I have never been super interested in shoes. Fashion in general can be thrown in there too, as my look for the past couple of years has been hoodies and sweatpants (which it still is 60% of the time). But as I’ve started to care a little more about my clothes, I understand the hype surrounding shoes. I had always seen people and their massive collections of shoes, and the thousands they spend on them, and thought it was ridiculous to invest so much money to not wear clothes. But this new part of me the past couple months kept saying, “man, that is so cool.” So as I got more interested in fashion, and more specifically basketball, the two have culminated in me buying the Jordan 1 Retro High OG basketball shoes. They clocked in at $125, but I got them on sale for $100, which was great value considering how much some shoes like Yeezys cost. The pair is in Michael Jordan’s college colors at UNC, but I got the black and blue. These came out in February 2022, and are imitating the original Jordans released in 1985.
They came in a very nice box, and opening them I just kind of ogled at them. For the first time I wanted to just stare at my clothes instead of wearing them. I could just be insane, but as I saw them fresh out of the box I understand more and more the mindset of a sneaker collector. It’s like owning anything nice really, except while action figures aren’t meant to be played with by grown people, you are supposed to wear shoes. Despite my awe, I put them on.
This pair of shoes are a very comfortable fit, and are super easy to run in. When I play basketball in them, it feels like I glide through the air when I run towards the basket. It gives good support to my feet as well, they’re very comfortable, and not to mention they look awesome. They’re a very good imitation of the original shoe, and that definitely added some glamor. I first truly wore these at Homecoming for a good three hours, and they felt great for the time I was dancing in them. However, they do have baggage that comes with every shoe, and they crease. Of course, being new to having shoes like this, I was completely oblivious until two hours into the dance when the shoes were already creased up. They still worked, but I quickly learned that you really have to maintain these shoes. They’re very needy, like a baby you can wear, and you have to be careful how you step. All in all though, creases are still very preventable with things like crease protectors and simply ironing them out carefully. These shoes have been a great experience to wear, and are a bargain.
Other consumers tend to agree with me, avering 4.6/5 stars on Amazon. Weartesters.com wrote an in depth review, giving it a 9.5/10 for its ability to perform even though it was initially released 28 years ago. They praised its feel, fit, and playability to a very high standard, which convinced me to buy these as well. That website wasn’t lying either, as I fully agree that these are an elite pair of shoes. I would give these a calm 8.8/10. They are as advertised and seem to elevate any look or activity.
You can buy these shoes on Nike, StockX, and Amazon for around $125 to $200 dollars as well, and with coupons you can shrink the cost like I did. The Jordan 1 Retro High OG’s are praised for a reason, and I will continue to hype them up as I begin to care more and more about fashion. They are the perfect gateway into fashionable shoes.
