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