The Best Things In Life Are Free

Last weekend, some of us were "lucky" (I use the term loosely) enough to pick up the Nike Air Jordan XI Retro Silver Anniversary. I wanted this shoe because it was the closest thing I was going to get to the OG Columbia AJ XI. But I have to admit I was kind of disappointed with my purchase...


First, the difficulty to get these damn shoes. I didn't even get my true size 10; I had to settle for a 10.5. At store open, Niketown had over 80 people wrapped around the building. There wasn't even that much hype on the message boards. Despite the retail price of $150, some Mom & Pop stores in Chicago were pre-selling these for $200. it was quite the hassle for a non-OG colorway.

Second, the lack of a Jumpman on the heel IS a big deal. If you are forking over $150 + tax ($250 if you are buying on eBay) you deserve a friggin' Jumpman. Hell, they could have just embossed it like the DMP XI and I would have been happy...


But then this happened...



They offered a stitched Jumpman, but just to 25 lucky saps. WTF.

Third, there were the issues of clear soles & cheap patent leather. The OG Columbia had a tinted blue sole that was beautiful -- it did not yellow, unlike the white patent upper and white lace holders that yellowed like a mofo. Initially, I liked the semi-foggy soles of the Silver Anniversary XI Retros because they wouldn't yellow too much after a few wears, but I had wished they had the Columbia XI soles.


Then I saw what Jordan Brand dropped for the kids (GS - grade school sizes)...


What a bunch of jerks. For real? They gave grade school kids who never saw Jordan play a near replica of the coveted Columbia XI. They should have put a stitched Jumpman on it for the full kick to the nuts. On top of all this, the patent leather was the same cheap stuff they used on the Space Jam XI Retros.

So, I walked away disappointed with my purchase and disgusted with Brand Jordan. It has been well-documented on Niketalk, ISS and all the other message boards over the years that the quality of many of Brand Jordan's retro releases were sub-par. But this release took it to to a whole new level of disappointment. I did not want to be part of the sheep that flocked to whatever Brand Jordan put out. So I sold my pair on eBay for $250. After auction fees, Paypal fees & shipping, I made out with $55. Am I a reseller? Nope, but I sure as hell didn't mind cashing in on this sorry excuse of a XI.

So, on my way home yesterday, I stopped by my local Finishline. I knew from their website that they had marked down their Hyperdunk Lows from retail $89.99 to an even $50 and been interested in picking up a pair for an all-white summer shoe. The catalog/website pics showed a shiny upper, which I personally did not like, so I just wanted to check them out in person...


Boy, did I like them! I made the purchase! They looked better in person. The upper was glossy, but not patent leather shiny. A very light, comfy shoe for summer. This model was worn by NBA point guards Aaron Brooks (for most of the season) and All-Star Deron Williams...


And ironically...it has nearly the same foggy clear soles as the Silver Anniversary XIs did!


The best part.....$55 after tax. Thanks for the free HyperDunks, Brand Jordan! You will see these on my feet this summer, not some bastardized AJ XI retros.