Q: Have you ever thought bout most people don't buy Air Jordans to play basketball in anymore? So could this also factor in on the poor quality?
That thought process is an interesting one, yet in the question it almost suggest that it is now OK for Jordan Brand to cut corners on retros. So here was my response.
A: That would be true if only JB wouldn't have players wearing retro's in NBA games, that alone is promoting the quality and performance of the brand and shoe. Also most of the people that buy retros aren't SneakerHeads like us. SneakerHeads are a small number compared to the number of people that buy J's. Even with all that said there really is no excuse for a company that is now charging $150 - $175 on releases to cut corners on quality.
Of course this is just my opinion but honestly why would Jordan Brand have NBA guys wear the signature line retro's in professional games if they only wanted to market the shoes as casual wear or for collecting purposes? We've all seen guys like Jared Jeffries, Richard Hamilton, Ray Allen, Joe Johnson and many others wearing Retro's on the court and even if they make Player Exclusive shoes differently than they make the general release shoes that doesn't matter because the message is simple "the performance and quality of our shoes is good enough for the NBA."
So those that know me and communicate with me asking questions like "did you cop such and such?" are often surprised when I say "no, quality wasn't good enough." I love the shoes as much as the next guy but if your going to raise prices and hand us an inferior product than what we are use to then yeah I'll pass.
Just because the shoe says Jordan doesn't mean it's top of the line like it use to be. There was a time you didn't question the quality of Jordan's, you knew you were getting the best... now it only seems that way with the most recent release like the 2009, 2010 once retro'ing starts questioning the product starts and that's the reality right now.
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My first pair of Jordan's were the Columbia XIs back in high-school. I wore them for over four years and finally sold them for more thn double retail when I was in college. They were comfortable, durable, easy to clean and care for and stayed looking new. In 2000 I bought the retros in all colors including the space jams and cool greys. ALL GARBAGE. So uncomfortable they are unwearable. Cheap construction cheap materials. This morning I looked at the Columbia retros Wich I never wore and the soles are almost orange.
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