped playing ball that I started to keep my shoes DS.  There's just nothing like opening up that shoe box and seeing brand new sneakers.  It never gets old.  The sight, the smell... amazing lol

As long as we're sharing some pics, here are the last pairs of shoes I got to play college ball, except I decided not to play anymore before the season actually started, so I never got to play in them.

(23collector is my id on UTA)

My mother got me the black/infrareds and I saved and got myself the carmines.  I wore the black/infrareds once to school when I was in college and never wore the carmines, which are DS to this day.

And here are the first pair of Jordans I intentionally got to "collect" and keep DS.  The first retro I ever got.  One of my best days as a sneaker collector ever...

 

[PRIME]

25 on the dot. First pair of Jordans I fell in love with were the White/Black Jordan XIII in elementary school. Begged for them, mom finally copped me a pair.
I saw a kid wearing the Playoffs and was like "MA, I GOTTA HAVE THOSE!"

Never got the playoffs, but my pops copped me the red/black joints

But recently when they dropped a couple years ago, the wifey copped them for me since she knew they were my grails that I could never get.

I would never sell them. Any of my sneakers now for that matter. In high school we used to sell them and trade them but I grew out of that. I only buy what I really like nowadays and I'm going to wear these shoes until they fall apart on me.

My collection is much smaller than it was in high school. I remember I worked at KFC and Hechts in high school and spent all my money on Air Jordans and Nike SB's. I had a few pairs of Lakai's (to skate in), and some vans, but for the most part it was Air Jordans and Penny's/Barkleys for me.

I went from around 60 pairs in HS/College down to about 20 pairs now. I sold off a lot and gave a lot of my younger cousin who is currently in HS now. And its funny because he has all of the OG/earlier retro's of whats dropping now, but he still wants to cop them. I look at him like, WHY? I gave you these for free, in pristine condition. Its not like I gave him beaters

If I can just get my hands on some Chicago II's, Chicago X's, and Last Shot XIV's I'll be good. The Infrared VI's are dropping next year, and I'm good.

I rock em and stock em, just to rock em later down the line.

 

[doyung9]

26.

I've liquidated most of my sneaker collection, with the exception of my Jordan's, actually.

First pair: Bordeaux's, 2nd grade.

Favorite pair: Black/Red 1's or Concord 11's.

 

[airdan12]

I'm 36 and my first pair of Jordan's were the white cement 3's. My first adult size Jordan's were the Metallics 5's I was in the 7th grade. Ever since then, I've been into Jordan's. the passion never leaves but circumstances change but I still buy and wear Jordan's and other sneakers. Of course I don't get to wear them as much as I use to, but when I go out to movies with my family or things of that nature I break out a pairs of jays. I have about 200 pairs of sneakers in my collection. Only sneakers I keep DS are sneakers like the 1999 Jordan 4 with Nike on the back and infrared six from 2000 with Nike on the back. And the other ones that are DS are just because I haven't gotten the chance to wear them. But I buy to wear and I will be into sneakers until the day I die.

 

[airdan12]

And when my son catches up to my size 11, he will wear them as we'll.

 

[rvd26]

My story's a little different from most of y'all. I'm 31 and I really just got into seriously collecting/wearing Jordans last year.

I had always admired most of the Jordans when I was younger.  The Infrared 6s are the first ones I remember seeing (a friend of mine in 5th grade had them) and really liking.

But I could not even dare to fix my lips and ask my parents to buy me a pair.  $50 was the max they would spend on shoes at that time so I would usually end up buying some generic Nikes at the store.

Later on, my mom (my dad would have none of it) upped her max to $100 so I always had to cover anything over that.

I would only get 2 pairs for the whole school year.  One before school started and another pair usually around Spring Break. 

I finally bought a pair of my first Jordans (Playoff 13s) in high school with my first ever paycheck on RD.  I walked about 2 miles on my lunch break to get them.  Of course, that was back when you could still walk in around noon and get a pair of Js.

I remember swapping out the laces for some black/white ones and feeling like a king when I rocked them the following Monday.  I beat those things into the ground for over 2 years and eventually gave them away to my little cousin as his first pair of Jordans.  He's all grown up now and on an NFL roster.

I didn't get another pair of Js until my first year of college with the white/blue 15 lows.  I really only got them because they were on sale, but I remember they hurt my heel so I rarely wore them and eventually just threw them away.  This was in 2000-2001.

I guess my interests changed after that because I did not purchase another pair of Jordans for 12 years.  Well, I actually did purchase some fake 13s around 2005...it's something I'm not very proud to admit now.

Honestly, I did not even know that Jordans were being retroed and I guess what pulled me back in was the whole Concord fiasco.

I just remember hearing on the radio around that time that people were rioting and standing in mile long lines for a pair of Jordans.  I wondered what shoes could be making people go crazy like that.  When I found out, it actually made sense to me.  But I still did not purchase a pair until the Military Blue 4s last year. 

I felt so stupid at first standing in line with a bunch of kids who know nothing about the history of these shoes and the greatness of MJ.  I always felt like I was the oldest person there.

Thankfully, I've found a connect who can hook me up without me having to wake up early and stand in line.

I'm up to about 30 pairs of Js since last year and I've also copped a couple of Reeboks (Questions and Shaq Attaqs), some New Balances and other Nikes.

Like many of you, I just feel now in my life I am able to get the shoes I always wanted as a kid but couldn't afford. 

I only need a pair of the 10s to complete my 1-13 collection (that's the only pairs I like).  I mostly get OG colorways.

I'm sure I will slow down at some point (maybe after next year).  But for now, who knows......

 

[bryonrussellhustle]

^^^^^^^ No worries, I purchased fake white/red 12s on eBay a few months before I purchased my first pair of jays (Flip 3s) in 07. I was new to the game and didn't know better. I was so scarred that I didn't even get them when they retroed in 09 or whatever.

 

[rvd26]

^^^^^^^ No worries, I purchased fake white/red 12s on eBay a few months before I purchased my first pair of jays (Flip 3s) in 07. I was new to the game and didn't know better. I was so scarred that I didn't even get them when they retroed in 09 or whatever.

I didn't know any better either.  They were some white/carolina blue 13s I got off ebay for $100 or less.  I should have known by the price they were fakes.

It didn't really dawn on me that they were fakes until I tried them on and they felt like cardboard on my feet.

 

[raptors29]

Although I am currently turned off by the process of buying shoes (go figure, it's a process now ) I don't think I'll ever stop liking shoes.

Same here but I'm not 25 yet. 1.5 years left These new Jordan Retros aren't as comfortable as they used to be either.

 

[green rhino123]

i came in here thinking it was gonna be questions about car rentals

 

[cmore501]

34 years old and still into shoes.

I wear everything I buy and only buy what I really like, especially with the increase in prices. For example, I would've liked to purchase any of the XI's over the last few years but I refuse to pay $200+ for any pair of tennis shoes because I don't even get to wear them often enough (I'm in steel-toe boots 4-7 days a week) and that's just too much to pay. Period. Even at the current $160 mark, it's got to be something that I really want. At least when it comes to the Team Jordan and Nike retros, you don't have to rush out when they first hit the stores because they sit and go on sale.

And to add to the whole cost thing, I don't see why anyone would pay so much money for a shoe that they have no plans on wearing. If I'm going to spend $100+ on shoes, you better believe they're getting worn. Even when they don't look good enough to wear casually, they become balling/working out shoes. If they're still in good condition but I find that I've been going months or more without wearing certain shoes, I look to give them away to someone and that's either my aunt's son or my wife's brother because there's no one else that can wear a size 13 in my family . Otherwise, they get donated to clothing drives. Unless the kicks are worn to the point where they're falling apart, I figure they still serve some purpose, especially to someone who could really use them.

 

[dmxgod]

I'm 28 about to b 29 in October..and I have come to the realization that MJ is no longer around on the basketball court and I should no longer support his shoes because he hasn't played in over a decade..in the past 2 years I have slowly sold my Jordans because I no longer value them the way I use to..I am down to less than 25 pairs of Jordans if that and it feels great!

Believe me I owned at least 50-60 Jordans at my peak..but I still own over 170 pairs of sneakers (I'm all about variety-I collect Nike Retro..Runnin..KDs..Lebrons..Kobes..some Jordans (still)) but this year I have made a stance that I will only buy less than 5 Jordans this year and I have succeeded so far..I have copped only the Phoenix Suns and Playoff 8s since the 8s are one of my favorite models..in December I will b gettin two pairs of Laneys cause they are my grails..but I see priorities are elsewhere (workin on gettin an engagement ring for my gf of 7 years) and I need all the money I can get..and I just see the quality and comfort of retros just slowly becomin next to none..and quality and comfort is goin elsewhere in terms of shoes..

 

[dondunkin]

29 here, I use to cop pretty much every Jordan that dropped till, I sold most of them a few months ago. But now i pass on most of the new colorways (ex. green glow 4s), I only cop OG colorways in certain shoes, like the OG 1's that drop this year (black toes, shadows and royals) OG colors of 3's,4's,5's,6's,7's, not a huge fan of 8s but would like to see the aqua 8s drop again, 9 and 10's i normally pass on I do own a pair of olive 9s though and lastly of course the 11's, 12's and 13s. 

 

[memphisboi55]

Rock always.

 

[vegetaray123]

First off have to say that this thread is the best I've gone through in a long while...

I'm curious what everybody is running in their rotations...Most everybody is saying they wear their shoes so how deep are you all going?

I like to keep my setup to no more than 15 pairs or so just to make sure everything gets a fair shake but currently I'm running 22 pairs so that means I've got to clear some space...

That being said my ideal rotation / collection at this point is going to end up like this...

XI Concords x2
XI Black / Reds
VIII's Black / Reds x2
VIII's "Suns"
Kobe VII's
Timb's
Alden "Indy Boots" x2
New Balance 993's x2

That's pretty much it...Everything that I know I'll wear...Only pick up's I'm looking for is the White / Infrared - Black / Infrared VI's that are coming next year of which the Black color-ups I'll double up on...

 

[skip2mylou23]

Hello my name is MONOPOLIZE,
Im 32 yrs old, and Im a Retro Jordan addict.
It has been exactly 9 days, 11 hrs, and 52 seconds, since my last retro Jordan purchase .
My last use of a pair of retro Jordans was today, about 2hrs ago, when I shamelessly wore a pair of Playoff 13s to the store to do some food shopping with my wife...

In all honesty I do not see myself kicking this addiction, as Ive now been
a Jordan addict for over 20yrs, and a Retro J consumer for over 14 yrs..
Sometimes the quality of Jordans I receive for my money is sub par, yet because my addiction is so strong ,I purchase them anyway..

This concludes my introduction, lastly I like to say hello to my fellow addicts..

Lol..

That was good.

 

[ialwayshadswag]

stories are awesome guys keep em coming ....

Well i am 32 i had a few pairs of Jordans back in my highschool days but nothing to brag about. My parents would never pay the price for Jordans so i used to save my lunch money and rake leaves just to get a pair. After high school i started college and really got into Cars so i probably bought 2 pairs until 2010. I walked into a Niketown saw some retro 6s and some lebron 8s it was over slowly I've been copping all the shoes i remembered as a child growing up. This was probably the worst time to start back into this shoe game in America i aint built for the camping out life. So i would try get all kicks online so that kinda slowed down the amount of purchases i was making. But now that i have moved to Germany for work i have access to almost ever release with ease so ive been going kinda crazy at first i just wanted all those Jordans that were untouchable to me as kid but now with these Leborns  and Kobes ive been going crazy and yes i try to wear all of my kicks as much as possible even though I'm in a suit most of the time. I love lacing up some new kicks... i never understood  how some people just keep these shoes boxed up for years and not wear them. I probably have about 80 pairs with me in Germany now I've probably worn all but 6 pairs and 3 of those because i just got them. Hopefully after next year i will slow down my purchases, theres only a few more retro Js that I've been wanting and most of those will drop next year....But i know i aint gonna stop

 

[eyes of hazel]

Just turned 33...

My first "non payless/XJ900" shoe was a "hand-me-down"...

Summer of 1992. Jordan VI. Black/infared. BEAT. A size too big at the time, but I stuffed them with socks. Didn't care. Wore them, literally, until I could fit them and the soles literally came off.

As any other street kid in the streets, the hustler's in DC in the 80s and 90s always caught my attention. First 8 ball I flipped, that next summer, bought the white Jordan VIII. No more XJ900s from my mother. That's when it started -- that feeling was irreplaceable, just my self-esteem on the block alone.

But seeing all my boys get shot down and killed with rival crews in the streets wasn't something I was fond of either. I was NO gangster, and wasn't built for the rigged street game. So I moved to VA from 94-98 to ensure I went to high school AND graduated, under my Pops supervision, and promised myself next time I get that feeling, it'll be the honest way. I stayed away from kicks during that period.

As soon as I hit VCU campus, my scramble to find all I missed was on. I had stacks of shoes by end of Freshman year, all obtained for scraps compared to today. '99 IVs were $99!

8/23/00. Was working at Footlocker AND Finish Line at the time as a rising Junior at VCU at two different malls (I think I'm still the only person ever to do that and get away with it). Copped about 4 pair of black/infared VIs with my discount, 2 at each store. Got that feeling again, and its been embedded in me ever since. NT helped greatly -- I followed this site from Nikepark when it launched in '98, but had multiple screen names and was selling/trading under different monikers. Decided to officially join in '00 with ONE screen name and be "one somebody".

---------------------------------

Back then, we took the shoes for granted, because NO ONE predicted Nike/JB would go so CHEAP with the retros/remakes -- especially after the first round of retros in the early-mid 90s and 2nd round boom in early 00s were close to originals.

Now, I just keep glue handy. If something breaks down or separates, I just piece it back together. If it can't be pieced back together, I still keep the shoe, just for the memories and evidence of how the quality once was.

It's kinda tragic what people spend $160+ on these days with "Jordan Brand".

I'm glad I was born when I was to experience both hip-hop and sneakers in its height of quality and purist form.

Now, its just business.