March 4th, 2013 by Brendan Dunne
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It’s only getting more and more difficult to pick up original Air Jordan pairs. As the number of Air Jordan collectors grows every year, the set number of vintage sneakers from the line continue to get snatched up, passed around, and un-deadstocked. Which is why this group is such a crazy opporunity if you’ve got the cash to make it happen. Shown is a group of OG Air Jordans in various conditions, including the Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan VI, Air Jordan VII, Air Jordan VIII, Air Jordan IX, Air Jordan X, Air Jordan XI, Air Jordan XII, and the Air Jordan XIII. Take a look at all the pairs rounded up in the group after the jump, then take a look at the auction to purchase them from quentinours on eBay.
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April 7th, 2012 by John K.
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Last year, the Air Jordan 1 ‘Banned’ hit Nike Factory Stores in exclusive distribution, causing the first-ever outlet store campout in history. These Air Jordan 1s you see her are the original 1985 release of the infamous ‘Banned’ colorway that we’ve become so familiar with, but are we seeing the first run of B-Grade Air Jordans? For those uncertain of what ‘B-Grade’ denotes – it’s a mark/grade given to sneakers that have minor imperfections in manufacturing, deemed not suitable for retail stores and often sent to Nike Factory Stores. This particular pair is marked with an black ‘X’ on inner face of the tongue in a white box with what appears to be an official box-tag and a stamp that reads ‘BLEMISHED’, although the ‘blemish’ in question isn’t quite clear to the naked eye (much like most other B-Grades that hit the outlet shelves). With the numbers of manufactured units so high, there’s always bound to be a slight mishap or two (even the Concords hit outlets), but there have been plenty of ‘outlet-exclusive’ B-Grade Air Jordans in the past – like the Air Jordan XI ‘DMP’ that featured golden JORDAN lettering on the eyelets. We’ve got a look at this rare find below, so take a look and see what these sold for in this closed auction from sappronie on eBay.
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December 24th, 2011 by Aaron Hope
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The holiday season is filled with familar symbols and signs of the various celebrations from all corners of the world, but perhaps none is more universally recognized than Santa Claus. Then again, Santa might be up against some stiff competition with Michael Jordan, a man who nearly a decade after his last retirement, remains the most popular and recognizeable athlete in the entire world. Santa’s been carrying quite a lot of Jays with him over the past few years as Michael and his Brand have come to dominate Christmas sneaker shopping with their annual Air Jordan XI Retros, and from the looks of the video you’ll see after the jump, they’ve actually been acquainted for quite a bit longer. Check out this vintage Nike commercial spot showing Kris Kringle getting the short end of His Airness’ fancy footwork in a game of 1-on-1. Both ‘players’ are wearing Air Jordan 1s, but does Santa steal the show with his ‘Banned’ colorway? Happy holidays, Sneaker News readers, and check back with us for all the info you need to make 2012 a Happy New Year!
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October 25th, 2011 by John K.
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It’s been a while since the last Sneaker Cake, but every time these tasty treats surface, we can’t help but show ‘em! Here’s a look at a sneaker cake molded in the form of the Air Jordan 1 ‘Banned’, made for NT member CJDynasty’s 27th birthday, who shows off his celebratory masterpiece alongside the actual shoes. It’s apparent that these cake bosses are getting better and better by the day with these sneaker cakes, because the detail on this ‘Banned’ cake is rather impressive; the perforations on the toe-box, the Nike Air logo on the tongue, and the ‘Banned’ X logo on the shoes as well as on the box are all spot on! Sneaker News wishes a Happy Birthday to a fellow sneakerhead, but for the rest of you, enjoy the sweet pics below!
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June 1st, 2011 by John K.
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Sneaker News first broke the news of the Air Jordan 1 ‘Banned’ surprisingly hitting Nike Factory Stores last weekend. Since that news was made open, rumors began swirling around that the special edition of the Air Jordan 1 would break away from its banishment and hit other Nike Outlet locations in the near future. Today, June 1st, was indeed D-Day, as a number of Nike outlet locations opened its doors this morning to lines of sneakerheads, who had been waiting since the early morning hours. These locations, who received shipments of the supposed ‘B-Grade’ Air Jordan 1s, sold out of the limited stock quickly, even with stringent guidelines of allowing just one pair per customer while completely ignoring over-the-phone orders, which Nike Factory Stores typically allow.
The Air Jordan 1 ‘Banned’ release is unique in a number of ways; for one, the releases occurred exclusively at Nike outlet locations, and even though the information was not made public by Nike or Jordan Brand, news spread quickly and freely – resulting in the campouts. Secondly, the Air Jordan 1 Banned will likely not occur as a general release, because a B-Grade wouldn’t become available before an actual release, especially one of this magnitude. Thirdly, the shoes are marked as ‘B-Grade’, which usually denotes a cosmetic defect of some kind (perhaps the ‘B’ signifies ‘Banned’). And lastly, this Air Jordan Retro release occurred on a Wednesday, rather than the usual release date of Saturday morning. All in all, the Air Jordan 1 has caused yet another controversy in the world of sneakers decades after its release, and with resale prices online and at reputable dealers reaching half a thousand dollars, the AJ1 Banned will go down as one of the strangest releases of all time. Was this planned all along? Did Jordan Brand perform an ‘inception’ on the sneaker world, having us believe that these were meant to be scrapped? Thanks to Sneaker Box Clyde of Inside The Sneaker Box, we have a nice video of one of the releases as well as additional detailed images of the Air Jordan 1 Banned, so take a look and pick up a pair now on eBay.
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May 31st, 2011 by John K.
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One of the more curious releases from Jordan Brand is the Air Jordan 1 ‘Banned’ edition – a playful rehashing of the original Air Jordan 1 that caused controversy in the NBA and in the world of sneakers. What makes this release all the more strange is that these were first dropped at Nike Factory Stores before any word of a general release, which, based on the funky timeline, is likely to not happen. Remember that the first Air Jordan 1 ‘Banned’ sample was previewed on Sneaker News nearly a year ago featured a black ‘X’ over all the logos, so it’s possible that the ones you see here – the version that mysteriously popped out at Nike outlet stores – was in fact the version set for a general release. In the end, it’s no surprise that these stirred up some controversy again, and thanks to Osneaker, we get yet another look at the Banned 1s. If you haven’t picked up a pair just yet or won’t be near a Nike outlet (they’re scheduled to hit again), cop a pair now on eBay.
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