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- Jul 6, 2006
Hey Guys,
This is my first new topic in the Jordan Forum in roughly 5 years of activity, and countless more years checking in without a user-name, but I just couldn't let this one slide.
I, like many of you, am happy that JB is opening the flood gates and releasing many long time favorites which have been neglected as far as the retro treatment goes. Despite the recent controversies, I'm happy to see Concords dropping again, and Cool Greys, the Infrared Pack (for the real OGs!), and Playoff XIII's were bright spots among the recent retros, to name a few.
However, do you guys realize what's coming out in the near future? Bred XIV's are on the way, Militaries are due, and Steel X's are on the horizon as well. Why is this relevant? Bred XIV's were the Christmas release in 2005. Steel X's were a summer release in 2005. Militaries were a fall release in 2006. Doesn't it seem a little...soon? I mean, you can make the argument that XI's dropped in '96 and got retroed in '01, but do you really want to start getting tacky-quality take down retros of classic sneakers every few years?
Don't you guys realize what's going on? JB retroed these sneakers 5 or 6 years ago...and now they're busting them out again. I remember people complaining about the quality of these retroes the FIRST time around. Who remembers glue stains on their Last Shots? Who remembers squeaking X's and dudes coming in here to post about baby powder helping and all of that? Who remembers their Militaries scuffing blue on the white midsole after the first couple of wears? With the recent trend of declining quality...do you guys really want to see what the NEXT GENERATION of retroes of these classic sneakers have in store for us?
I mean, it makes sense, what with JB being a brand that relies on the creation of nostalgia and the sustaining of the same nostalgia to sell sneakers. The public wants to cop the original models primarily because they are simply better designs. JB can't design sneakers worth a dime anymore...straight up. Also, they catch all the older basketball fans because Jordan, the man himself, played in the older models, and people have memories of wearing the kicks when they were kids and whatnot, etc. I mean, let's be honest guys, people aren't lining up, beasting, and rioting over the newest Fly Wades.
So what does all of this re-retroing jargon MEAN?
Jordan hooked a newer generation on the retro craze with sneakers such as the very Militaries, Steels, and Last Shots that I mentioned. Those younger "sneaker-heads" grow older and, subconsciously or not, want the kicks that they had in high school or that they remembered as being "the first time" they camped out for a sneaker or lost their Retro virginity or whatever the hell, so they go out and beast over these re-retroes like guys who grew up with the brand get hyped for say...the cement IV release. Right there...JB created NEW nostalgia. They got NEW dudes hooked...and proceeded to create NEW MEMORIES.
While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just wanted to bring it to NT's attention. JB is baiting kids with retroes, sucking them in, and getting their cash AGAIN on the re-retro. Sure, kids have a right to access some of the greatest basketball shoes of all time...but let's be real...these mall-hopping, H&M sweater wearing, daddy's-credit-card-having Justin Biebers are basing their "sneaker game" on a culture that was created by JB...a culture that isn't related to basketball OR Michael Jordan himself, like the brand was originally intended to be.
It stinks, man...because now instead of retroing the September Blue (Yes, SEPTEMBER BLUE) VI's, the Maroon VI's, the City Series 10's, or giving us a proper power blue IX retro...we get retroes of sneakers that, while dope, WE ALL HAVE HAD 3 TIMES AROUND ALREADY. How about an Olympic 6 re-retro+...how about a Laney V re-retro+...if JB is going to throw the boat at us? NOPE...not enough "sneakerheads" were "in the game" back when those sneakers dropped. See how the market is progressing/going to progress? Pretty soon we'll have Pea-Pod 8's sitting on the shelves again...
Now don't get me wrong...I love the Last Shots...and I still have that sweet memory of rocking my first pair in the hallways to class when I got to school. I played some of my best ball in the Steel X's...and I still rock a pair of laceless militaries around the house every now and then...but where does it end? Are they going to give us plastic replicas that explode at the touch because the materials are so flimsy the 20th time around? Probably not...but I just hate to see the brand catering to the L-Style crowd and pandering these botched classics to dudes who don't know any better. They're going to do it again, too...look at those Dunkman colorway X's that are dropping later on. They could bring those out in 5 years...they really could...
It makes perfect economic sense, too. JB is catering to the kids who are willing to shell out the cash, sadly, they make up the majority of demand nowadays...so it's their memories over ours.
Man...their memories over ours. What a sad realization to have to come to...
I don't want this to be another old timer "JB IS DEAD" post...but I thought I'd put you guys on to this trend in case you weren't aware. I love Jordan Brand, and their sneakers have provided me with countless memories over the years, but I wish things were looking up a little more than they were at this point in time. It's just sad...well...maybe just STRANGE...to hear a dude say that one of their grails is the Cool Grey IVs...and to see a post asking for Fire Red III's to be brought back out already. (No hate in either direction) No Nike Air, no quality guaranteed to be made to the exact standards that professional athletes wear on the court (or however that tag-line went), and no more original memories. Their memories over ours...I guess times have changed.
I guess all we can do is hope at this point. I mean...they brought the 90's Nickelodeon shows back, didn't they? Word to all the OG heads out there doing their thing. The dream will never die.
So it goes, guys...so it goes...
This is my first new topic in the Jordan Forum in roughly 5 years of activity, and countless more years checking in without a user-name, but I just couldn't let this one slide.
I, like many of you, am happy that JB is opening the flood gates and releasing many long time favorites which have been neglected as far as the retro treatment goes. Despite the recent controversies, I'm happy to see Concords dropping again, and Cool Greys, the Infrared Pack (for the real OGs!), and Playoff XIII's were bright spots among the recent retros, to name a few.
However, do you guys realize what's coming out in the near future? Bred XIV's are on the way, Militaries are due, and Steel X's are on the horizon as well. Why is this relevant? Bred XIV's were the Christmas release in 2005. Steel X's were a summer release in 2005. Militaries were a fall release in 2006. Doesn't it seem a little...soon? I mean, you can make the argument that XI's dropped in '96 and got retroed in '01, but do you really want to start getting tacky-quality take down retros of classic sneakers every few years?
Don't you guys realize what's going on? JB retroed these sneakers 5 or 6 years ago...and now they're busting them out again. I remember people complaining about the quality of these retroes the FIRST time around. Who remembers glue stains on their Last Shots? Who remembers squeaking X's and dudes coming in here to post about baby powder helping and all of that? Who remembers their Militaries scuffing blue on the white midsole after the first couple of wears? With the recent trend of declining quality...do you guys really want to see what the NEXT GENERATION of retroes of these classic sneakers have in store for us?
I mean, it makes sense, what with JB being a brand that relies on the creation of nostalgia and the sustaining of the same nostalgia to sell sneakers. The public wants to cop the original models primarily because they are simply better designs. JB can't design sneakers worth a dime anymore...straight up. Also, they catch all the older basketball fans because Jordan, the man himself, played in the older models, and people have memories of wearing the kicks when they were kids and whatnot, etc. I mean, let's be honest guys, people aren't lining up, beasting, and rioting over the newest Fly Wades.
So what does all of this re-retroing jargon MEAN?
Jordan hooked a newer generation on the retro craze with sneakers such as the very Militaries, Steels, and Last Shots that I mentioned. Those younger "sneaker-heads" grow older and, subconsciously or not, want the kicks that they had in high school or that they remembered as being "the first time" they camped out for a sneaker or lost their Retro virginity or whatever the hell, so they go out and beast over these re-retroes like guys who grew up with the brand get hyped for say...the cement IV release. Right there...JB created NEW nostalgia. They got NEW dudes hooked...and proceeded to create NEW MEMORIES.
While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just wanted to bring it to NT's attention. JB is baiting kids with retroes, sucking them in, and getting their cash AGAIN on the re-retro. Sure, kids have a right to access some of the greatest basketball shoes of all time...but let's be real...these mall-hopping, H&M sweater wearing, daddy's-credit-card-having Justin Biebers are basing their "sneaker game" on a culture that was created by JB...a culture that isn't related to basketball OR Michael Jordan himself, like the brand was originally intended to be.
It stinks, man...because now instead of retroing the September Blue (Yes, SEPTEMBER BLUE) VI's, the Maroon VI's, the City Series 10's, or giving us a proper power blue IX retro...we get retroes of sneakers that, while dope, WE ALL HAVE HAD 3 TIMES AROUND ALREADY. How about an Olympic 6 re-retro+...how about a Laney V re-retro+...if JB is going to throw the boat at us? NOPE...not enough "sneakerheads" were "in the game" back when those sneakers dropped. See how the market is progressing/going to progress? Pretty soon we'll have Pea-Pod 8's sitting on the shelves again...
Now don't get me wrong...I love the Last Shots...and I still have that sweet memory of rocking my first pair in the hallways to class when I got to school. I played some of my best ball in the Steel X's...and I still rock a pair of laceless militaries around the house every now and then...but where does it end? Are they going to give us plastic replicas that explode at the touch because the materials are so flimsy the 20th time around? Probably not...but I just hate to see the brand catering to the L-Style crowd and pandering these botched classics to dudes who don't know any better. They're going to do it again, too...look at those Dunkman colorway X's that are dropping later on. They could bring those out in 5 years...they really could...
It makes perfect economic sense, too. JB is catering to the kids who are willing to shell out the cash, sadly, they make up the majority of demand nowadays...so it's their memories over ours.
Man...their memories over ours. What a sad realization to have to come to...
I don't want this to be another old timer "JB IS DEAD" post...but I thought I'd put you guys on to this trend in case you weren't aware. I love Jordan Brand, and their sneakers have provided me with countless memories over the years, but I wish things were looking up a little more than they were at this point in time. It's just sad...well...maybe just STRANGE...to hear a dude say that one of their grails is the Cool Grey IVs...and to see a post asking for Fire Red III's to be brought back out already. (No hate in either direction) No Nike Air, no quality guaranteed to be made to the exact standards that professional athletes wear on the court (or however that tag-line went), and no more original memories. Their memories over ours...I guess times have changed.
I guess all we can do is hope at this point. I mean...they brought the 90's Nickelodeon shows back, didn't they? Word to all the OG heads out there doing their thing. The dream will never die.
So it goes, guys...so it goes...