By Giovanni Salinas
Being a “sneakerhead”, or a sneaker enthusiast, is more than just buying every sneaker that is released, it’s more of buying shoes you enjoy and like. There are Jordan retros releasing every other week and it is really disappointing to see that now there isn’t really a story behind a certain shoe, it’s just produced to create profit for the company.
However, sneakers that do have a backstory, are usually limited releases. There is one sneaker in particular that was made famous by a live action cartoon movie and even though it has a huge back story to it, it was still mass produced and is one of the greatest Jordan retros to ever be released: the Air Jordan XI “Space Jam.”
During Space Jam, the movie starring the Looney Tunes, Michael Jordan wears a pair of Air Jordan XIs featuring a black mesh upper tagged with a bright blue Jordan logo along with a black patent leather toe box wrap, a white midsole, and a translucent outsole. The sneaker itself, dubbed “Space Jam”, is only seen in a few scenes as the Tune Squad takes on the Monstars, but these few scenes made the sneaker community go crazy for this shoe. It wasn’t until December of 2009, 13 years after the movie released, that the Jordan Brand decided to finally release the shoes to the general public, but by then, fans of Space Jam weren’t really hyping up the shoe. It was more of an “if you want it, get it” sneaker.
Seven years after the original release of the Space Jam sneakers, Jordan brand has announced that they will produce it once more. This is great news because the original Space Jams from 2009 are pretty much rare and if you find a brand new pair, it will cost you around $400-$500 USD in the resell market. Therefore, thanks to Jordan brand re-introducing the shoe to the general public less than a month after the 20th anniversary of the movie, now young and older “sneakerheads” who missed out on the original release will have the opportunity to buy the shoe and wear it or even collect it as memorabilia.
The 2016 Air Jordan XI “Space Jam” is expected to be the hottest and most anticipated release of the year and will more than likely sell out completely within minutes. The pair of sneakers released around December 10th of last year were expected to have a price tag of around $220 rather than the regular $190 which can be explained because they have been remastered.
When Jordan brand “remasters” a pair of sneakers, they take the original sneaker and revamp the materials, shape, and quality of the shoe in its entirety.
“Sneakerheads” around the world for months were anxious and excited for the return of this great Air Jordan shoe and even though the price tag is a bit much, many feel that it’s worth it. The second return of the Space Jams have sparked a nostalgic feeling in everyone that enjoys the Looney Tunes, Michael Jordan, Space Jam, and even basketball itself. It was be a general release meaning that mostly any sneaker retailer in your area will have these shoes in stock. Now with that being said; will you be picking up a pair?
