As a Mom looking back on my son’s life I remember many firsts. I can still picture like it was yesterday the day he won his first swim meet, his first crush on a girl and his first broken heart. I remember his first car, his first smile without his braces and the first time he came home with a broken nose from a flying elbow while shooting hoops with the neighbor kids. So imagine my surprise when recently at dinner amid my reminiscing about his youth, I discovered that none of these life events were more than a faded memory to him. What he DID remember in great detail was his first pair of Air Jordans!
Today sneaker collecting draws a worldwide audience of collectors seeking rare shoes, game shoes, shoes worn by celebrities, high end new issues and reissues of the classics. Conventions and Expos from Newark to Atlanta draw record crowds of ‘Sneakerheads” who come to buy, sell and trade based on shoes from a specific manufacturer or a specific sport.
So how did the lowly sneaker become such a hot commodity? Post-war America found itself with an increasing amount of leisure time on it’s hands. As a result people began to participate in sports such as basketball, jogging and tennis and fast realized that they needed appropriate shoes for these activities. Sneakers, running shoes and tennis shoes grew in production number each year from 1945 forward, but it would not be until the 1980s that the phenomena of the collectible sneaker would appear in America. Originating with the release of Nike’s Air Jordan line in 1985 and elevated to a status symbol by the hip-hop culture of the day, the popularity of this category of collecting has spread to many areas over the past two decades.
If we go back to the early ‘80s we find that even before the Nike campaign, the Adidas Superstar Line of sneakers had made the transition from the pro basketball court to the streets. Interestingly enough, Adidas was the shoe of choice for basketball great Michael Jordan. During his college days at North Carolina he had been required to wear Converse due to a contractual agreement between his coach Dean Smith and Converse. As he entered his professional career with the NBA, he had full intentions of wearing Adidas on the court. But Adidas was not forthcoming with an offer — Nike was!
So there you have it, the deal of the century! The NBA had Jordan, Jordan has a record setting endorsement deal and everyone was happy. Right? Wrong! The 1985 Air Jordan line featuring a bold red and black color scheme was a hit with the public, but the NBA was not happy. In a time when only white shoes were used on the basketball court they considered the new shoe far too garish and fined Jordan $5,000 every time he stepped on the court wearing them.
Banned from professional basketball, the sneakers only grew in popularity. Stores sold out within hours of delivery of the shoe, rappers regaled them in song and designers elevated the once lowly sneaker to haute couture. Nike could not have been more pleased with the exposure to their product and gladly paid the fines leveled against Jordan, who wore the shoes at every game.
Nike’s Jordan line is categorized by their year of release and model number: OGs (originals), Retros (pro shoes that were re-created for retail sale). Retro+Air Jordans (similar to the OG with up-to-date modifications), PEs (player exclusive Air Jordans that were exclusive to a specific athlete) and Samples. You will also find a line of Team shoes produced by Nike that are not a part of the signature Air Line.
So exactly how much are your old Nikes worth? Rare shoes in mint condition can sell for thousands with lesser examples going in the $100-$400 range. Currently on eBay you will find a good cross section of Jordans, including an auction completed in July where a pair of OG 2003 black and red 136063 001 IV Max’s just sold for $14,100! Until next time…………Linda
Irvington resident Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached 317-429-7887 or lkennett@indy.rr.com.