CUSTOMS: Air Jordan 7 "Spidey"

I have always been interested in owning a pair or two of customized sneakers but haven't found the right opportunity to put in the time and especially the money, until now.

The ball started rolling, so to speak, when I was introduced to CleansneaksPh who I turned to for repair work on my CDP AJIII "Black Cements". We discussed the possibility of doing a "Carmine" custom out of a pair of Air Jordan VII "Orions" since they were all leather and would pretty much serve as a blank canvas.

I was fortunate enough to get the last size 10.5 off the shelves at one of my local Nike shops. It was on sale (which made it easier on my wallet) since the "Orions" really weren't a popular AJ release to the general "sneakerhead" community. And so off to CleansneaksPh they went for a few coats of red Angelus paint.



After a few weeks of anticipation, I got them back. Overall, they looked great but one would definitely know it was a custom paint job since it's hard to hide the paint brush strokes along with some uneven layering. I was able to remedy some of the issues by spraying on an acrylic gloss finish. Not only did the gloss give the red paint some extra shine but it also added a layer of protection from scuffing (I hope) and moisture.



They were suppose to be "Carmine" customs but my three year old son kept saying they looked like Spider-man shoes so hence why I call them my "Spidey" AJVIIs. Now it's time to take them out for a spin and see if the paint will stay on the shoe through the grind of everyday life.

Air Jordan XI Concord Retro - “To Cop or Not To Cop…That’s The Only Question”

I’m sure every “sneaker head” is in great anticipation of December 23 as this is the day the Air Jordan XI “Concord” Retro is set to release to the general public. The hype and excitement around this shoe is nothing short of insane as folks are already starting to camp in front of their local sneaker shop for a chance to “cop” a pair of what is arguably one of the, if not THE, greatest basketball shoe of all time. This shoe was revolutionary in its design as the first basketball shoe to utilize patent leather which is now regarded as the standard of quality and sophistication. This shoe also holds its place in basketball lore as the shoe that the “Greatest of All Time” wore en route to an unprecedented 72 wins, a 4th NBA Championship, a league and Finals MVP award which all but stamped his return to glory during the 1995-96 NBA season.

But why would you brave the cold, or the rain, or the heat, to stand in line with sometimes hostile crowds willing to do whatever it takes to own a pair? What is the allure of this shoe?

For me, it’s the closest I can get to being in MJ’s shoes. To know how it may have felt like to be standing on the United Center floor raising the Larry O’Brien trophy for the 4th time. Wearing a pair gives me an idea how it must have felt to hit shot after game winning shot. It would also take me back to my own glory days back in SoCal when I used to strut my stuff, not quite like Mike, on the street ball courts and recreational leagues in my locality before the injuries and years took all my skills away. But ahh the memories…memories made in my very own pair of OG AJXI Concords!

But I will not be one of those who will brave the cold, or the rain, or the heat or whatever else one may encounter this Friday for a chance to “cop” the most anticipated shoe of 2011. Don’t get me wrong, I would LOVE to own another pair (and will not pass up the opportunity to get one at retail) but I’m quite happy where I stand now and quite content to let others get a chance to relive the memories of their glory years. (Or even make their own history in their first pair)

Good luck to everyone out there, hope you get YOUR pair and be safe!