OG Nike Air Jordan III Retro True Blue BLACK FRIDAY '16

So I have come to the conclusion that while the leather on this shoe is certainly not great by any means, it can feel "decent" when worked. It needs to be rolled and relaxed a bit before it has a nicer feel too it. This is tumbled leather after all and needs that tumbled look. It is ridiculously stiff out of the box, as many others have said. Once it is worked it actually isn't too awfuly bad. No where near the quality the price dictates, but can feel better if worked. Still want better quality leather in future models.

Quality differs.
The ones in my outlet were a little softer than mine bought off eBay(100% authentic)

After wearing for 3 months, still stiff.

Of course, I didn't tie them tight to work them out, and I have 9 pairs of sneakers to rotate.
 
When I say work the leather, I mean rolling and flexing it by hand. I have yet to wear these. I have just taken a few minutes to roll, flex and relax the leather. It does make a huge difference. Still not '01 quality but better than out of the box stiff. Comparable to '07.
 
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When I say work the leather, I mean rolling and flexing it by hand. I have yet to wear these. I have just taken a few minutes to roll, flex and relax the leather. It does make a huge difference. Still not '01 quality but better than out of the box stiff. Comparable to '07.
comparable to the 07 is a major stretch. My fire red 3s that I've had since 09 have always been able to crease and stress with just a touch because they were a better leather: my true blue 3s don't bend or stress except around the collar.

Not saying creasing is life, but it's a good sign the leather is decent.
 
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comparable to the 07 is a major stretch. My fire red 3s that I've had since 09 have always been able to crease and stress with just a touch because they were a better leather: my true blue 3s don't bend or stress except around the collar.

Not saying creasing is life, but it's a good sign the leather is decent.

Well we shall rename 2016 true Blue 3s as
"Foamposite 3 true blue 2016"

They coated way too much polyurethane on the leather! So much polyurethane it become Foamposite!

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try to hand tumble my 3s, 3s, 5s and 10s. My Charlotte 10s is hard af...... luckily has a phylon midsole that doesn't crumble.
 
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any place have a sz.9.5 in stock on discount? i wouldn't mind sitting on an extra pair.

As far as everywhere outlet 9.5 are sold out now.
IMO try your best on eBay but the price shipping included would be $160-$170


I don't think double up worth it. I was sitting in outlet with 10 pairs of that size, and gave up all.

1. OG colorway retros once several years. Don't worry, you will get a raise on your job. Buy another pair.

2. That pleather, that backtab, all going to crumble. Enjoy the moment, and when getting older, wear something more mature. AM95, CM3..... premium leather Jordan's....

3. (If applicable) reselling these won't be profitable. If your customers pay cash then fine. If your customers use any type of electrical transaction, IRS (tax office) will go after you for their 25% share.

My tax rate is around 25%.
 
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Will these ever dry up? Stores yes, but will they on eBay? Is under-retail resell a definite? I can double up later that'd be awesome
 
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Will these ever dry up? Stores yes, but will they on eBay? Is under-retail resell a definite? I can double up later that'd be awesome

Resale price is around $160-$170
As far as I know
All the bidding, fake or real, buy now, points to $170 shipping included.

There was a guy selling his used "near DS" and I won his bid for $120.
He is not willing to sell it to me and thus marked product damaged.
 
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Resale price is around $160-$170
As far as I know
All the bidding, fake or real, buy now, points to $170 shipping included.

There was a guy selling his used "near DS" and I won his bid for $120.
He is not willing to sell it to me and thus marked product damaged.
That's amazing. Sounds like 2010 footlocker sale prices
 
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You bought in the outlet didn't you?
I mean I didn't. I walked out empty handed.

The outlet had a sale, with F&F coupon 30% off, the final price is $136.
The 2010 part of my comment was referring to prices that shoes like the Oreo 6 and varsity red 6s were on sale, which was around $119.99 in my local footlocker

I bought my true blues for $180 back February. Maybe I should've waited
 
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comparable to the 07 is a major stretch. My fire red 3s that I've had since 09 have always been able to crease and stress with just a touch.

Out of the box, I agree. The TB3's are way to stiff and feel like cardboard. But after you relax the leather a bit they are pretty close to the '07 FR3. I bought my'07s on release day and have only worn them a couple of times so the leather is damn near DS so this is a true comparison. The '07 was stiffer than you think when it was new.
 
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FranchiseKicks says this is pretty much the same type of leather they used on the OGs back in the 80s...Who's right here lol?
 
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The leather from the '80's was a thicker softer leather in most cases. It always had a more "real" leather feel as opposed to the current offerings. The '99-'01 models are pretty close to the OG in feel for leather. I am not really too sure that what is used now is genuine leather or man made synthetic.
 
FranchiseKicks says this is pretty much the same type of leather they used on the OGs back in the 80s...Who's right here lol?
I don't believe him. He generally comes off as pretentious to me. Many accounts say that JB used real leather back in the 80s/90s. I've owned a couple straight out of the 90s and that makes be believe he is simply being a contrarian to the popular opinion that the leather sucks. This leather doesn't even bend like that.

Jb used pleather in the 80s, leather in the 90s and 2000s but in 2016 went back to hard pleather? Doesn't make sense to me.
 
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The leather from the '80's was a thicker softer leather in most cases. It always had a more "real" leather feel as opposed to the current offerings. The '99-'01 models are pretty close to the OG in feel for leather. I am not really too sure that what is used now is genuine leather or man made synthetic.

2016 True Blue 3s are possibly heavy polyurethane coated leather. Might be synthetic.

The only real leather in my wardrobe I am sure are my Dunk From Above 5s. You can tell DFA5s were coated with light polyurethane for color, and a synthetic tongue.

* Cyber Monday 3s might be cheap leather coated with polyurethane.
* Charlotte 10s are probably pure polyurethane. How nice, buying foamposites with jumpman logo!!!! FML
* Chicago 2s lows are probably cheapest leather coated with polyurethane. Lizard part is pure polyurethane.

Looking at cut profile of the leather, if is looks rough, most likely has real leather.
View media item 2434137View media item 2434138look at the edges. That pair of shoes says genuine leather on the tongue.

If the cut/edges looks smooth, it could be heavy polyurethane coated cheap leather, or synthetic (pure polyurethane).
 
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I started the leather search since February when my date dumped me for not being mature enough.

Women like leather, perhaps because men used to go out and hunt for animals skin. I'm not vegetarian neither. Leather shoes make you look "experienced", while plastic looks cheap.

That's right, 4s plastic wings look cheap.
Better get ones with leather wings, like "Pure Money" & "Legend Blue".
Better strip the silver paint off and coat it with real alloy!!

BTW, my brown croc Jordan Horizons (pure polyurethane) look really childish &a cheap compared to genuine leather shoes.

Should Nike make genuine crocodile skin 3/4/5/6s with phylon midsole, I would buy it for $500.
 
I just want to buy the higher quality value TB3s. Found a pair of 2011s for a good price but have a feeling those will plummet in value once the NA TB3s become more scarce.
 
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Some OG Air Jordans had synthetic leather made to look like real leather. Just because they're Original, doesn't mean they are always better. It has been proven that Nike didn't even use real durabuck on the Original 6s. It was a cheap alternative that they developed to mimic a trademarked material. They still use this method today.

Also, all leather has a coating for protection so you can't tell if the softness is the coating (plastic) or the actual leather. Nike also started to use lamb hide, which is cheaper than cow. You cannot compare softness to quality because real leather is typically hard, stiff and heavy unless they make it very thin, which is another reason it's usually coated.
 
Also, all leather has a coating for protection so you can't tell if the softness is the coating (plastic) or the actual leather. Nike also started to use lamb hide, which is cheaper than cow. You cannot compare softness to quality because real leather is typically hard, stiff and heavy unless they make it very thin, which is another reason it's usually coated.

Wait what? Lamb hide?
Which ones are lamb hide? I want it !

Cows are cheap and you buy beef $4/lb everyday. Lamb is just expensive, no matter how Nike get the lamb hide cheaper than cows, lamb is higher class than cowhide.
 
Wait what? Lamb hide?
Which ones are lamb hide? I want it !

Cows are cheap and you buy beef $4/lb everyday. Lamb is just expensive, no matter how Nike get the lamb hide cheaper than cows, lamb is higher class than cowhide.

Most recent shoes with lamb are Royal 1s. Banned 1s from last year also have lamb hide.
 
Some OG Air Jordans had synthetic leather made to look like real leather. Just because they're Original, doesn't mean they are always better. It has been proven that Nike didn't even use real durabuck on the Original 6s. It was a cheap alternative that they developed to mimic a trademarked material. They still use this method today.

Also, all leather has a coating for protection so you can't tell if the softness is the coating (plastic) or the actual leather. Nike also started to use lamb hide, which is cheaper than cow. You cannot compare softness to quality because real leather is typically hard, stiff and heavy unless they make it very thin, which is another reason it's usually coated.
Real durabuck isn't a thing since durabuck is and has always been. Synthetic used to look like leather. Nike didn't use mimick durabuck or Nikebuck until it(the OG "real" durabuck)stopped being produced all together in 99 or 2000.
 
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