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Why does a retro mean more to most than the new sig J? I think I know the reason. Just wanted to hear your comments. Just for conversation.
Why a retro over the newer sig Js?
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AIR J XIII
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You of all people know the answer to this question 
There's a reason most retros are 1-14.
There's a reason most retros are 1-14.
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I really wish they would retro more 16’s & 17’s. Jordan wore them when he was on the wizards.
mr z
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I don’t think retros mean more. People talk about some of the nostalgic factors of shoes but really that’s just icing on the cake. Retros sell because they are better looking shoes.
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Yeah, but was maybe wanting others perspective. I know why I gravitate to the older stuff. As time goes by, what does it mean to others not our age?You of all people know the answer to this question
There's a reason most retros are 1-14.
AIR J XIII
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I see. Maybe they see the status older people hold Jordans in and it rubs off on them. Plus they are pretty fashionable
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My wife is 7 years younger than me but my influence of growing up in the 90’s is rubbing off on her. Much to my delight of course, lol. She likes the 1, 3,4, and 5 a lot. And she is becoming quite the 2pac and Wu Tang fan also.
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My man Wu Tang was out here in VA this past weekend went to the concert.
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Nice, would love to see them live. I got to see Nas live last month here in Idaho.
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Wearing what The Man wore.
I didn't experience them on their initial releases so I'm enjoying them now in honor.
Also...they just look good lol.
I buy some of the newer models too. But retros are the classics. And it stops at 1-14 lol.
I didn't experience them on their initial releases so I'm enjoying them now in honor.
Also...they just look good lol.
I buy some of the newer models too. But retros are the classics. And it stops at 1-14 lol.
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The Concord for example. Why do so many want it. I know why I do. But do people sometimes like a shoe because of the hype behind it? Jordan himself and his legacy is so huge that younger guys seem to like them due to what he did in them or what others think towards them. Is it a mix of both?
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Retro has cultural equity.
rainking
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It's for sure hugely because of the obvious reason: 1-14 (and really, 1-13) are what those of us who were there for it saw him play in, and accomplish all the immortal highlights in.
Up next--and I can only speak for myself but can speculate I'm not alone in this--as someone said, the OG run of actual MJ-era shoes are arguably the best designs of the entire lineup after all of these years. For me, it's that simple: If they had made a boatload of Js between, say, the 17 and now that I thought looked sick, I'd have bought them. Instead, almost all of them were just meh to me. It's why I'm excited about the Bulls 34s. That shoe looks like a dope Air Jordan I could see Mike playing in, hence I'm in for a pair.
BUT, there are other factors at play if we want to look just a little deeper. Won't hit them all but quickly:
--I was just having this conversation at work the other day. Loads of people in their 30s and 40s now have kids. And they put their kids in Jordans. As a result, even after MJ retired, his ghost and his presence and his shoes never really faded away. The shoes were for so long considered the pinnacle of must-have items for the "cool kids," that situation continued and was continually fed into by the older generation putting the younger generation onto and literally into it. The advent of JB and a never-ending stream of product and promotion simultaneously fueled the momentum.
--As a result of that, let's consider kids who decide at some point for whatever reason, hey, I'm into sneakers now. OK, what sneakers will they covet? The same ones the kids already into sneakers and considered "with it" are wearing. It's really the same thing that happened to us 30 or whatever years ago. And a lot of those shoes happened/happen to be Jordans. So it's a beast that has just continued to feed itself.
--The simplistic result of all of this is, Jordan the brand name has become it's own thing. It doesn't matter if kids never saw him play. Just like it doesn't matter that Enzo Ferrari has been dead for 30 years, or Ferdinand Porsche. I'd wager the majority of people who buy those cars today don't have much of a clue about how many Formula 1 races Ferrari has won, and how many times Porsche has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Everyone basically just associates those names and products with excellence and performance, even if they don't know why.
Once you have a brand that is universally regarded as the elite in its field, it's off and running. Hell, why does Nike itself dominate the market? Certainly not because anyone is a big fan of the Greek god Nike, or of Phil Knight personally. In that sense, it should probably be less of a surprise JORDAN the brand and products remain so popular and successful.
Up next--and I can only speak for myself but can speculate I'm not alone in this--as someone said, the OG run of actual MJ-era shoes are arguably the best designs of the entire lineup after all of these years. For me, it's that simple: If they had made a boatload of Js between, say, the 17 and now that I thought looked sick, I'd have bought them. Instead, almost all of them were just meh to me. It's why I'm excited about the Bulls 34s. That shoe looks like a dope Air Jordan I could see Mike playing in, hence I'm in for a pair.
BUT, there are other factors at play if we want to look just a little deeper. Won't hit them all but quickly:
--I was just having this conversation at work the other day. Loads of people in their 30s and 40s now have kids. And they put their kids in Jordans. As a result, even after MJ retired, his ghost and his presence and his shoes never really faded away. The shoes were for so long considered the pinnacle of must-have items for the "cool kids," that situation continued and was continually fed into by the older generation putting the younger generation onto and literally into it. The advent of JB and a never-ending stream of product and promotion simultaneously fueled the momentum.
--As a result of that, let's consider kids who decide at some point for whatever reason, hey, I'm into sneakers now. OK, what sneakers will they covet? The same ones the kids already into sneakers and considered "with it" are wearing. It's really the same thing that happened to us 30 or whatever years ago. And a lot of those shoes happened/happen to be Jordans. So it's a beast that has just continued to feed itself.
--The simplistic result of all of this is, Jordan the brand name has become it's own thing. It doesn't matter if kids never saw him play. Just like it doesn't matter that Enzo Ferrari has been dead for 30 years, or Ferdinand Porsche. I'd wager the majority of people who buy those cars today don't have much of a clue about how many Formula 1 races Ferrari has won, and how many times Porsche has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Everyone basically just associates those names and products with excellence and performance, even if they don't know why.
Once you have a brand that is universally regarded as the elite in its field, it's off and running. Hell, why does Nike itself dominate the market? Certainly not because anyone is a big fan of the Greek god Nike, or of Phil Knight personally. In that sense, it should probably be less of a surprise JORDAN the brand and products remain so popular and successful.
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the retros look better while the newer models look terrible... also it's nostaglic for me seeing MJ play in the 1-14 models...
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Today's Air Jordan versions look like they blend in with everything else that's on the sneaker landscape. Back in MJ's playing days with Chicago, the shoes during those years stood out, even among other high profile Nike's and sig shoes. Definitely don't think that's the case today. Looks do matter, which is why the Jordan XI is still considered to be one of the greatest shoe silhouettes of all time. The Jordan 1 is like the Chuck Taylor of ALL Air Jordans...utilitarian, timeless, and bold. Each shoe model back then had a uniqueness about them and that's still recognized today.
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I like the shoes I can remember MJ playing in.. 17s + 18s.. best of the bunch 
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My join date is when I got into shoes. Mainly cuz of the Gamma 12s
I buy what I like and coincidentally the shoes after 17 are terrible except the 23s
They hold zero sentimental value
rainking
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Curious in the context of the topic: About how old are you?
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I still wanna be like Mike.
**** them kids
**** them kids
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I thought it was the Gamma XI. lol. I get it though. Not all have the memories or specific ties to watching MJ play. It seems nowadays they have to rely on a good design because the athletes today dont sell like he did. Its a different time now. Lebron for example, I like some of his shoes. Just not enough to go after. Hell I think the one I like the most was the 15 that looked like some Griffeys. I would buy those 15s if in front of me. But it really comes back to nostalgia for me I guess.
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OK well the 11s played a bit too but I do remember see people wit the breds and just always rubber necked them, no idea what they were but I wanted em. The concords in 2011 I remember seeing too. So the 11s def played a bit of build up and what's funny is I wouldn't even put them in my top 3 right now either ??
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Dope thread.
Signature Jays been lackin for years now. Plus they release a million colorways for each model.
Back then, Mike gave us 3-4 colorways a year and they were all flames and became classic.
Now they release a different colorway every 2 weeks, which I will never understand, when most of them hit outlets.
Even though I like the 34, I know in about a month or 2, after 10 colorways have released, they will be damn near forgotten.
Signature Jays been lackin for years now. Plus they release a million colorways for each model.
Back then, Mike gave us 3-4 colorways a year and they were all flames and became classic.
Now they release a different colorway every 2 weeks, which I will never understand, when most of them hit outlets.
Even though I like the 34, I know in about a month or 2, after 10 colorways have released, they will be damn near forgotten.
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