Nike and Jordan Release Retro Shoes for NBA All-Star Weekend
“Nike Air Ship” (left) and “Air Jordan 1 High 85,” (right) are the two shoes released for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game as part of the New Beginnings pack. Photo by Abel Rodriguez.
It's been 17 years since the legendary Michael Jordan played in the NBA All-Star game, and all though he didn’t play in this year’s game he still left a mark in an unexpected manor. For the 2020 NBA All-Star Game shoe retailer Nike released a limited pack of Jordan shoes called “New Beginnings.”
The pack comes with two pairs of Jordan 1, the first silhouette Jordan released in collaboration with Nike. Both are high-top sneakers, but one features a red up upper and red Nike swoosh and is called “Air Jordan 1 High 85,” while the other is a mostly white silhouette with red swoosh and is called “Nike Air Ship.” In total, 23,000 packs were released, which is a low quantity for sneakers, and retailed for $350. Due to the limited release, shoppers who were interested in buying the shoes had to register via the SNKRS app days in advance. The app would then draw names to select people who could purchase the sneakers.
Rogelio Rogriguez, a West Side resident, was one of the lucky few whose name came up in the draw and was able to purchase the highly sought after shoes. Rodriguez has been collecting rare shoes for close to five years, his collection includes everything from Yeezys to adidas sneakers made in collaboration with rapper Pharrell William. However, the “New Beginnings” are his most rare shoes to date. When he found out he was able to reserve a pair he was shocked.
“I wasn’t even going to try to get a pair because of how hard it was going to be to reserve them,” he said. “When I got the notification that I had actually got them [“New Beginnings’” pack] I couldn't believe it.”
Rodriguez is not into basketball; however, the shoes still hold value to him because of their history. The “Nike Air Ship” sneakers were to be released in 1984 but never made to the markets, instead they became a prototype for the “Air Jordan 1 High 85,” which came out the following year and were the first Jordan shoes to be sold.
“It's like I own a piece of history.” said Rodriguez.
According to Lenar Cook, a worker at SUCCEZZ, an independent shoe store in the South Loop, Jordan sneakers hold additional value in Chicago because of the city’s connections with Michael Jordan.
“Michael Jordan played for the majority of his playing career here in Chicago,” Cook said. “Chicago is Jordan’s city and everybody wants his shoes.”
Because the pack is no longer available in stores, those lucky enough to purchase a pair are restoring to selling their pairs on shoe dedicated trading websites like GOAT and StockX for an inflated price. The current price on StockX.com for both the “Air Jordan 1 High 85” and “Nike Air Ship” is $2,000, nearly a 600 percent markup from the original price.
Rodriguez is one the buyers who’s looking to resell the shoes at a profit. “It's hard to turn down $2000,” he said. “But there are other shoes that I personally like more than the ‘New Beginnings’ pack.”
“It's a good way to make money because it's not too hard to do but I do not like the fact that reselling makes it harder for people who want the shoes to get them,” said Cook.