Foot Locker surely likes to mess around with the fans of the Air Jordan 1. If you’ve ever searched their site for “Air Jordan 1,” you’ll come across many models from the mid tops to the more popular high tops. Sometimes even popular, coveted AJ1 highs show up in inventory. Or does it?
Watch this recent video where I attempt to cart different AJ1 colorways on Footlocker.com with frustrating results.
Just a little memory of the Travis Scott Cactus Jack AJ1 drop after his performance at the Grammys.
I was unsuccessful using Nike SNKRS as well.
You gotta give it to Nike and give credit where credit is due. During Super Bowl LIII, sneakerheads were watching the Super Bowl halftime show as Travis Scott performed in his signature Air Jordan 1 model. The hope, of course, was that Nike would shock drop those shoes when Scott took the stage, similar to Justin Timberlake’s Air Jordan 3 Tinker surprise release.
But that would be cliche. Fast forward to today, a Sunday night when Travis Scott performed at the Grammys. Nike did their thing and shook it up with a late night shock drop. Even during this off-peak time, this limited release went fast. I managed to get in the virtual line but did not get the hoped for “Got’em” message.
Although I wasn’t successful, I gotta admire the Swoosh for doing something different, keeping it fresh. Now, I just gotta hope for better luck whenever the bigger release happens.
Obviously, I am not versed in the language of the Spider-Verse. Otherwise I would have understood Foot Locker’s rules for the release of the upcoming Air Jordan 1 Origin Story.
Here’s a visual summary of what I got using the Foot Locker app.
If I could read the language of the Spider-Verse, I would have deciphered that the sweepstakes entry closed on Tuesday, December 11. You see that on that black instruction screen right?
So don’t go down to Foot Locker Ala Moana asking for these kicks. Spider-Man has gone into the Spider-Verse.
Secret, secret, I’ve got a secret. I couldn’t get the Union Jordans today since the site thought I was a bot.
All I can say is “I’m not a robot without emotions, I’m not what you see.” I think I did manage to get every since error code on the site though.
Okay, this is NOT how you start the Holidays. When you get a reservation for an item, you, well, assume the item is available to you unless specifically declined. So when I received this notification from Nike, I was very well pleased.
A total surprise for sure since I’m not in Nike’s top tier of purchasers spending big bucks week after week. Still as a loyal, longtime fan of Nike and Jordan brand, it was satisfying to see this dedication rewarded. So I proceeded to make my purchase and saw this.
Key in the bottom of the screen that says “Out of Stock.” Out of stock? For an item reserved for me? What’s that about? Did everyone with a reservation buy before me and snatched up all the reserved pairs? That still didn’t make since since I had until 3pm (HST) to make my purchase.
After an online chat with Nike customer service, it seems the release of the AJ1 Rookie of the Year was premature or mistakenly sent to too many customers. So if you want to gift this interesting AJ1 colorway (themed after MJ’s outfit during the ROTY announcement), you have to try for them when they generally release.
Now of course, Nike can easily make up for this grinch-like faux paux by really reserving me a pair. 😉 Wink, wink Nike.
Nordstrom has redeemed itself, partially at least. Last you remember, Nordstrom cancelled my discounted order for a pair of Air Jordan 1 mid, in a shadow-like colorway (I’ve since learned that these are not THE premium Shadow AJ1 highs). They just couldn’t fulfill the order.
But seeing the here-now-gone-tomorrow nature of these shoes, I persisted, checking the site’s inventory every now and then. And it paid off. One day, an AJ1 in an obsidian, game royal colorway appearend on-site. Not a premium model but still discounted, last pair, and my size. So I ordered it, expecting to get yet another cancellation.
Then redemption…
Thanks Nordstrom!
Oh, about that Air Jordan color-blindness. From the pictures above, you can see the shoes are a mix of dark blue and royal blue. On the Nordstrom site, I had thought these shoes were black and royal blue (see the image below).
If you remember, I had also bought a pair of Air Jordan 31 on clearance from Nike. I thought these were black and white when really they were dark blue and white.
I guess I’m just color-blind when it comes to Air Jordans? But really, I can’t complain after getting both at reduced prices.
Not once but twice in the same day I became an Air Jordan loser. First, I totally missed the sneaky launch of the Off-White Air Jordan 1 collaboration in the UNC colorway. I learned of the drop one hour later, so it’s no surprise I took that loss.
A few hours later, I get an email from Nordstrom. I had ordered a pair of Air Jordan 1, Shadow colorway at a discount earlier in the week. Sometimes Nordstrom surprises me with what they carry, and they were clearing out the black and gray AJ1. After much refreshing and retries on their online store, my order successfully went through with a confirmation email. Well I guess a Nordstrom confirmation email is easily reversed with a cancellation email.
Dammit, Air Jordan loss number two of the day!! The day was just about a bust except for one saving grace at Starbucks. I hadn’t paid attention to their ads, but I scored a BOGO offer in the afternoon.
So I had two Caramel Macchiatos, one for each AJ1 I missed out on.
For the badminton court that is. Yeah, tennis shoes are a better match for badminton, but we both know my love for basketball shoes runs deep. Gotta blame Nike and that guy named Jordan for this continued love affair. And besides, some tennis shoes look good but not as good as the variety of basketball shoes out there.
For over a year, I’ve been playing in the Adidas Crazy Light Boost 2016. At the time, this shoe was probably the cheapest entry point for full length Boost, and they’ve served me well. Great cushioning and a comfortable fit. Its only drawback is the number of lace eyelets. With essentially only three eyelets per side, tightening the shoe seemed harder than it should’ve been. But still, a great performer on the badminton court at my level.
Over time I’ve noticed that the Crazy Light Boost cushioning isn’t as good where I feel the wear and tear of playing afterwards. A sign to get new shoes right? Only thing is I couldn’t really find a good replacement. I was thinking of using the Adidas Dame 3 featuring Bounce instead of Boost. However, the Dame’s one piece upper has a small opening for your foot, and since I wear an ankle brace, getting my protected ankle in the Dame 3 is just about impossible.
While doing a routine #rossfinds, I came across the Under Armour Curry 2.5. Overall, I’ve heard good things about UA’s Curry line so while on the high end of Ross prices at $65, I got the blacked out 2.5. Sadly, these didn’t work for me as a badminton shoe. The design needs for SC30 are different from mine, and this shoe while comfortable doesn’t provide enough impact protection.
The Charged Cushioning does feel interestingly good (though it took me awhile to get used to that foamy feel), but there’s nothing else to absorb impact. That burrito-style wrap also doesn’t really work for me either. I wear the same Zamst ankle brace that Steph Curry wears, but I couldn’t get the burrito upper to close around my brace. Steph Curry must have super skinny ankles to get the proper fit for his shoes and brace. So the Curry 2.5 has been designated as a casual shoe, but with the recent rainy weather, these high tops with a synthetic upper has been great at repelling water.
So where does that leave me in my search for a replacement badminton shoe? My own collection. A while back during a Nike clearance, I picked up the low version of the Air Jordan 31. While I was spying the black and pink color way, I just couldn’t do it and instead got what I thought was black and white. The colors actually were Navy blue and white but still a good looking shoe. Unfortunately as a casual pair of kicks, they aren’t very comfortable due to a snug toe box. But Jordans are always performance shoes, so I figured why not try these on the badminton court. And perform they did!
Supposedly the lightest Air Jordan ever made, they are ultra comfortable to play in, and I had no issues from the start. The snug toe box problem went away as the Flyweave construction stretched out I guess. I don’t recall every owning a shoe with full length unlocked Zoom Air but whatever the case, these just felt great while moving in them. From a mediocre casual shoe, I found my next badminton shoe going back to my roots with the Air Jordan line.
See more pictures of the Air Jordan 31.
Flight 23 by Footaction officially took flight on Friday, November 18, 2016 with its grand opening in the International Market Place.
Technically, this storefront is not really a retail store. It’s an Air Jordan-focused addon to the adjacent Footaction. The workers roam between the two stores, and all purchases are made at Footaction. But still a Flight 23 in Hawaii brings with it the Air Jordan line such as the Banned AJ1 that sold out online in minutes.
You get to lace up your Jordans on these plush chairs.
But if you wanted variety, go to the connecting Footaction for other kicks.
Both areas featured some hard-to-find kicks, so it’s no wonder I saw many shoppers carrying Footaction bags. This place will definitely be a place to watch for new Nike and Jordan drops.
Sadly, I must accept the fact that I need to shun signature sneakers. While I love the tech, design, and branding of the kicks worn by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Kobe Bryant, I have to realize that their signature shoes are, well, made for them – their style of play, their body mechanics, the anatomy of their feet.
If your style or body doesn’t match the marquee players then you’re just out of luck. Got flat feet like me? LeBron don’t so don’t expect arch support in the LeBrons or Soldier lines. Historically, Kobe rocked the low tops so guess what you’ll see in the Kobe lineup (but not since his Achilles surgery)? Slash and drive like Kyrie? That’s why his shoes feature a propelling curved sole.
For me, Kobe’s low tops feel like they’re going to slip off my feet. Even with the impressive strap system of the LeBron Zoom Soldier 9, I couldn’t manage a lockdown that didn’t irritate my (non-)arches. Kevin Durant feet must match his lean, lanky frame. It’s like you need slim feet to properly fit the KD7.
Now, the exception to this, of course, is Air Jordans. All Air Jordans somehow fit my feet, even if they’re half a size different. It’s weird. There’s never been an Air Jordan that hasn’t fit me. Gotta be the shoes, right? 😉
So my personal takeaway is that I must shun signature kicks except for Air Jordans.
Found this pair of Air Jordan 1 Lows at Ross. Only $50 for this black, wolf grey, and new slate colorway. The laces really add to its overall look. If I had needed a pair of casual, Dunk-like kicks, these would have been an easy size 10 pickup.
