Air Jordan XI Retro "Space Jams"

I believe I can fly...especially in these kicks!

You follow my posts, and I will definitely deliver to y'all! Presenting to you, the Air Jordan Retro "Space Jams" first release. Yes, I said first release, as in the original pair that came out in 2000. I never in a million years would think I'd own a pair of these iconic shoes, but thanks to the generosity of my cousin (shoutout to Josh!), I now own a pair of these amazing shoes. They fit just the same as my breds (referring to the post Air Jordan XI Breds), but the history and hype around these shoes are second to none. I definitely can relate to R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" song for the movie Space Jam when I put on this pair of shoes. Please check out the pics below!

Doesn't get any better than this.

Blue Jumpmans.

23 baby.

The first release has the Jumpman facing forward, all other releases have him jumping the opposite way.

Check out that backside.

Ice all day.

Original insert card that came with shoes in 2000.

Space Jams are definitely worth the hype

Before we even talk about the movie, you gotta go back to 1995 when Michael first rocked the shoe on the hardcourt against the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. Now this pair was a bit different than what you saw on the silver screen; they had the number 45 etched into the back, black bottoms, clear ice, and a black upper with a blue jumpman logo. This colorway would disappear from the spotlight until Michael starred in the cult classic Space Jam, which debuted in 1996. This is where this colorway lovingly got the nickname "Space Jams".

Poetry in motion.

Driving past Shaq.

Warming up before the game. Notice the black bottoms!

Definitely "space jamming".

Michael going against Penny.

Clean clean clean.

Supposedly game-worn Space Jams signed by Michael. Notice the "45" on the back of the shoes.

Who can forget Michael in his legendary role in the movie Space Jam, starring Bugs Bunny and Bill Murray. It had everything a kid wanted: zany cartoon bits, the greatest basketball player of all time, and of course Lola Bunny (haha maybe that was just me). Besides all the fun cartoon stuff, the one thing that stuck out were the shoes that Michael was wearing. Finally, the shoes that everyone was wondering about were finally in the spotlight again! This time though, the jumpman symbol was purple, and had 23 instead of 45 on the back. Now these were only made for the movie, and would not be seen again until they were released to the general public at the end of December 2000! Now this pair had its own unique color patterns which sported blue bottoms, clear ice, the 23 etched in the back, and a blue jumpman symbol. On top of that, these shoes have only been released to the general public 3 times (2000, 2009, 2011), which means these are very hard to come by. So now when you see a pair of these walking around on the streets, you can definitely appreciate the hype and history behind them and tell'em "Hey nice kicks, I've read alot about them". 

Classic.

Monstar getting yakked on!

Michael waiting for Bill to catch up.

It's a deal.

Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG "Family Forever"

It's not casual Friday, but denim is definitely on point.

Another week, another shoe for you to feast on. May I present to you, the Air Jordan Retro High OG "Family Forever". When I first saw the previews for this shoe, I knew I had to get these because they were just so on point! First of all, this shoe is really made of denim, which makes it very unique from most other Jordans. The shoe is very form fitting, and I love the high-top look with the denim-colored laces. Not to mention the Carolina Blue bottoms, and you my friend, have a hot-looking shoe. Matches well with casual attire, and it looks great with a pair jeans (ironic right?). Check out the pics below to see this pair in all its glory!

Love the old school high-top look of this shoe.

Digging the side profile of these shoes.

Each color represents one of Michael's kids. Blue (Jeffrey), Red (Marcus), and Yellow (Jasmine).

These Carolina blue bottoms are hot!

Denim, denim, denim.

The quote is one pearl of wisdom Michael gave to his kids. The years represent the birth years of his kids  Jeffrey (88), Marcus (90), and Jasmine (92).

OG look deserves an OG black and white shot.

Family is always first, no matter what.

The inspiration of this shoe was brought about through Michael's 3 kids, Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine as a Father's Day gift to him. When you look at the shoe, you'll notice there's blue, red, and yellow eyelets, which represents Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine respectively. They said their dad is a jeans guy, and that's why they made the shoe all denim. Carolina blue bottoms are an obvious choice, since Michael made a name for himself during his UNC days. Lastly, you'll notice a quote on the tongue that says "If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you will never change the outcome", which is the advice his kids have lived by. The years listed under the quote are the birth years of his kids, in the appropriate colors as the eyelets and the extra pairs of laces. Please see the pics below of Michael and his kids over the years.

Early photo of the Jordan family.

Michael and his kids during his first retirement ceremony in 1993.

Michael and his kids on Father's Day in 1996, after winning his 4th championship.

Jeffrey (left), Jasmine (center), and Marcus (right) at their dad's 50th birthday party in 2013.

Air Jordan Retro IX "Cool Grey"

Cool is the rule, don't even trip!

What's up y'all? Hope you're enjoying these posts, and please feel free to comment I love feedback! Another week another pair; presenting the Air Jordan IX "Cool Greys"! Now I've always had a thing for the IX's, and so when I heard the Cool Greys were dropping, I definitely had to pick these up. I copped a pair from Shoe Palace in 2012 right before Christmas as an early gift to myself (btw my credit card was stolen that day and coincidentally it was used across the street at Eastridge Mall hours later...shady!) and they've been nothing short of awesome. Not the most comfortable shoe in the world, but the boot-like fit/look, the cool grey color that matches well with almost anything, and the iconic "23" sewed to the back of the patent leather is definitely a head turner. The contrast of the grey/white on this shoe definitely gives it some pop, and that's what I like most about this shoe. Check out the pics below!!

Check out the patent leather wrapped around the shoe!

Beautiful side profile.

The iconic "23" stitched in the back.

The single-pull lacelock system.

There are multiple words in multiple languages on the bottom of this shoe. Most notably the kanji says "world" and "sport".

 Translated from the hardcourt to the diamond

When the Air Jordan IX's were first introduced in 1993, they would have no idea that Michael would retire from the game. This means this was the first pair that Michael never wore on the hardcourt during the NBA season. Not all was lost, as Nike translated his shoe into a cleat version, which he wore during his stint with the Birmingham Barrons. Technically, Michael did eventually wear his Cool Grey IXs, but it wasn't until his stint with the Washington Wizards years later. A couple other NBA players have also been spotted in the Cool Greys as well.

Although Michael never graced the court in Chicago wearing these kicks, his statue outside of the United Center has him featured in them, flying high in his signature dunk pose. Please check out the pics below!

MJ in the outfield in a Chicago White Sox uni. He never played in a regular season game, but instead played his entire year for the minor league Birmingham Barrons.

Michael swinging at a pitch for the Birmingham Barrons.

Michael doing work in his Cool Greys during his stint with the Washington Wizards.

Hydrating with Gatorade of course.

Rondo slicing up the defense.

Quentin Richardson sporting the Cool Greys in a photoshoot for Kicks in 2002.

Me standing in front of the MJ statue in 2012.

Close-up of MJ's statue in front of the United Center in Chicago.