Month: March 2022

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Unboxing: Air Jordan 2 “Maison Chateau Rouge”

When referring to the Maison Chateau Rouge, a Parisian fashion brand, many Air Jordan lovers, I believe, will put on a puzzled look. Nevertheless, when it comes to the Air Jordan I mid SE Fearless “Maison Chateau Rouge” released in 2019, chances are that most of them would take a tumble and recall those days when this pair of shoes were crazily sought after.

This Paris brand commemorates the founder’s African heritage by infusing African-characterized designs and hand-stitched crafts into the shoes, which, I should say, is quite a success.

Besides the Air Jordan I mid SE Fearless “Maison Chateau Rouge”, it is terrific to know that there is actually another collaboration between the two brands, the Air Jordan 2 Maison Chateau Rouge. The new shoes were recently revealed for the first time, embodying the exotic air created by those unique African elements once again.

White is the main hue of this Air Jordan 2, and with some bright orange decorations, the shoes, as a whole, look quite pure and elegant, and are also endowed with more fashion temperament.

Although the shoes’ overall look is simple and elegant, there  still remains some classic designs of the original version. For instance, the crack patterns of the side and the tongue can still be seen in this AJ 2. Over and above that, from the leather lining and the unique pattern of the midsole we can get a glimpse of the  two brands’ sincerity.

The heel design can help identify the shoes better than any other details.

With regard to the insoles, they are also one of the highlights of this pair of shoes. In fact, they are not only eye-catching, but also quite a fantastic innovation.

Air Jordan I mid SE Fearless “Maison Chateau Rouge” is priced at ¥3500. A bit expensive though, it actually deserves that. As for this Air Jordan 2 “Maison Chateau Rouge” that will be launched this year, it is also positioned at the similar price level.

In spite of all that, many are wondering if it will be a solo show or come together with Air Jordan 1 Fearless . Anyway, whatever the result is, it is set to be electrifying for AJ fans.

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Air Jordan 12 “International Pack” Performance Review

As a Jordan Brand fan for many years, I always tried to cop as much excellent Jordan shoes as possible and this Air Jordan 12 also used to be one of my purchasing goals. Now that I’ve got intimate knowledge of the shoes’ performances, I think it is essential to write this performance review, hoping that it might do some help for those interested in the shoes.

In terms of its appearance, its slender shoe body, the classic asymmetrical design along with its full-foot Air Zoom are all compelling, making the shoes widely enjoyed in the sneaker circle.

For the vamp it is mainly  navy blue and white, the two colors being in harmony with each other. Simple as the colorway is, the shoes still have an outstanding look. Besides, made of suede and decorated with some specific endemic patterns, the vamp embodies the Japanese style.

In the shoe tongue there is the red iconic logo, which forms quite a contrast with the blue vamp.

Looking at it from the side, I found that it is a bit fairshaped, which quite spurs me into exercise. In the upper there are two silver buckles that is also one of the fatures of AJ 12.

Its Japanese style has been best displayed in the heel. The embroidery of the heel and Jordan’s number 23 both make the shoes very distinctive.

With regard to the shoes’ comfort which I think is of great importance, Jordan Brand has done a tremendous job. The vamp adopts the soft suede leather so as to guarantee flexibility for the wearer. Personlly speaking, without the constraint of binding of hard leather, I was rather in my element whenever I wore the shoes.

As for the shoes’ weight, a single one weighs 455g which is only mediocre.

Both the suede and the leather are not designed with air holes. Therefore, you cannot expect it to be very comfortble in summer days, not least when you are playing high-intensity exercises.

Despite the disadvantage  of the poor air permeability, the leather of the vamp, on the other hand, provides wearers with excellent support that is badly needed on courts.

The tough leather on the outside and the upward-extending outsole both offer good support and ensure stability underfoot.

This Air Jordan 12 “International Pack” belong to the middle-to-high top shoes. And with quite solid thick foam inside the heel, the shoes also impress me by its superior wrapping performance. Take my experience. While I was engrossed in playing basketball, the heel could always provided me with sufficient support whatever movements I made.

There are herringbone grains in the front and rear parts of the outsole, and with the aid of the dense lines, its grip performance is all the more improved.

The thick and wear-resistant rubber outsole can also withstand all kinds of practical tests,  and adapt all kinds of venues very well. Even if I am playing on the cement courts, I can still be relieved of the worry of wearing the outsole.

The midsole adopts the full-foot Air Zoom, which, generally speaking, is a bit stiff and not that comfortable to wear. And despite the cushion, the feedback, from my perspective, is not so obvious and nothing more than a decoration.

Overall:

To sum up, this Air Jordan 12 International Pack is surprisingly crafted, with high-quality suede and leather vamp that look quite superior. The vamp also provides strong support, and the foam inside also brings a excellent wrapping. But for the cushions, they can barely meet our needs. Therefore, with  this AJ 12’s various merits and disadvantages illustrated here, you may now have clearer ideas about whether to purchase the shoes.

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Unboxing: Air Jordan 1 High OG “Volt”

Among the original versions of Air Jordan shoes, there is one that must be made particular mention of. That is the Air Jordan 1 whose ultra high popularity is beyond doubt and which is also one of the indispensable shoes for many sneaker lovers.

What is electrifying for the majority of Jordan Brand fans is that every year it will bring a lot of new versions of Air Jordan 1, be it brand new colorways or retro versions, so that their needs for classic shoe versions can be satiated. Good news for the fans is that a pair of new Air Jordan 1 High OG Volt that is specifically designed for summer use is to be released in the near future.

In terms of the vamp of Air Jordan 1 High OG Volt, it is mainly white along with fluorescent yellow, which not only remains classic but is also eye-catching. In the burning hot summer days, the shoes’ appearance seems like some sort of beautiful and fresh scenery that spurs us into exercise.

It is also worth noting that the Swoosh Logo on the upper presents a black ice crack pattern, enriching the layering and texture of the overall shoes.

The bright fluorescent yellow with the main hue of black and white makes the shoes a good match for our summer wear. With this Air Jordan 1 High OG Volt , you are most likely to be the center of attention.

The white midsole and the black outsole are in harmony with each other. For the outsole, the complex patterns in the front and rear parts are also compelling, though the grip performance remains to be tested.

In the front part of the vamp, it is clearly seen that there are quite a few  holes that ensure air permeability that is essential and badly needed in summer. After all, the vamp material is not that excellent as expexted, or, in other words, isn’t up to scratch.

According to the official news, this Air Jordan 1 High OG Volt will go on sale on June 11 for $170 this year, and those who have a liking for the shoes had better get prepared early with the day around the corner.

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Air Jordan 14 Performance Review

The glory moment of Air Jordan 14 came when Michael Jordan wore the black and red in the finals of 1998, in which he won himself the last NBA championship of his career. In fact, this is not only the honour of Michael Jordan, but also of Air Jordan 14. Largely owing to that reason, this AJ 14 has received the popularity that is much more than expected with its various new colorways and even retro versions made time and again. But it should be mentioned that it doesn’t mean  AJ 14 is perfect or insuperable. As a matter of fact, there are both merits and disadvantages of it that deserve looking at.

According to the feedback of consumers, this AJ 14 is actually a mixed blessing. The respects of the shoes that are much criticized or controversial are the midsole cushion and the comfort.

To being with, it is about the outsole grip. On the courts that were painted, dusty and slippery, I had thought the shoes could not stand such challenging tests. It turned out, however, that its outsole weren’t that bad as I had imagined, and there weren’t signs of slipping, either. Therefore, if you require more of a sneaker’s grip performance than of any other aspecs, then this AJ 14 is a good chocie.

But there is another factor that has great bearing on flexibility—the vamp. Actually, the traditional old leather vamp is a bit hard and doesn’t wrap very well. It is, to tell the truth, no match for those vamps that are equipped with modern hardcore techs. Even if the shoelaces are tightened, I can still feel that my feet sometimes slip inside the shoes. In a word, it is not very comfortable to wear the shoes.

In terms of the cushion, despite the midsole cushion that is very much criticized, I was still stunned by the ZOOM of the forefoot. Although it is a little bit back and I feel somewhat unnatural to step on it, it is super soft and deforms easily. According to some deconstruction review, the forefoot air cushion is 7mm, and the rear one is 8mm. However, the rear cushion isn’t comparable with its forefoot counterpart, and performs much worse during landing movement.

Overall, the shoes’ performances are, for me, satisfactory but not excellent. After all, with times advancing and technologies developing, it may be a bit irrational to require the top-level shoes from 20 years ago to still be top-ranking.

When Michael Jordan scored the game-winning shot in Game 6 of the NBA Finals and won his sixth championship, the classic moment of “one last shot” is set to be monumental and remembered forever. Twenty years later, on June 14, 2018, AJ 14 again ushered in its glory moment. The Air Jordan 14 Last Shot worn by the MJ champion that night went on sale again for a near-perfect OG retro.

Supreme x Air Jordan 14:

For this Supreme x Air Jordan 14, it is said that the inspiration for the collaboration came from a leather clothing of Jordan.  The vamp of the shoes is stitched with cowhide leather and suede, whose texture is super nice. Beisdes, the ornament of a large rivet on the side of the shoe imitates the design of Jordan’s leather coat, which is a bit like some version of Jordan 13. For that point alone, this Supreme x Air Jordan 14 is definitely qualified to be the top three of all AJ 14s.

This “Last Shot” has, so far, three retro versions, from which we can see the great popularity of AJ 14. Although AJ 14 is no longer the most excellent one, it has, nevertheless,  experienced its heyday and will be some kind of nostalgia for quite a few people.