Official Jordan XI Thread

[staffsgtdignam]

See what I’m talking about? 9 pairs releasing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the model…Not one single pair of OG’s in the bunch…Somebody at Nike actually decided to run a 30th anniversary collection of multiple colorways and didn’t think to include any OG’s

It’s because a lot of the people working at the brand (including designers) are younger and don’t actually care about releasing OGs. Not to mention the target demographic also skews younger as well. Storytelling and marketing comes first so they can make this anniversary feel “special” vs the OGs that we’ve received before.

Not saying I agree with this strategy at all but they are trying to move different product for the anniversary vs the OGs they regularly release once a decade or so.

 

[Public Enemy]

I'm glad everybody hates all these, or most of em.

 

[MJO23DAN]

It’s because a lot of the people working at the brand (including designers) are younger and don’t actually care about releasing OGs. Not to mention the target demographic also skews younger as well. Storytelling and marketing comes first so they can make this anniversary feel “special” vs the OGs that we’ve received before.

Not saying I agree with this strategy at all but they are trying to move different product for the anniversary vs the OGs they regularly release once a decade or so.

Couldn't be further from the truth. I shook the hands of some folks on the design team last year (as well as special projects) who are within the 30-45 year age range. The problem is that they have to appease the higher ups. There's a process that happens but we have to understand that there is gonna be a time where they need to look forward and beyond the individual behind the logo (as sad as that may seem). I love OGs and this year has been one of the best yet. My guess is that 2026 will be the last of the Holiday 11s and they'll replace it with other models.

 

[doublemesh96]

We’re coming up on 10 years. It’s time for a proper space jam.

 

[monstar]

this has to be one of the easiest PASSES in a long time. No complaints on height of patent cut, just unanimous agreement that this is TRASH.

NT growing up and getting trash options

 

[staffsgtdignam]

Couldn't be further from the truth. I shook the hands of some folks on the design team last year (as well as special projects) who are within the 30-45 year age range. The problem is that they have to appease the higher ups. There's a process that happens but we have to understand that there is gonna be a time where they need to look forward and beyond the individual behind the logo (as sad as that may seem). I love OGs and this year has been one of the best yet. My guess is that 2026 will be the last of the Holiday 11s and they'll replace it with other models.

Not sure who you know there but I’m going by what OJ Khoury said regarding connecting with a younger demographic and designing for them. I should have specified by “younger” meaning those under 35-essentially those who don’t remember MJ playing. Unless you graduated top of your class are Parsons, you likely aren’t getting a design job at JB in your early 20s lol (I think most ppl who know anyone at Nike/JB are well aware they typically promote from within anyways):

 

[JRepp23]

Couldn't be further from the truth. I shook the hands of some folks on the design team last year (as well as special projects) who are within the 30-45 year age range. The problem is that they have to appease the higher ups. There's a process that happens but we have to understand that there is gonna be a time where they need to look forward and beyond the individual behind the logo (as sad as that may seem). I love OGs and this year has been one of the best yet. My guess is that 2026 will be the last of the Holiday 11s and they'll replace it with other models.

The people you shook hands with dont get it then. The higher ups are just another example of meeting/ spread sheet lovers that cant read the room. Another example why nike and JB struggles to get new followers. The corporate concept is killing Nike as well. I mean damn, we got kids liking NB and Asics now. If Nike did their job right, kids arent going away from them.
If you would have said to me, 10 or 20 years ago, that Nike was gonna damn near kill the 11, I would have said no way possible. But they really found a way to do it. Consumers that give JB/Nike their money consistently dont have to understand a thing.

 

[MJO23DAN]

The people you shook hands with dont get it then. The higher ups are just another example of meeting/ spread sheet lovers that cant read the room. Another example why nike and JB struggles to get new followers. The corporate concept is killing Nike as well. I mean damn, we got kids liking NB and Asics now. If Nike did their job right, kids arent going away from them.
If you would have said to me, 10 or 20 years ago, that Nike was gonna damn near kill the 11, I would have said no way possible. But they really found a way to do it. Consumers that give JB/Nike their money consistently dont have to understand a thing.

I can't speak for the 11s coming this Holiday but I'm with you on the why? But I wouldn't say they don't get it. We can't forget how many classics we've gotten in 2025 alone - Cool Grey 9s, Grape 5s, White Cement 4s, Steel 10s, Fire Red 5s, Aqua 8s, Black Toe 1s....the list goes on.

 

[JRepp23]

I can't speak for the 11s coming this Holiday but I'm with you on the why? But I wouldn't say they don't get it. We can't forget how many classics we've gotten in 2025 alone - Cool Grey 9s, Grape 5s, White Cement 4s, Steel 10s, Fire Red 5s, Aqua 8s, Black Toe 1s....the list goes on.

Yes, they gave us several OGs. But, is this the end of that? It seems like they are pushing for new colors to dominate the market right now. Once limited retro plus colors being dropped some with luke warm response. They unleashed this year, so what is next now? The 11 lineup next year looks terrible imo.

 

[JRepp23]

I will leave this here and be done. We all know that the next generation will not remember or know MJ. Makes all the sense to me. But, the foundation of his product should never be forgotten and or looked over. Because no matter what business 101 says, nothing happens with this line without Michael Jordan, and that forever should be understood.

 

[truenike81]

Someone is going to grab all those 11s like infinity stones.

 

[staffsgtdignam]

We all know that the next generation will not remember or know MJ. Makes all the sense to me. But, the foundation of his product should never be forgotten and or looked over. Because no matter what business 101 says, nothing happens with this line without Michael Jordan, and that forever should be understood.

This is easier said than done tbh.

For example, little/nobody care about Stan Smith’s tennis accomplishments, Chuck Taylor’s basketball accomplishments, or Les Paul’s music.

Nike/JB aren’t stupid though-they clearly know this and as a result have been making an effort to connect with younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha customers (through collabs, etc.) who, in terms of basketball, frankly have hilariously only known MJ as a bad NBA exec/owner who drove an already miserable small market NBA franchise further into the ground lol

 

[vinnuendo]

All the OGs have been retro'd within the last ten years, any DS pair is still wearable. Got get some more if you want em that bad. If they woulda done some OGs for this collection, we would've heard "we just got these why don't we get something new"

With that said, the mojave pair is the only one I can tolerate because purple is one of my favorite colors. China is cool, again I'm kind of Chinese, but probably passing on all.

 

[Kierris]

Damn... JB really done hxed out the 11s. Never thought I'd see the day

 

[vegetaray123]

This is easier said than done tbh.

For example, little/nobody care about Stan Smith’s tennis accomplishments, Chuck Taylor’s basketball accomplishments, or Les Paul’s music.

Nike/JB aren’t stupid though-they clearly know this and as a result have been making an effort to connect with younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha customers (through collabs, etc.) who, in terms of basketball, frankly have hilariously only known MJ as a bad NBA exec/owner who drove an already miserable small market NBA franchise further into the ground lol

Stan Smiths, and Chuck Taylor All Stars are apt comparison for the ground Nike is treading with some of the Jordan models (1’s in particular)…

The difference is that Converse and Adidas don’t actively decide to move away from the definitive colorways of those models in favor of pushing reimagined colorways…There’s never going to be a point where a pair of black / white Chuck’s or white / green Stan Smiths aren’t available to buy…Doesn’t have to be an either or scenario…Meanwhile Nike makes a concentrated effort to gatekeep OG colorways, even working on the idea of making them ultra limited (Black / Red 85 1’s)…There’s no reason that Nike can’t make pairs like the black / red 1’s or concord 11’s a bi-yearly release, and still run their collabs and such…

In fact, I’d argue that the approach they’re taking is actually counterintuitive to pushing these types of models fully into the space of All Stars and Stan Smiths…Those models, and their traditional colorways, are engrained into the fabric of popular culture because they’ve ALWAYS been there…If Nike wants to endear it’s classic products to future generations of consumers, who don’t have the direct connection to MJ, then removing them from the peripheral of the consumer by way of ~ here’s more ultra limited edition colorways collaboration sneakers for everyone to look at online but not actually be able to buy~ isn’t how they’ll get it done …It’s honestly an approach they should’ve lined up with a couple decades ago but they leaned into the ~limited edition~ angle heavy and just haven’t been able to snap themselves out of it…

 

[2pacalypsenow]

For the 30th, they released the antithesis of the AJ XI….

 

[dakingii]

I have no problem with the amount of 11s. My problem is that they are $250. We paying advanced shoe tech money prices for retros.

 

[trappedintime]

I’m pretty much finished with my OG restoration. I have the other shoe in the tent for the top eyelet but it looks similar. Not a perfect reglue by any means and this pair has a few imperfections but they’re definitely wearable again and I’ll post some pics when I do. It was a lot of work and refitting the upper and a couple spots on the midsole proved challenging. I think a previous reglue was done poorly with the wrong glue (these came from JP), but for 150 bucks I’m pleased with the purchase.

The air unit on these was covered in foam and the heel well in general seems deeper than on retros but I’ve never seen an intact OG for reference. The full length zoom is about 5mm tall in retros but I needed to cut a second piece of foam just for that heel section that filled it out. So likely about 10mm in the heel on the OG. Filled with EVA they have a pretty cushy ride.

Before:

After:

 

[JMB10215]

Fire great job man

 

[Magic33]

The only thing some of you provide to this board is complaining. It's weird. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Yet some of you devote hours over and over and over to something you don't like and aren't going to buy. Weird.

 

[JMB10215]

The only thing some of you provide to this board is complaining. It's weird. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Yet some of you devote hours over and over and over to something you don't like and aren't going to buy. Weird.

Its just what society is coming to as a whole man. Not just on here. NT is just a microcosm of what kind of world we live in nowadays.

 

[vegetaray123]

I found this in the NT S.O.P. under the ~daily activities~ section…

 

[MJO23DAN]

The only thing some of you provide to this board is complaining. It's weird. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Yet some of you devote hours over and over and over to something you don't like and aren't going to buy. Weird.

That seems like the simple way out but if you're not voicing concerns, opinions, criticisms....change won't happen.

 

[staffsgtdignam]

That seems like the simple way out but if you're not voicing concerns, opinions, criticisms....change won't happen.

Couldn’t agree with this more.

If people never complained, we would literally never have Nike Air on retros or releases with better quality fixes from previous releases, etc. This is especially true with shape and height fixes for the same releases over the years. Even if you “speak with your wallet” and don’t buy releases at retail, Nike/JB still need to know what consumers want and what needs to be fixed for future releases. Not only that, I’m sure a lot of us who have been into sneakers awhile passed on releases (including paying absorbent resell) based on what we read on NT or watched on YouTube (including your channel).

 

[irishvic]

houston is culturally a small market - population wise atlanta isn’t even in the top 20 in usa cities.

lol what? Tell me you’ve never been to Houston without telling me you’ve never been to Houston.