If you’ve been browsing the sneaker webs within the last day or two, there’s a good chance you saw the article that Matt Welty wrote for Complex recently. It’s entitled “I Don’t Wear Air Jordans”, and it’s a good read (in the event you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a link).
Welty raises a few fair points in the article. Everyone does thirst over the same shoes, and it’s pretty nuts to drop $200 for a sneaker that calls itself a “remastered” model….even though the quality on the original shoe was significantly better.
I see what he’s saying, and I do agree with most of it. The hype surrounding Jordans can be very annoying, and the way they bring boorish manner out of people can grow tiring very quickly. It’s also true that just because you grew up in the era Jordan was playing in doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to thirst for any shoe he releases.
However, he’s not entirely on point. I would argue that people can be just as thirsty for a limited retro runner as they are for a Jordan release. It might not be the same loud, annoying, in-your-face “ay homie, when are ya’ll getting them new Mikes” type of thirst, but it’s very much there.
You can’t let yourself be totally turned off to a product just because some of the people who buy it and thirst after it aren’t the most desirable. If you think it’s well designed, and you like the aesthetic, go for it.
I haven’t bought a pair of Jordans in a while myself. The last thing I copped was some DTRT I’s for a steal of a deal (shoutout to Tyler for the plug). I’ve been more focused on getting my Adidas and Puma game up recently. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have love for Jordans. The I’s are still my favorite sneaker of all time, and will always be.
All I’m saying is buy what you like. Don’t pigeonhole yourself and say “I don’t wear this” “I don’t wear that”. Keep your options open, and try a little bit of everything. You’ll be glad that you did.
-RDwyer
Sidenote: Matt Welty is one of my favorite Complex writers. He’s well-spoken and constantly puts out quality articles. Check out his stuff if you haven’t already. You’ll be glad you did.
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