Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Confessions of a Sneakerhead, part 1 cent:

1995 was probably the greatest year for kicks of the past couple decades. The Jordan XI - the shiny patent leather ones - (check). The Air Max 95 (check). The Air Uptempo (check). The Air Penny (uncheck!). Penny was The Chosen One before Lebron. He was Magic and Michael in one. And he had dope shoes.

You had to earn your stripes back in the day. Before he had his own line of sneaks, he rocked the Air Flight Ones, then the Air Ups, and then the Air Way Ups. Not until his 3rd year did he get his own kicks - the Air Pennys. Until now only Jordan and Barkley had their actual name on the shoes. Anfernee would be the IIIrd.

Perusing through Harputs a couple years ago, I see a pair of these on sale, but in the Chicago colorway. Problem is, Penny never played for Chi-town. (But I still bought them anyway.) About 6 months ago, pictures leaked of a Knicks (his current team) colorway retro, which I immediately fell in love. I was hoping and praying that he wouldn't get traded, otherwise they possibly could scrap the shoe! Alas, no one wants an overpaid, oft-injured former shell of himself player, so he stayed in NY. And the shoes were released.

Air Jordans have release dates. Non-Jordans do not. Whispers in the shoemunity said these dropped earlier than their arrival, but they dried up in the greater Bay Area like that. The shoe scene is less bustling in LV, so I called my brother out there to locate me a pair. And he complied (and paid for them too!). I'm a sucker for orange-accented kicks. The other day I picked my dad up from the airport and these were waiting for me:



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