The College Dropout

During the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, and Jordan’s return to the NBA for a second time, the Air Jordan XVII debuted. This colorway was inspired by his new team: the Washington Wizards. This also became the first Air Jordan to not release in a black and red Chicago Bulls inspired colorway. These came in a box that served as a cover for a briefcase. The briefcase is all silver and very similar to the one released with the Japan exclusive Air Jordan 1 Retro+ Neutral Grey/Metallic Silver in 2001. They also saw the return of lace locks as well as a special DVD to show highlights through the development of the Air Jordan XVII.

These are on my Top 5 list of Jordan shoes. I missed the original release of these back in '02 and never payed much attention to them when Jordan wore them in the All-Star game (even though I was there). I didn't realize how dope these kicks actually were until Jordan's godson came to my house with them on. It hurt to watch this kid run in the mud and hoop in them when I did not have mine yet. Some how I got my hands on a pair and wore them to school just about every day. At age 12 I was not into the shoe game like I am now and actually wore whatever shoes I thought were the hottest at the time. After a couple months my College Blues had been put on academic probation and dropped out. Fast forward 6 years to 2008 when the CDP 6/17 came out. I got the pack like I did every other one, fell in love with 6s, hated the 17s. I originally liked the black 17s too, but the suade absolutely killed it for me. I ended up selling the pack and eventually buying another pair of DS College Blues with the OG suitcase and DVD. The value on these is not as high as some of my other kicks, but even though it might sound dumb, for me they almost seem priceless.

Current Value: ?

Bin There, Done That

Jumpman 23 - Meacham

It’s not often that the consumer directly impacts the key design choices for our Jordan releases, but that was the case with the upcoming release of the Bin 23 Air Jordan 5 Retro. In a discussion with members of our footwear team, friend of the brand and longtime Jordan-head Alex Meacham talked about a memory that influenced how he rocked his favorite pair of Js...

The Air Jordan V has always had a special place in Jordan fans’ hearts with its fighter-plane-inspired design, and Meacham was no different. “Hands down. The black Jordan fives are my favorite Jordans of all time. Black fives with white laces,” Meacham said. White laces? Meacham recalls a 1990 playoff game between Chicago and Milwaukee where Michael Jordan caught his eye by rocking his black AJ Vs with white laces. 

“This was back when the players would wear tights that would go lower than their shorts. MJ was wearing long white tights and white laces on his fives in this game. I remember it looked sweet on TV.”

To add to the legend of the white laces, MJ ended up dropping 48 points in a hard-fought game. “The fact that MJ was just killing them with these white laces made me want to wear them. They just stood out so much.” That summer, Meacham attended a basketball camp held for some of the top prep players in the country. Once he arrived, he realized that all of the best players were wearing black shoes with white laces. To Meacham and the players there, the white laces became a statement. “It was like you had to earn your white laces. You’ve got to be a baller to wear them.” So with the Bin 23 Air Jordan 5 Retro drop, you know we had to bring it back with the white laces – a first for the 5s. The Bin 23 5s feature the classic black/black-metallic silver colorway crafted with premium leathers, and a no-sew technique on the updated black window on the upper. -Jumpman23

I'm embarrassed to say that I bought these from Flight Club, meaning I paid the premium price to own these beautiful shoes. Nothing against FCLA, but they demand more money simply because they can, and sometimes its easier to find shoes on eBay for much cheaper. However, for these I had to make an exception. My Bin 5s are just as icy as they were the day they came out and I keep them ZipLocked to make sure they stay that way. It is rare to find this model Deadstock, but with their numbers slowly decreasing, I can be sure that at least #0145/2133 will be in good shape. Unlike Meacham, I'd prefer black laces in these to maintain the sleek look and keep the shoe darker, but the white still looks good. The premium leather sets these apart from any other Jordan shoe and like the Bin 2s Jordan seemed to focus more on the quality of the material than the design (such as with the Bin 7s). I'm slowly working my way through the Bin collection, and with 2 of 5 in the shoe closet, I will continue to look for those 2s, 9s, and 13s with that official red 'Bin 23' stamp. 

Current Value: $967

Most Wanted

This is a list of my Top 10 Most Wanted Shoes. Unfortunately, I do not have these in my closet right now. Some have come and gone for various reasons such as yellowing, size, and condition, but I am still searching for a Deadstock, size 13, still icy (if applicable) pair of these 10 particular shoes. They are not ranked by value but by personal preference. Feel free to hit me on Twitter @Real_Juice and share your thoughts. This blog has been fun and I appreciate your interest/support.

Carmine CDP VI - $650

Bin Premio IX - $1000

Bin Premio 13 & Bin Premio 2 - $888/$800


XVII+ "Copper" - ?

Doernbecher IV - $800

Tokyo V - ?

Doernbecher VI - $950 

OG Altitude XIII - $463

Titanium XX3 - $1067

Classic Beauty

This shoe speaks for itself. CLASSIC Jordan model and each time they retro the Black/Cement IIIs, Sneakerheads worldwide lose their minds to get a pair. The CDP IIIs dropped in October of 2008  in the Collezione Countdown Pack with the Black Cat XXs and sold out immediately. Most people bought the $350 pack simply for the IIIs and tried to sell the XXs to make a few dollars back, but they failed. This pack was 1 of 2 packs that I missed in 2008, along with the 2/21, simply becasue I was a college student and $350 was not easy to drop every month on kicks. In 2011, I signed my contract and headed straight to KickkSpott to purchase my very own DS CDP III. I love the shoe, but becasue of its mint condition and increasing value, probably will never wear it. Unfortunately, I do not own a pair of the Black/Cement IIIs from 2001 (yet), but I do have the 2011s which I have worn a few times and will continue to do so. Every Sneakerhead MUST own a pair of Black/Cement IIIs to call themself a Sneakerhead and I can safely say I am fully invested in the game with kicks like these in my closet.

*Comparison of all 3 Black/Cement III models featured below*

Current Value: $400

Huge news started off 2011 with the announcement of the Air Jordan III Black/Cement returning in Fall but for those who dropped $350 or more on the 2008 Count Down Pack, the news was highly disappointing. However, some sold their CDP III to cop the 2011 version in November, but what is the real a difference between the 3? There is nothing like a side-by-side comparison when it comes to a Jordan model being released for the 3rd or 4th or 5th time. MJO23DAN gives us a great side-by-side look at the 3 latest Black/Cement IIIs. The differences between Black/Cement III releases have been documented time and time again and here you get to see it one more time. The 2011 version has to be the most unlike the others with the entire insole being grey, having larger perforations on the tongue and  the red accents being darker red. Also, the infamous “NIKE AIR” made its last appearance on the back of the Black/Cement IIIs and was replaced with the Jumpman and “AIR” instead. Check them out and decide which version you like the most.

Love At First Sight

Sure, the "Cool Grey" Air Jordan 11 was easily the most anticipated Jordan release of 2010; however, was it the best Jordan release of the year? If you recall, Jordan Brand soaked up all of the attention over the summer that year by unleashing the Air Jordan 6 "Infrared" Pack. It marked the second time we would see the "Black Infrared" Air Jordan 6 release to the public since its original offering in 1991. Yet, it became the first time we'd see the "White Infrared" in stores since its original release. The "Infrared" pack came packaged in a double-layered boxing construction on all-matte-black exterior, while the interior of the box is fully infrared. In addition, both pairs of shoes are wrapped by anti-static bags which are usually used on the packaging of computer components such a hard drives and motherboards. These nit-static bags provide extra protection to diminish the oxidization process (yellowing). -KixFiles

For some ridiculous reason I never saw when these originally came out the previous year, but when I saw them for the first time in 2011, it was love at first sight.  I immediately jumped on eBay and after a  few minutes of searching and bidding, the shoes were on their way to the crib. I love the Infrared colorway versus the typical Bulls Red, and unlike the rest of the my heavy kicks in my collection, I may wear these one day because of it. I have experimented with many different techniques to keep the soles icy (I will show yall what I do later), but the anti-static bags that come in the pack have worked extremely well. Sneakerheads still go crazy when they see how icy mine still are and I can't wait to rock em one day. 

Current Value: $700

Where Have You Bin?

It is safe to say that the Air Jordan 7 Premio “Bin 23″ is one of the more unique, one-of-a-kind designs from Jordan Brand in a very long time. Following the success they’ve previously had with the Air Jordan 9 and Air Jordan 13, the company selected the Air Jordan 7 as the next applicant for a premium makeover. Being a model which originally released in 1992, a time when The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the show to watch and Afrocentric clothing was at an all time high, the Air Jordan 7 “Premio” Bin 23 reignites the time period with vibrant accents and wild tribal graphics. The actual inspiration comes from tribalism art and is influenced by an Afropop Worldwide poster that Tinker Hatfield referenced while designing the model. An array of bright colors, such as Del Sol, Challenge Red and Green, make up this peculiar which was spotted on the aforementioned poster. Lastly, the zigzag pattern on the heel was derived from a sketch seen on Tinker’s original mood boards. The Air Jordan 7 Premio “Bin 23″ hit select retailers on Friday, November 26th, 2010, for $175. Like the other Bin 23 releases before it, the Air Jordan 7 “Premio” is individually numbered and come packaged with high-quality, branded shoe trees.


KickkSpott came through again! Got these last summer for a good price (considering their exclusivity) and they may be one of the nicest pair that I own. I loved the design and figured if I was going to get a pair of 7s, why not go straight to the top? I have always loved the Bin Collection and I am slowly making my way through all 5. I also have the Bin 5s (still Icy) and now I'm looking hard for the brown Bin 2s deadstock. 2,059 pairs of Premio 7s were sold and #0745 is sitting in my closet holdin it down.


Current Value: $1000

He's Gotta Have It

The Fire Red Air Jordan IV has been the Holy Grail of many collectors over the years. The fortunate few who had a pair were envied by the thousands of Jordan heads who were still searching. Released in 1989, finding a pair in deadstock or decent condition was hard enough. Many collectors were happy to score a pair that needed a reconstructive restoration job. Upon completion, the pair of Jordan IV Fire Reds would usually be for display only never to see the basketball court or be on someone’s foot ever again.

In 2006, the Jordan Fire Red IVs were re-released to resemble the original (OG) Jordan Fire Red IVs. Something different about the Jordan Fire Red IV retros as opposed to the OGs is that on the back there is a Jumpman instead of the famous “Nike Air” symbol. In addition to this, Jordan Brand placed a Mars Blackmon image on the back portion of the shoe to honor Spike Lee and his character in the film She's Gotta Have It". This August the Fire Red IVs will release again but will not feature the Mars Blackmon image on the heel. -NiceKicks

These are the most recent shoes I've bought that were not a 2012 release. I always loved 4s so when I saw that the Fire Reds were coming out in August I figured I'd save myself some money for the Gold Medal Pack and go ahead and cop these now instead. I'm a big fan of Spike Lee and I love the way that the Mars Blackmon addition sets these kicks apart from the rest. Like most of my exclusive shoes, I won these on eBay for a steal and RarefiedGoods shipped them almost immediately. As soon as I opened the box I remembered why I love 4s so much.

Current Value: $525

My Favorite Shoe

The Air Jordan 11 (XI) DMP was released on January 28, 2006, as part of the Defining Moments Package, which also came with a pair of Jordan 6 (VI). The shoe is very similar to the Air Jordan 11 (XI) Concords but feature a few alterations, including gold accents on the Jumpman logo and carbon fiber “23″. Also the translucent outsole has a light blue tint to it, but not enough to be classified as “icy”. The right shoe also comes with a gold plated dog tag which features details of the shoe. These are beautiful shoes, and many sneakerheads went crazy upon their release. Other specs. include a carbon fiber spring plate, ballistic nylon uppers, a rubber outsole with herringbone traction pattern, quick lace system, carbon fiber sheath and air sole. -KicksOnFire.com

Had to start with my personal favorite shoe. I scooped these up in September 2011 from KickkSpott in Georgetown, DC. At the time it was the most I had paid for a shoe but when they originally came out in 2006 I slept on them and regretted it immediately. The 6s that come in the pack are dope too but there is nothing better than the patent leather with gold trim. Game changing shoe and I'm proud to have a deadstock pair in my collection. 


Current Value: $850 (DMP Pack $1400)