Your first Jordan... how it all started for you.

[jazzy]

Black cement 3s when I was 9/10 (first retro), pretty sure they cost my ma £30 in the then new Nike outlet near where I grew up, I was the only one In school with them as everyone wanted the latest air max. Never forget the smell when I opened the box, or the fact that I beat them into the ground!

 

[tupac003]

I could never get Jordan's as a kid. Mom's just didn't believe in spending that much money on shoes.

I joined the Navy and once my money was right, the first pair I bought was the Carolina blue XI lows from Instyleshoes. Paid 300 for them then (2004). Then the NEX started to get Jordan's and I would buy every release they got because they always got 1 size 14 and I was the only guy who would wear that size. The guy got cook with. E and would hold the size 14's or 15's for me.

 

[Letyoufry]

I forgot to say i also had these shoes. it was an accident i think i had these shoes, but Barkley was just the best player with Jordan. It was def a must have, a perfect shoe, so comfortable.
I have never found a photo like this on google, with this colorway, without the F.... strap, thanks you so much for this photo. I hope more photos of these.
Great shoes, great memories!!! I destroyed the right heel air sole unit.
Can you tell me the exact name of the shoes? I do know i had these during the summer 1993, just after my 8 BBunnies.

 

[sharpshooter718]

Ginger xivs

Mom wasn’t paying more than 110 for kicks. summer of 99 I had some cash from working and saving allowance. I had enough for the xivs and a matching avirex button up...


Got the Jordan’s earlier than release date so I was the flyest dude in school for like 2 weeks... til the super senior got the xv’s mad early

 

[ogSlater]

my first pair was the AJ1 Banned, I was in the 6th grade and was going on camping trip to sly park ca. my parents told me I could get a new cheap pair of shoes for the trip. we went to big 5 and there they were a huge stack of Nike boxes all marked 29.99 at the time these shoes were the real meaning of dead stock this was 1988 and these shoes were already 3 years old collecting dust in the back corner of big 5, and let me tell all you young heads something about the AJ1 nobody wanted them after the new jordan 2s and 3s dropped. at the time I had a friend that obtained multiple pairs from big 5 for around 19.99 each, and it wasn't just the blk/red banned colorway either they had almost every colorway stacked to the roof on clearance for the low!

 

[Hopsin]

I was 17. Taxi 12 OGs. Me and about 10 other heads lined up an hour beforehand. Chopped it up and all got pairs.

 

[holz22]

The 1990 Air Jordan 5 "Grape". I was 5 years old and every single night I would stare at the JC Penny catalog (obviously before the dawn of the internet era) which had photos of the Black Metallic, 3M Tongue Fire Red and my beloved Grape colorway. Not sure if it was the similarity to Donatello's colors (TMNT) but once I saw them, it was a wrap. Begged my mother for months until she caught them on sale. My life hasn't been the same since!

 

[Hopsin]

The 1990 Air Jordan 5 "Grape". I was 5 years old and every single night I would stare at the JC Penny catalog (obviously before the dawn of the internet era) which had photos of the Black Metallic, 3M Tongue Fire Red and my beloved Grape colorway. Not sure if it was the similarity to Donatello's colors (TMNT) but once I saw them, it was a wrap. Begged my mother for months until she caught them on sale. My life hasn't been the same since!

Id also like to shoutout my moms. She bought a ridiculous number of nike airs while i was in hs and my first two jordans as bday presents. First being the taxi and 2nd was the og jordan 14. I can still smell the fish lol. Og heads kno

 

[dididan2000]

Black Grape 5s in 2013 when I was 12 or 13. Props to everyone older than me who have been in the game for a long time. It's just crazy to me that it's been six years for me. When I saw that pair I just knew immediately that I wanted them. I liked the white grapes from the year as well, but the black grapes really did it for me.

 

[Hopsin]

Black Grape 5s in 2013 when I was 12 or 13. Props to everyone older than me who have been in the game for a long time. It's just crazy to me that it's been six years for me. When I saw that pair I just knew immediately that I wanted them. I liked the white grapes from the year as well, but the black grapes really did it for me.

Great start. Love to see the young heads.

 

[05fordgt]

This is a great topic! I've mentioned my beginning before in other threads, but this is the PERFECT place to go in-depth about it.

I'm one of the old-heads on here at 42 (43 in Sept). I don't consider my pair of Sky Jordan 1s in the black/red color my start as I was really little and I didn't know what they really were yet. The start came for the '89-90 school year. Going to junior high that year (ours was 7-9th, then HS). That summer of 89 my mom (LOVE my mom, she bought me all my Jordans and Nike's, and Reeboks until I was out of HS, as I took care of myself after that).

That summer, the shoe I was dying to have was Agassi's Air Tech Challenge II 3/4 Hot Lava. Was geeking for them so bad. So she took me to this little mom & pop store in Lansdale Pennsylvania (it's a suburb about 30 miles northwest of Philly). The place was called Dimmer's. This place was AMAZING!! They had all the accounts for Nike and Reebok, and Converse and Avia, you name it. You walked in, and it smelled SO GOOD (that new shoe smell we all know so well). They had ALL the hot shoes!!

Mom took me there and I walked in and was just floored. ATC IIs in Lava, the tarts, checks, Solo Flights, Flight Hi, Air Pressure, you name it!! So we get there and I see Agassi's shoes! $79.99 (Dimmer's discounted all their shoes) Ready to ask for a pair to try on. My mom asked me, are you sure you want those. The Air Jordans are only $10 more ($89.99). The air Jordans she was referring to were the black/cement IVs!!! Ok Mom, I'll get these if it's okay. It was but with a few stipulations. Do not beat them up, keep them nice and don't wear in the rain.

I did EXACTLY like she said! Cleaned them if they got dirty at all .I never wore them in the grass. If it rained, I actually took them off or ran to the door from the bus. If it was going to rain, I wore my old shoes (Reebok 4600 Highs). I even used a sharpie to fill in the black midsole if it ever got scratched. I babied that pair!! It's why this release on May 4th means A LOT to me! It's why I'm buying 2 pairs (I never double up but made 2 exceptions on the Concord XI and the recent Infrared VI).

This shose started it for me! Mom knew I was a Jordan fanatic and she got me his shoes! This started my facination for sneakers that I still have today (though I am slowing way down and am selling a lot of my 300 pair collection as it's time). My next pair were the Infrared VI (actually had 2 pairs, one for 8th and another for 9th, but the 9th grade pair I picked them over the Carmine's as both were on sale with the 7s just being released then (wish I had gotten the Carmine's back then). Thank you Mom, I love you!!

 

[Hopsin]

Lowkey turning into a mom appreciation thread. Nothing wrong with that!

 

[05fordgt]

Lowkey turning into a mom appreciation thread. Nothing wrong with that!

So true buddy. Another tidbit. I had a lot of medical issues growing up in my late teens into mid 20 (and still do today). Had Ulcerative Colitis at 16. Had my large intestine, gallbladder and appendix removed at 24 as I was down to 130 lbs at 6' tall. Was in bad shape. During that surgery (it's a two-part surgery where they remove it, put a bag one for a few months while the insides heal and then reverse it). Day of the 2nd surgery, I was jaundice. Doc sent me home to take meds to get my billirubin count down. Had to get an ERCP test (camera down my throat to check my liver). They brushed my pancreas and I got pancreatitis. Had to get hospitalized. This was during All-Star weekend in 2002 (February 9th to be exact). Get were I'm going, lol!

I was in the hospital for the weekend (Friday to Sunday night) and I couldn't get the Jordan 17s that released that day. So I asked my mom to do it. And guess what? She went to Champs, paid the $200 (which I paid her back for) and got me a pair of white/college blue 17s, in the suitcase!! Still have the shoes and the case today!!! I eventually had the 2nd surgery to get it "reconnected" but a year later I had to have a liver transplant as my liver was just failing due to the Colitis. Been through the ringer but I always came out the other side. Just another chapter of my story!

 

[Hopsin]

So true buddy. Another tidbit. I had a lot of medical issues growing up in my late teens into mid 20 (and still do today). Had Ulcerative Colitis at 16. Had my large intestine, gallbladder and appendix removed at 24 as I was down to 130 lbs at 6' tall. Was in bad shape. During that surgery (it's a two-part surgery where they remove it, put a bag one for a few months while the insides heal and then reverse it). Day of the 2nd surgery, I was jaundice. Doc sent me home to take meds to get my billirubin count down. Had to get an ERCP test (camera down my throat to check my liver). They brushed my pancreas and I got pancreatitis. Had to get hospitalized. This was during All-Star weekend in 2002 (February 9th to be exact). Get were I'm going, lol!

I was in the hospital for the weekend (Friday to Sunday night) and I couldn't get the Jordan 17s that released that day. So I asked my mom to do it. And guess what? She went to Champs, paid the $200 (which I paid her back for) and got me a pair of white/college blue 17s, in the suitcase!! Still have the shoes and the case today!!! I eventually had the 2nd surgery to get it "reconnected" but a year later I had to have a liver transplant as my liver was just failing due to the Colitis. Been through the ringer but I always came out the other side. Just another chapter of my story!

That's beyond awesome. Great woman. Mine worked ungodly overtime hours in a hospital to provide for us. I've bought all her Nikes as an adult. Literally the least I could do.

 

[Chimpmanproletariat]

my first pair was the AJ1 Banned, I was in the 6th grade and was going on camping trip to sly park ca. my parents told me I could get a new cheap pair of shoes for the trip. we went to big 5 and there they were a huge stack of Nike boxes all marked 29.99 at the time these shoes were the real meaning of dead stock this was 1988 and these shoes were already 3 years old collecting dust in the back corner of big 5, and let me tell all you young heads something about the AJ1 nobody wanted them after the new jordan 2s and 3s dropped. at the time I had a friend that obtained multiple pairs from big 5 for around 19.99 each, and it wasn't just the blk/red banned colorway either they had almost every colorway stacked to the roof on clearance for the low!

Great story! I miss the days of deeply discounted classics. I can remember stumbling upon 3 different colorways of OG 12s at Folsom Outlet in late '98 for $50. They had multiple pairs of the White/Red, Playoffs and Black/Red in just about every size.

As I type this, I can't help but think, "Goddam, why didn't I buy every pair?"

 

[barrebaby]

First pair hand me downs from my cousin:

First pair I bought with my birthday money:

First pair I bought with my own money:

First pair I stood in line for:

First pair of retros:

First pair of retro+'s

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

The year was 1989. Back to the Future II came out, sandwich'd in between Bloodsport in '88 and Kickboxer in '90. Those were the days. But I wanted the AJ4 because the homies Pac, Gerardo, and Mike each had the White Blue 4, White 4, and Black 4 respectively. That's what we called them back then - no nicknames, just the color of the shoe. Simple.

My folks couldn't afford to buy me J's. All they could do for me was Reeboks, $60 Nikes, or some XJ-900's. But I was a baller, a big time hooper in the 7th grade who was being recruited by high schools at the time. I needed a pair of J's to play in, but Moms still wasn't having it. Pops told me I'd never play in the NBA since I wasn't going to grow tall and his recommendation was to focus on academics and get good grades. So I used this motivation to get me some J's.

And I struck a deal with Mom. Told her I'd get straight A's that school year. A few months later, we took a trip to the mall and they got me the White Red 4's.

I beat up the 4's beyond recognition and ended up throwing them away sometime in the mid 90s (I'm a fool for doing this), but I still kept the box (to store cassette tapes lol). Here's the rest of my early Jordan copping years:

1990 - Pops bought me the White/Red/Black Tongue 5's at Sportmart. At this point, Pops was coaching my basketball team and he saw I was getting better as a player so he saw the worthwhile investment lol. I once scored 29 points and had 10 assists in a game against Artesia H.S. (where James Harden went) on the freshman summer league team wearing these 5's. I have a VHS tape somewhere in my storage with these highlights.

1991 - Moms bought me the Carmine 6's. I balled heavily in these during high school and have great highlights and memories.

1992 - Grandpa bought me the Black Red 7s, which later became known as the Raptor 7s. Sprained my ankle in em a few times because of the lack of ankle protection, unlike the 6's and 5's which had thicker leather all the way to the top of the shoe to keep those ankles snug.

1993 - Uncle bought me the Black Red White 8's. Sadly, someone in school stole my shoes and I never found out who. So when MJ retired, I figured I'd retire from having J's as well. Didn't want another pair to get stolen.

1995 to present - Got back in the game when MJ returned in '95, and I haven't left since. Copped the 11's, 12's, 13's, and 14's. Skipped the 15's, but copped all colorways of the 16's in 2000 and bought extras to re-sell when I was a senior in college to help pay for bills just like so many of you have done.

When it's time for me to meet my maker, rest assured there will be a pair of J's on my feet.

 

[RichKen]

For me it doesn’t start with Jordan’s but with Nike air in general and the air revolutions.

Air revolutions were the **** in maybe 87, and I got a pair for Christmas after looking all over nyc for them and finally finding them at the atheletes foot in herald square I think?

I remember being at the ymca and seeing older kids and men with the 3’s which I never got. I was able to finally get the WC4 when they came out and then had everything up until the aqua 8s. I took a break from Jordan’s after that and was into all kinds of other shoes like air maxes and the 90s football shoes. I got back into them around the time of the 13s summer after junior year.

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

With all the talk about our Mom's effect on our childhood when it came to copping our first pair of J's, I think I may cop my mom a pair of 4s for Mother's Day in honor of the first pair of J's she bought me

 

[barrebaby]

With all the talk about our Mom's effect on our childhood when it came to copping our first pair of J's, I think I may cop my mom a pair of 4s for Mother's Day in honor of the first pair of J's she bought me

Would your mom wear them? If so go for it and props to her, when my mom was living she would'nt be cought dead in my "gang member shoes" as she'd call them. She appreciated my passion, and bought and helped me buy Jordan's, but was good with her Keds.

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

Would your mom wear them? If so go for it and props to her, when my mom was living she would'nt be cought dead in my "gang member shoes" as she'd call them. She appreciated my passion, and bought and helped me buy Jordan's, but was good with her Keds.

I think she would. She likes to rock Nike and Adidas runners and I can see her rocking 4s casually with jeans.

She's 61 but looks and dresses like she's 35 lol

 

[barrebaby]

I think she would. She likes to rock Nike and Adidas runners and I can see her rocking 4s casually with jeans.

She's 61 but looks and dresses like she's 35 lol

Do it fam!

 

[tonytobacco]

I forgot to say i also had these shoes. it was an accident i think i had these shoes, but Barkley was just the best player with Jordan. It was def a must have, a perfect shoe, so comfortable.
I have never found a photo like this on google, with this colorway, without the F.... strap, thanks you so much for this photo. I hope more photos of these.
Great shoes, great memories!!! I destroyed the right heel air sole unit.
Can you tell me the exact name of the shoes? I do know i had these during the summer 1993, just after my 8 BBunnies.

air 2 strong mid

i think we all associated them with KG

 

[Kingof402]

92 Charcoal 7’s was 9 years old. First pair my pops got me and been hooked since.

 

[Letyoufry]

air 2 strong mid

i think we all associated them with KG

yes thank you, i read it on the tongue .
KG?