2 words. Via Fax. On March 18, 1995. The sports world was shocked and ecstatic with the return of Michael Jordan, after his brief retirement from the NBA. That’s the story that this sneaker tells, but read more to learn more on why it is so important and such a versatile sneaker. It’s a sneaker that I have had for a while now, and love because of how simple yet bold it really is. It might be in a future video but for now proceed to read below for the detailed review.
Background
One of the best things to ever happen last year to the world was that we were finally able to watch the 10 part documentary, “The Last Dance” about Michael Jordan and his prestigious Chicago Bulls team as they embark to complete their second 3-peat of NBA championships. Of course this gave us more insight than just one season including the time where MJ actually retired from basketball in 1993 shortly after his father passed away to pursue his other sports dream, playing baseball. Nearly 2 years later, MJ sent a fax simply stating “I’m Back” which shocked the world, just with those 2 words. Of course, no one else really can do that but him. Fun fact, in the Last Dance when they talked about this they even showed a clip of his teammate, Scottie Pippen wearing the Jordan 10, flaunting the outsole and pointing at the camera alerting him to return.
Aesthetics and Design
The colourway of this sneaker is inspired by the fax that MJ sent to announce his return to professional basketball which was discussed in the prior section. But let’s break it down. The colourways for the Air Jordan 10 does not really feature much customization and often look similar to this one with the exception of nothing special on the heel tab, and the laceloops being in a special colour. Of course some colour ways will have some special nods eg. a city, a brand logo, a design, etc. For example, the Air Jordan 10 “OVO” does look similar with the white upper but it features a distinct stingray type leather and the outsole is translucent with OVO branding on top. Nonetheless, what is similar and what you can expect in all Air Jordan 10’s is the awesome rubber outsole as it is a creative way to display Michael Jordan’s achievements.
However, there are distinct details for this sneaker. The white leather panels is pretty decent but it does feel synthetic, which I am actually fine with. Something that doesn’t and often features the black nubuck that sits at the top half of the sneaker and where it distinctively splits from the white part of the sneaker. Once again, far from the best quality, but not bad either. You would also notice the nylon lining and tongue, but something that stood out to me was behind the tongue there is a special patch with the jumpman logo in front of what looks like a 90’s retro print. You will see a patch like this on other Jordan 10’s as well, but not the same colours. Of course the stand out of this sneaker is on the heel tab as one says “I’m Back” and the other “3.18.95” referencing the fax to tie everything together, in a bold red that not only provides a good contrast but also a light note to the Chicago Bulls colours.
Sizing and Comfort
When it comes to sizing, I ended up going with a US 11.5 men. My true to size is a US 11, but I have gotten some retro Jordan’s in that size before. Frankly, I don’t think it made a big difference and if I recall correctly, I tried both sizes and the 11.5 felt more comfortable. I just let the laces sit (not tied up) on the top eyelet and just slip these on whenever I have it in my rotation. I recommend the safest choice is going true to size but if you have a bit of wider foot like me, then you should be fine with .5 up for more room and comfort. However, I do feel that either way I would have been fine over time. In terms of comfort and tech don’t expect a lot, it is a solid sneaker to walk around with in terms of lifestyle but not to run in or play basketball in, not anymore that is.
Price and Place of Purchase
So as you can see by the image, I got these for about $176 CAD + tax, which is just over 30% off the retail price. I was fortunate enough to be invited to shop at the Nike employee store to secure this pair for that price even though it was just released that week. Fun fact, that same trip to the store I also got my Kevin Durant 10 “Aunt Pearl”, which you can read the review for as well. Oddly enough, even though these were not really sought after, I just checked the resale price and these have gone up as you can see by the several sizes available on Kickscrew.
Overall
Cop or drop? Absolute cop. Resale shouldn’t be bad, so definitely look for some deadstock pairs if possible!
Comfort? As a retro sneaker don’t expect much comfort. I wouldn’t recommend hooping in them or doing a lot of physical activity in these sneakers because after a while you will feel the need to take them off. However, I do love that I haven’t adjusted the laces since I broke these out years ago and let them sit on the top eyelet, resulting in me just slipping these on. I did go with an 11.5, and some of my J’s are in that size even though majority of my sneakers I go with a US 11. Frankly, you will be fine with your true to size but going .5 (if you have more wider feet) shouldn’t be an issue and might be more comfortable.
Aesthetic? You can’t go wrong with a nice white and black sneaker, and this is a prime example of that. It is so sleek, plus I love the text that has the “3.18.95” and “I’m back” on each heel tab. What you can expect on every Air Jordan 10 is the list of accomplishments beautifully designed on the outsole, and even though the white does it make more dirty, it still looks nice overall.
Packaging? The Packaging is not bad. The outside a clean white box with nice contrasting hints, but my it was nice they had the date the fax was sent on the tissue paper/packaging paper in a classic Chicago Bulls bred colourway. I feel like they still could have done a bit more but still not bad.
Price? Retail is usually around $250 CAD, and frankly it is pretty high. Fortunately, I was able to get it at the Nike employee store for 30% off which made this a deal and I am sure others were able to get it for cheaper as well later on. However, it’s a crazy sneaker and to me my favourite 10’s colourway, which is why I got them. And yes, that’s over the OVO’s one as well. Once again, I am surprised that the resale value on these went up.
All in all, this is such a dope sneaker where the silhouette and specific colourway does not get nearly enough love as it should. For the quality and design, paired with the details to tell more than one story, this is definitely a Jordan retro I love having in my collection. Let me know what your thoughts are and if you were aware of this story and colourway in the comments below or on the posts on Instagram and Facebook!
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