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Nordstrom Redemption and Air Jordan Color-blindness

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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).

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Air Jordan 1 Obsidian, Game Blue

 

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.

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eBay Tip: Too New Isn’t Good

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By now you know you can find completely random items at Ross. Most items are from last season or even older. But once in awhile, you find some newer items. In fact, some items are still being sold by retailers.

Take these Air Jordan Trainer 2 Flyknits for example. While this model is still available at Nike, Footlocker, and other shoe stores, this specific black, cool grey, and jade colorway is one of the originals. So seemingly a steal finding a pair at Ross, reseling them is too tough. You can still easily find inventory of the same shoe at a discount with free shipping included, and that price is very hard to compete with.

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If you find a pair for yourself then great. Otherwise, it’s almost better if you found these shoes a few months later, or you have the patience and hold on to them until the online clearance inventory is cleared out with shoppers still looking.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this pair…

eBay Tip: Pass on the Nike Theas

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Personally, I think the Nike Thea line for women look great, especially the Ultra Flyknit versions. I love the silhouette and the interwoven colors of the Flyknit add another dimension. But this doesn’t translate to sales on eBay. And at around $55 at Ross, the Air Max Thea Ultra Flyknit costs more than average.

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Not sure why these just don’t sell when the going cost is $150 (or $127 on sale). I don’t see them out and about either. Maybe they don’t fit well? I do know that the weave of the Flyknit is very porous. You can definitely see your sock color coming through since the spacing in the knit is very giving.

So if you ever find a cool pair of Theas at Ross, just know that you may have a challenge moving them.

Nike Wishlist Update 1

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This is the first update of probably several of my Nike Wishlist. Remember, this list is the Nikes I would get if I can find them deeply discounted. My original wishlist includes:

  1. Air VaporMax Utility
  2. Air Max 270
  3. Odyssey React
  4. React Vapor Street Flyknit
  5. LeBron 15
  6. Air Jordan 1

The first change I’m making is taking the VaporMax Utility out of the rotation. I still love its look but after watching a review of this sneaker by Hes Kicks, I’m hesitant due to the squeaking and chaffing. If I find a pair, I’ll try them out of course, but instead I’ll probably opt for one of those “Past Meets the Present” hybrids like the Air Max 97 VaporMax or Air VaporMax Plus. I gotta like the colorway though.

I’ll leave the 270 on the list for now but again, I’d have to find a great looking pair. With so many variations coming out, this shoe is ultimately bound for discounters in a about a year.

The original Epic React runner still has the nicer colorways than the the Odyssey React, but for fit purposes, the Odysseys are a better match. These stay on the list. So do the React Vapor Street Flyknit if the price, color, and fit are just right.

Win or lose in the NBA Conference Finals this year, LeBron James continues to impress. Getting up in age, he’s still producing and playing at an unreal level. To pay tribute, I’d go for the LeBron 15 (which reminds me, did LeBron even switch to his Solider line this post season like he’s done in the past?). The LeBron 15 high top version is cool but the LeBron 15 Low sounds better for me according to the Weartester’s reviews by Duke4005 and Nightwing2303.

The Air Jordan 1 would have been crossed off this list if Nordstrom had come through. But instead, I took a loss with the AJ1 Shadow. Again, so disappointed with Nordstrom and its wonky inventory system, but I digress…

Another Nike that caught my attention recently is the new ACG Dog Mountain. Yeah, weird name, but kinda useful to have an outdoorsy shoe that can take a beating. This shoe may eventually replace the React Vapor Street Flyknit in my Wishlist.

So here’s my Nike Wishlist updated for May 28, 2018.

  1. Air VaporMax Utility Air Max 97 VaporMax/Air VaporMax Plus ($190)
  2. Air Max 270 ($170)
  3. Odyssey React ($120)
  4. React Vapor Street Flyknit ($180)
  5. LeBron 15 LeBron 15 Low ($150)
  6. Air Jordan 1 ($145)
  7. ACG Dog Mountain ($110)

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Double Air Jordan Loser!!

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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.

Nike Wishlist

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If you were able to get (current) Nike shoes at a significant discount from their normal retail price, which pairs would you pick up? Here’s what I’m eyeing.

Air Vapormax

Yeah, I wouldn’t pay $190 for Nike’s latest Vapormax 2, but at half price, I’d do it. Actually, I’d strongly consider the funky Utility variant. The Utility appears to have more structural support and is just not your typical sneaker.

Air Max 270

While I like the overall look of the 270, with so many color ways coming out, these are bound to hit the discount stores eventually. So by being patient, that $150 price tag may drop to $50, better than $75 at 50% off. So pass unless there’s a dope colorway available.

Odyssey React

For pure utilitarian purposes, I’d get the Odyssey React. The Epic React looks better, but the Odyssey model seems to have improved upon the Epic and is cheaper. I also want to see what Nike’s answer to the Adidas Boost is like.

React Vapor Street Flyknit

Now this React-equiped model is not made for running but is a everyday lifestyle shoe. It’s odd, it’s long-ish, and it’s different. Again, a consideration if under $100 and super comfortable.

LeBron 15

This is definitely a long shot. Historically, LeBron James’ signature shoe hasn’t fit me well, and I really don’t need more basketball shoes. But if there’s an awesome colorway to be had for around $90 then I’ll be rocking’ a LeBron 15.

Air Jordan 1

Maybe it’s all those Retros that have released recently, but I find myself wanting a pair of the OG Air Jordan 1. While I’d love certain color ways, I’d settle for any that look good. I have a hard time paying modern prices for retro shoes, but the AJ1 is a classic that forever changed the kicks game.

So that’s my Nike kicks wishlist for now although I’ll probably update it in a few months. If you could pickup a few pairs of Nikes at half off, what would be on your feet?

Kicks Analysis 2018 #8: The Champ

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Can you tell I’ve bee preoccupied this March Madness? Instead of watching all the upsets and craziness that is the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, I’ve been curating the Pulpconnection store on eBay. So instead of doing the full series of Kicks Analysis for 2018, I begin and end with the championship that belongs to Villanova.

But really with Michigan and Villanova facing off in the Finals, Nike had already claimed the 2017-2018 season. The best shoes of the champion game has to be the iconic Air Jordan 11 worn by Michigan’s Moritz Wagner.

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Sure there was heat on the floor, but #13 busting out the 11 was straight up fire, even in a losing effort. So that’s 17 in 20 – raising Nike’s championship winning percentage to 85% over the past 20 seasons.

Better in Person

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Gotta file these kicks under “Better in Person.” I’m talking about the Under Armour Micro G Volt Low. When I saw these shoes, I had to pick them up since I couldn’t quickly identify them. And that camo-like colorway on that organic upper is super intriguing. After handling the Volt, you feel the old school, solid construction, not like the woven stuff we see today. The Volt Low just feels solidly built.

Under Armour Micro G Volt Low

I’d never have considered these shoes if I only saw pictures online. These are definitely better in person.

But… I don’t need them (or so I keep telling myself), so they’re available on eBay.

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Turning Passion to Profit?

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Is it possible to monetize a passion and still keep the sanctity of this love intact? I’m going to find out as I take my first steps as an eBay (re)seller. You see, more often than not, when I visit a Ross Dress for Less store, I come across a pair of shoes that’s intriguing. The kicks may rekindle nostalgia, remembering them from back in the day. Or I could have missed out on them when they originally launched or there’s an interesting backstory to the shoe, or they just look cool. But historically, that’s where the story ended when I put the shoe back on the sales rack.

But now things are different. I’m actually buying these gems and then (hopefully) reselling them on eBay after learning about the shoe and possibly getting a new appreciation for them. Take these Air Max 90 from the Campfire Pack. Nope, I never heard of this series nor saw one before. But when I spied the colors at Ross, I knew I couldn’t leave them there. Yeah, they crazy, but they crazy good. Then you learn the Campfire Pack pays tribute to the creation of Nike’s All Conditions Gear (ACG) when legendary designers including Tinker Hatfield met for a true life camping trip.

Sure there’s not much difference in that I’m not actually collecting the shoe for personal reasons, but yet, having the shoe for longer than a moment feels like an elevated experience of satisfaction. After selling some of my older shoes as they fell out of my rotation, I realized that I don’t need them all, and I don’t have to let them sit deteriorating in the Hawaiian humidity.

Maybe my kicks perspective has changed with the rapid-fire nature of the modern day shoe game where new color ways and collaborations are released on seemingly a weekly basis. So a love for a shoe is probably more of an infatuation that will be soon replaced by another crush. But in all of this, getting a few bucks here and there can’t hurt right? I guess I also view this reselling as a curation of kicks for other shoe heads. I’m doing the finding so that they don’t have to. All they need to do is go to eBay and search for a wanted shoe, and hopefully I’m offering that match. I think that ease for the eBay seeker is worth the price differential aka my profit.

So we’ll see how this plays out. It’s surely not a stable affair since there’s no promise of any sort that Ross will have anything worthwhile. But the hunt has been fun, especially when you find something interesting like this Copper Flightposite. I originally thought Foamposite when seeing the silhouette and had forgotten that the Foamposite evolved to the Flightposite.

Nike Copper Flightposite

Stick with me as I explore this new fad, love, interest, adventure, and learning experience!

Found My Next Court Shoe

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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.

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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.

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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.

Air Jordan 31 Low

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