The Dreams
Months ago | 31st December 2010 01:52
Hi there, this is Sinna and I am one of the 6 creators of a Group called Team Wearability that may soon hopefully be up there.
Me and the 4 other members of the Team (by far) check out older shoes to test/ elaborate on how much stability they have left it in them/wears/ if they're wearable or not in general.
Some shoes have wears left in them but we can't say their 100% Wearable considering 100% wearable is where a shoe is wearable no matter what and not depending on a couple of wears.
By far I have good facts for the Air Jordan I but as the days/weeks pass by, me or any other member of the Team will have updates most likely with pictures as well 80% of the time.
Here are the members of this Group:
5 of the Creators/members of upcoming Group and have all contributed in good ways:
SoleJordan23
23DUNKZEAZY
Hu'Ryu
quality-choice
dunksrnice
2010: 5 Newer Active Members that are now going to be a part of the Crew are:
Darren510
w1dabread
SoleFresh n Clean
phead81
teemasuoka
2011: Newest Members are:
Nike Air123
MidWest312
IF YOU ARE NOT LISTED ABOVE OR ASKING FOR A WEAR-ABILITY CHECK DO NOT POST IN HERE. YOU WILL BE BANNED FROM THE JORDAN FORUM AND YOUR POST COUNT WILL BE REDUCED TO ZERO FROM HERE ON OUT!
The air bubbles basically let you know if the air units can support any weight. So for example, if your air bubbles are foggy, the inner units that you see (especially on V's and VI's) cannot withstand the pressure of you walking/standing on them and might/will eventually pop depending on how foggy they are.
Unfogging doesn't make a sneaker wearable. That method is basically a safe way of testing your sneakers. If you unfog air bubbles and they remain unfog, that means that there are no holes in the air bubbles and therefore can withstand the pressure. If you unfog them and they become foggy again, that means there is a hole in the bubbles somewhere and they will die on you sooner or later.[/quote:56692d1f33]
Wearability Guide:
This here is a guide on how to tell if Is-XIIIs (as well as XVIs & XVIIIs) are wearable meaning no Cracking/Crumbling/ Separation in other words, you may not be able to wear them. This all usually happens to shoes that were released from 6-24 years ago.
AIR JORDAN I
Sinna-Well to begin with, many thought that the Original Air Jordan I would never crack/crumble considering the fact that it got a rubber mid sole. These theories are indeed correct BUT there is still yet another theory about pieces from the bottoms chipping off.
Such as this:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I HAVE JUST BEEN TOLD THAT THOSE ARE RETRO 2001 BRED Is THAT MEANS THIS COULD HAPPEN TO RETROS AS WELL!
Sinna-There is no real explanation for this happening yet other than that one fact that they ARE 24 years of age and should be considered as something fragile.
Advice is to not play basketball in them / do any rugged activities such as mountain climbing, running, etc.
23DUNKZEAZY-Advice is to not drag your feet too much because the soles of the OG Is becomes wore out and that could be a result of pieces chipping off the bottoms.
Sinna-Another problem with the Is is that that top with the Black Paint :
dunksrnice-All I's are all rockable, they will never crack. Only time I have seen them cracked is only the sole, but thats due to the an old age sneaker. Other areas of cracking is around ankle support area. If there the metallic kind, then it will crack around the ankle support area and the swoosh area as well.
If the midsole is like this, they are still rockable.
Sinna-Advice is to avoid pressing/ poking on that part of the Is considering them being old then the paint chips right off most of the time.
It can easily be restored and for that here's a link of the Restoration Guide, it'll help:
http://www.solecollector.com/forums/restore-cleaning-faq-vol-7-ask-questions-here-t853066.html
That's the info you can use for Air Jordan Is that have released in the years of 1985-1994.
AIR JORDAN II
Sinna-To start on the Air Jordan II, is that they have a different mid sole. The thing about the "new and improved" mid sole is that it is made of foam and rubber material. Because of that, since 23 years passed since the jump... the mid sole becomes all yellow colored/soft due to oxidation and starts to crumble/deteriorate considering it's weakness/ fragility.
A way you could check out if their wearable or not is to test
out the mid soles by pressing it firmly and see if your finger goes right through or not or even if some parts are softer than others and it's UN-proportional then their not wearable.
Sinna-Advice would be to get the mid soles/Soles glued such as:
Hu'Ryu- Advice on my part is personally I wouldn't recommend Anyone try to wear a II. Even if it was repaired properly, the II was the first sneaker on the Jordan Line to include a whole inner air unit in the sole, although it wasn't visible until the III, the II had a full air unit on the sole, that's why they would possibly the most most unwearable OG of all the Jordan Line up. The inner Air Unit Corrodes and makes it unwearable even with proper repairing, there is still a HUGE chance of crumbling, especially with a person who walks like a beast.
AIR JORDAN III
Sinna-My input on the Air Jordan III is that they are indeed the first Air Jordan shoe to have a visible air unit/ bubble. Being that the bubbles are visible/exposed , they are more prone to being fogged up over time. From there on you have to check the mid soles by having someone to try them on and observe the mid soles near the bubbles and if it will be popping out/sticking out a bit then they are not wearable and you will indeed see the mid sole just pop out/ crack within 1-3 wears.
Sinna-On DS Pairs of IIIs from '01 & '03 when they get UN-DSed, there is a majority that there will be paint chipping on the mid sole. Paint chipping is usually caused by the layer of paint being dried up and just chipping off during wear and I myself would compare chipping to not be any worse that that of a crease on a shoe considering paint chipping is as common as a crease.
dunksrnice-Starting from 2001 pairs are rockable. It's rare when you find a 1994 pair that rockable, unless you wear smaller sizes. Things to look out for are the air bubble and mid sole. If the air bubble is cloudy, they it's not rockable. If the midsole is firm and hard, that's another indicator that there rockable. Soft mid soles are a sign that there not really rockable. If your not sure there rockable, what a lot people do it, wear there shoes around the house for about two weeks, that way the mid sole and air bubble gets use to your weight and pressure, making sure it's safe to wear.
By looking at a 2003 White Cement III pair, if you take a look at the air bubble, its clear, that's an indicator that it's rockable.
Closer look at the air bubble.
If you take a look at the back, the midsole, the white part, there no cracking or marks, again another sign that there rockable. That is dirt on the midsole.
The midsole with little cracks, there rockable, just shows there worn only.
AIR JORDAN IV
dunksrnice-Starting from 1999 and up, there rockable. A lot of people don't get why there 99 pairs crack and crumble. Again, if the air bubble isn't clear, there not rockable. If you press on the midsole or any part of the polyurethane part, and press to see if it's firm/hard, that's an indicator there rockable. If there soft, that means there not rockable. I'll start by some pics.
Again, the air bubble is clear, a sign that there rockable.
Closer look.
AIR JORDAN V
Hu'Ryu:
Air Jordan V
OG
Sole/Air Unit
Not considered wearable, unless some factoring or doctoring has been conducted. The Sole and Air Unit is too old, and chances of compression/implosion are high. Further compression of the sole leads to cracking, crumbling, and splitting. The sole of this sneaker has been reported as the main reason for it's unwearability. Most problems reside in the Sole and Air Unit(Air Bubble).
Upper/Vent/Reflective Tongue/Lacelock
The upper section of the V rarely poses a threat to the wearability of the sneaker; the leather is easy to clean. If it is suede upper, the common suede problems can occur. The reflective tongue poses no problems at all, although there have been problems with the tongue ripping, still causing no problems to the wearability. Vents have the same problem as the Clear Sole (See Below) with the exception of squeaking. Although the upper section of the V can be easily maintained and managed its the clear sole that poses more of a problem.
Clear Sole
Other problems are in the clearsole section of the sole, problems occur when the clear sole is aged badly. Although the aging doesnt affect any part of the wearability of the sneaker, however it does affect the appearance, causes a bad squeak and rarely, I mean RARELY has sole separation.
Overview
I declare that a OG V is considered Un-wearable unless doctoring the sneaker has occurred, or extraordinary conditions are presented. Please take into note, this is an analysis on many problems that I am familiar with and take into emphasis that I did mention extraordinary conditions. These are rare conditions, since some people find diamond OGs that have been worn in beyond belief, but still presentable and are sometimes wearable. Please take all of this into mind.
quality-choice-Here are provided pics of cracking/ crumbling on Original Fire Red Vs from 1990:
dunksrnice-Starting from 1999 and up, their rockable.
Taking a look at OG Grapes, you can see the whole midsole fall apart. These have been hot glued by another ISSer, not by me. You can take a look at these pics and see were they start to fall apart. Since the midsole is polyurethane, they crack on every part of the midsole.
The cracking starts from the emerald color/flame. Take a look at the air bubble area as well.
The back also starts cracking from there.
Again check the midsole.
AIR JORDAN VI
Sinna-Air Jordan VI have a polyurethane midsole that can indeed crack/crumble just like any other polyurethane midsole in a certain amount of years. Original VIs from 1991 are usually/ most likely found to not be wearable and if they seem to be wearable then after about 1-4 wears you should be able to see signs of cracking and some may disagree with this but I'll have to say eventually you 17 year old shoe will crack unless it's midsole been swapped then that's a different story. Retro VIs such as 2000 Infrareds, 2000 Olympics, and Midnights start cracking just like Originals as well. Signs of cracking would be excessive paint chipping to the point where midsole foam shows and/or starts falling out considering right after that it's exposed and there's nothing to cover the foam such as the layer of paint that just severely chipped off therefore they will dry up and crack. Another sign of them soon to crack is when you unfog the air bubbles and then they fog right back up within a couple minutes, hours, or even the next day meaning that the bubble(s) are popped or cracked or have a hole(s) in them.
Separating occurs to DS pairs that are UN-DSed and it usually occurs at the toe box areas or in the middle of the midsoles whether outter or inner midsoles, and can't forget to mention the back of the midsoles as well to where the soles connect to them.
Sinna-Advice is to make sure there's no cracking at all on them before you wear them and make sure the bubbles are clear and not fogged up, even after you UN-fog using the technique on the first page of this thread.
I have a couple pics of where VIs start cracking / separating and will post when I have the chance to.
AIR JORDAN VII
Sinna- Air Jordan VII were released in 1992 and have a high risk of cracking and separating as well. Wearing OG VIIs in hot weather would most likely have the sides start to separate on you due to the glue melting and the pressure put on by weight by a person at the same time. The insides of majority of OG VIIs are most likely crumbled or rotten therefore if there's a little separated piece, as you walk with them on more and more foam comes making there be less and less foam to stabilize the air bubbles or your weight. After a lot of foam comes out, the air bubbles will most likely pop and finally since there's nothing inside to hold your weight down, the inner socket (where you put your foot in) will end up breaking into where the air bubble once was therefore the sides start separating since no much pressure is going inside and the sides could only stay glued for so long on the sides till they give in.
Usually sizes 1-6Y don't separate but do indeed crack or crumble and 6.5Y and up has only separated from what I seen except one bizarre sz 8.5 that I recently got pictures of being cracked after being UN-DSed.
Sinna- Advice for separation would be to hand them over to a legit restorer otherwise known as a Sneaker Doctor on here and they'll work their magic on them.
dunksrnice-Starting from OG Hare from 1991. Again, another polyurethane midsole, so if the midsole is firm/hard, there rockable, if it's soft, then they're not rockable.
Now where the sole and midsole meet, you can see that the glue is starting to wear off, again this 17 year old shoe.
Another indication you want to look out for is the side area. The glue might be worn off.
Again check if the midsole is hard/firm or soft. Also were the sole and midsole meet, check if the glue is attached, that's another indication.
Check the front as well:
Another angle shot.
Sinna- Just wanted to show that Original Air Jordan VII due crack as well for all the non believers, this is caused by the midsoles becoming dry and rotting not only in the inners but on the outers as well:
AIR JORDAN VIII
Sinna- Original Air Jordan VIII were released in 1993 as you should know and these are indeed one of the worst crackables. Reason being in that the whole midsole is polyurethane and can easily crumble. With the VIIIs, it's not likely to find a pair to be wearable for more than 1-2 wears without any glue supplied to them nowadays. Majority (in this case 99%) of all OG VIIIs have a spot on the midsole that you could flex and see a crack coming there. After witnessing a couple cracks, most of the time they will just fall apart within minutes of and crumble.
Sinna- Advice would be to just hold these for display or have a restorer glue the midsoles completely all around and repeat the process after every wear if you really want to be able to still have a chance to wear them.
AIR JORDAN XVIII
Sinna- Original Air Jordan XVIII were released in 2003 and these are known mostly for separation of the back heels as shown here:
As well as the midsole area to crack:
Sinna- Advice to prevent this from happening would be to make sure they are kept in a good area, while in box with at least 1 silica pack and to not run around in them. Do not plan to wear them knowing you'll be under excessive sunlight, this could prevent separation from occurring.
HERE ARE MORE FACTS GIVEN:
While we take some more time to make More and more facts and explanation for other Numbered Jordan s.... here are some brief explanations by 23DUNKZEAZY, Hu'Ryu, and dunksrnice:
Indeed this may be true but we forget the potential threats from Older XI's, or just XI's in general.
They Age quickly and the Clear Sole separates from the carbon quicker with improper storage and age. The Carbon Plate Cracks sometimes and has this nasty peel of, happened to my OG Cobalt plate. Makes a bad Squeaking noise if the sneaker was stored bad and/or aged badly. Yes I know these are regular elements of the sneaker but we need to take into effect that these elements can determine the sneaker wearable or not wearable.
Depends on how compressed the sole was, if it was you who wore them from back then and you have a lot of wear in them, then yes. If you got them from another person, take into consideration this: Weight means a lot, I don't think people stress this, but if the previous owner was 120 and you are 150 and walk heavier, the chances of more compression on the sole will increase thus making it tend to chip or crack if abused. Always find out how much wear was put into a sneaker, doesn't matter how many times, it matters on other elements such as walking patterns, if they were worn for basketball, or the weight of the wearer.
There is 2 things I have found with XIII bubbles: One of them is the air bubble gets foggy with wear, because the bubble is technically connected to the inner lining of the sneaker, it gets foggy with constant wear and active use. Another is because of age. I have seen restorative methods work on foggy bubble Number 1... but not the aged bubble type. Another remedy I saw used was a vacuum cleaner (the small circle types) used on the inside of the sneaker parallel to the air bubble. But I don't know how effective it is. Any who the only way it seems to get the bubble to defog is due to friction and heat, fog of course is a moist air inside of a trapped location.
[/quote:56692d1f33]
Ahh Finally someone asked the question.
There are many ways to properly store sneakers. Although the other members on this team will tell you their personal ways or might disagree with me. I have a rational reason.
I will say to make sure you keep the original wrapping paper that the sneakers originally came in, and ditch the sneaker stuffer if you wore them, they are good for DS sneakers, but not for when a sneaker is un-ds'ed. Make sure you stuff a sneaker, not like a animal but a gentle stuffing with a sock, or plastic bag, I use a sock for another reason which I will tell you after.
Stuff the sneaker gently with the Sock/bag and make sure it fits itself don't force it to bring up creases just make sure it fits right. After you are done with stuffing, make sure you separate the sneakers by using the OG paper that came with the sneakers. After this make sure you have a location where it is secluded from a lot of air, but not completely sealed off, like a walk in closet or etc. For the Clear sole sneakers, make sure the Silica packs are not directly on the sneaker, it will cause a rotting effect on the sole, and make it dry out badly.
Occasionally take your sneakers out of the box and give them air, I mean this too.
After every wear clean your sneaker before you put them in the box and forget about them, left over dirt becomes oxidized dirt, the Oxidation causes the dirt to fuse on the sneaker and becomes a problem to clean off, or becomes one with the sneaker. same with Clear Soles, make sure you clean them thoroughly before you box them, that prevents them from getting the bad aging and nasty particles which makes them look yellow.
For Packs make sure you put them in reverse so that the big hole is inside the box and not facing outside. That could be a bad thing towards sneakers that are white, like Hares, Taxi's and Carmines. It could cause a Yellow Circle on the back or rapid aging in that spot, because of the direct air passage.
I know many may disagree, but I think this is the most rational way.[/quote:56692d1f33]
I have made this list for shoes, including the years thats rockable or not.
Air Jordan I's
1985 | 1994 | 2001 | 2008 all rockable.
Air Jordan II's
1986 & 1987 - Not rockable
1994 - Not rockable.
2004 - Rockable
Air Jordan III's
1988 - Not rockable.
1994 - Not rockable, rare if they are. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2001 - Rockable.
2003 - Rockable
2007 - Rockable.
Air Jordan IV's
1989 - Not rockable.
1999 - Most are rockable. Check air bubble and midsole.
2004 - Rockable.
2005 - Rockable
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan V's
1990 - Not rockable, smaller sizes are rockable.
1999 - Most are rockable. Check air bubble and midsole.
2000 - Most are rockable. Check air bubble and midsole.
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan VI's
1990 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
1991 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2000 - Rockable. Check air bubble and midsole.
2002 - Rockable.
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan VII's
1991 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
1992 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2002 - Rockable.
2004 - Rockable
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan VIII's
1993 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2003 - Rockable.
Air Jordan IX's
1993 - Rockable, but check midsole. Smaller sizes are rockable.
1994 - Rockable, but check midsole. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2002 - Rockable.
Air Jordan X's
1994 - Rockable, but check midsole. Smaller sizes are rockable.
1995 - Rockable, but check midsole. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2005 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XI's
1995 - Rockable.
1996 - Rockable.
2000 - Rockable
2001 - Rockable.
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XII's
1996 | 1997 | 2003 - All rockable.
Air Jordan XIII's
1997 | 1998 | 2004 | 2005 - All rockable.
Air Jordan XIV's
1998 | 1999 | 2005 | 2006 - All rockable
Air Jordan XV's
1999 | 2000 - All rockable.
Air Jordans XVI's
2001 - Rockable
Air Jordan XVII's
2002 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XVIII's
2003 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XIX
2004 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XX
2005 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XXI
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XXII
2007 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XX3
2008 - Rockable.
UPDATE ON WHAT GLUE TO USE IF THERE IS CRACKING/SEPARATING :
It dries white, but you can peel it off after it dries. You can use this on the foam part you were asking about. Apply the glue little by little because it foams up. Unfogging the air bubble won't weaken the midsole around it if you do it the correct way with a funnel. Weakening it as in like blowing it straight towards the midsole, yes obviously. There's a guide in custom/restoration guide. You should hit that up for your questions. Hope these answers your questions.
Here are the old thread for reference:
2008-2009: http://www.solecollector.com/forums/official-is-this-shoe-wearable-t488326.html
2010: http://www.solecollector.com/forums/official-is-this-shoe-wearable-2010-edition-t1014368.html
UPDATES WILL COME OFTEN!!!
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WEARABILITY OF A SHOE SHOULD BE ASKED HERE!!
Me and the 4 other members of the Team (by far) check out older shoes to test/ elaborate on how much stability they have left it in them/wears/ if they're wearable or not in general.
Some shoes have wears left in them but we can't say their 100% Wearable considering 100% wearable is where a shoe is wearable no matter what and not depending on a couple of wears.
By far I have good facts for the Air Jordan I but as the days/weeks pass by, me or any other member of the Team will have updates most likely with pictures as well 80% of the time.
Here are the members of this Group:
5 of the Creators/members of upcoming Group and have all contributed in good ways:
SoleJordan23
23DUNKZEAZY
Hu'Ryu
quality-choice
dunksrnice
2010: 5 Newer Active Members that are now going to be a part of the Crew are:
Darren510
w1dabread
SoleFresh n Clean
phead81
teemasuoka
2011: Newest Members are:
Nike Air123
MidWest312
IF YOU ARE NOT LISTED ABOVE OR ASKING FOR A WEAR-ABILITY CHECK DO NOT POST IN HERE. YOU WILL BE BANNED FROM THE JORDAN FORUM AND YOUR POST COUNT WILL BE REDUCED TO ZERO FROM HERE ON OUT!
font-weight: bold;">Some Keys:
DS= Dead stock ( Never worn, never tried on)
VNDS= Very Near Dead Stock (Tried on)
NDS= Near Dead Stock (Worn once or twice)
Wearable= If a shoe is still good for wear or not which this whole thread is about.
Separation= Has a a lot to do with wearability of a shoe and it's when a piece of the shoe begins to separate.
OG= Original
Guide= pics here are not given for people to reply to this thread saying the shoes are "beat, done, destroyed" and I'm not asking if they are wearable or not either, THE PICS ARE HERE FOR PEOPLE TO READ ABOUT THE SHOE AND CHECK THEIR OWN OUT TO SEE IF THEIRS ARE WEARABLE OR NOT SO NO MORE POSTWHORING PLEASE! [/quote:56692d1f33]
[quote:56692d1f33]HOW TO UNFOG AIR BUBBLES:
1: Take a Blow Dryer for hair and put it on High Mode.
2: Take the shoe and hold it up with your hand being on the Toe Box holding it.
3: Place the Blow Dryer next to the Air Bubble and hold it there for 40 seconds.
4: Follow the same procedure for both sides of each shoe and they should be UN-Fogged unless they/air bubbles are cracked. [/quote:56692d1f33]
[quote:56692d1f33="23DUNKZEAZY:
DS= Dead stock ( Never worn, never tried on)
VNDS= Very Near Dead Stock (Tried on)
NDS= Near Dead Stock (Worn once or twice)
Wearable= If a shoe is still good for wear or not which this whole thread is about.
Separation= Has a a lot to do with wearability of a shoe and it's when a piece of the shoe begins to separate.
OG= Original
Guide= pics here are not given for people to reply to this thread saying the shoes are "beat, done, destroyed" and I'm not asking if they are wearable or not either, THE PICS ARE HERE FOR PEOPLE TO READ ABOUT THE SHOE AND CHECK THEIR OWN OUT TO SEE IF THEIRS ARE WEARABLE OR NOT SO NO MORE POSTWHORING PLEASE! [/quote:56692d1f33]
[quote:56692d1f33]HOW TO UNFOG AIR BUBBLES:
1: Take a Blow Dryer for hair and put it on High Mode.
2: Take the shoe and hold it up with your hand being on the Toe Box holding it.
3: Place the Blow Dryer next to the Air Bubble and hold it there for 40 seconds.
4: Follow the same procedure for both sides of each shoe and they should be UN-Fogged unless they/air bubbles are cracked. [/quote:56692d1f33]
[quote:56692d1f33="23DUNKZEAZY:
[quote:56692d1f33="gh0stface"]just a few questions..
what does the air bubble have anything to do with the shoe being wearable or not? how does unfogging them magically make them wearable?
what does the air bubble have anything to do with the shoe being wearable or not? how does unfogging them magically make them wearable?
The air bubbles basically let you know if the air units can support any weight. So for example, if your air bubbles are foggy, the inner units that you see (especially on V's and VI's) cannot withstand the pressure of you walking/standing on them and might/will eventually pop depending on how foggy they are.
Unfogging doesn't make a sneaker wearable. That method is basically a safe way of testing your sneakers. If you unfog air bubbles and they remain unfog, that means that there are no holes in the air bubbles and therefore can withstand the pressure. If you unfog them and they become foggy again, that means there is a hole in the bubbles somewhere and they will die on you sooner or later.[/quote:56692d1f33]
Wearability Guide:
This here is a guide on how to tell if Is-XIIIs (as well as XVIs & XVIIIs) are wearable meaning no Cracking/Crumbling/ Separation in other words, you may not be able to wear them. This all usually happens to shoes that were released from 6-24 years ago.
AIR JORDAN I
Sinna-Well to begin with, many thought that the Original Air Jordan I would never crack/crumble considering the fact that it got a rubber mid sole. These theories are indeed correct BUT there is still yet another theory about pieces from the bottoms chipping off.
Such as this:
Click to show pictures
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I HAVE JUST BEEN TOLD THAT THOSE ARE RETRO 2001 BRED Is THAT MEANS THIS COULD HAPPEN TO RETROS AS WELL!
Sinna-There is no real explanation for this happening yet other than that one fact that they ARE 24 years of age and should be considered as something fragile.
Advice is to not play basketball in them / do any rugged activities such as mountain climbing, running, etc.
23DUNKZEAZY-Advice is to not drag your feet too much because the soles of the OG Is becomes wore out and that could be a result of pieces chipping off the bottoms.
Sinna-Another problem with the Is is that that top with the Black Paint :
Click to show pictures
Click to show pictures
dunksrnice-All I's are all rockable, they will never crack. Only time I have seen them cracked is only the sole, but thats due to the an old age sneaker. Other areas of cracking is around ankle support area. If there the metallic kind, then it will crack around the ankle support area and the swoosh area as well.
Click to show pictures
Click to show pictures
If the midsole is like this, they are still rockable.
Click to show pictures
Sinna-Advice is to avoid pressing/ poking on that part of the Is considering them being old then the paint chips right off most of the time.
It can easily be restored and for that here's a link of the Restoration Guide, it'll help:
http://www.solecollector.com/forums/restore-cleaning-faq-vol-7-ask-questions-here-t853066.html
That's the info you can use for Air Jordan Is that have released in the years of 1985-1994.
AIR JORDAN II
Sinna-To start on the Air Jordan II, is that they have a different mid sole. The thing about the "new and improved" mid sole is that it is made of foam and rubber material. Because of that, since 23 years passed since the jump... the mid sole becomes all yellow colored/soft due to oxidation and starts to crumble/deteriorate considering it's weakness/ fragility.
A way you could check out if their wearable or not is to test
out the mid soles by pressing it firmly and see if your finger goes right through or not or even if some parts are softer than others and it's UN-proportional then their not wearable.
Sinna-Advice would be to get the mid soles/Soles glued such as:
Click to show pictures
Click to show pictures
Click to show pictures
Click to show pictures
Hu'Ryu- Advice on my part is personally I wouldn't recommend Anyone try to wear a II. Even if it was repaired properly, the II was the first sneaker on the Jordan Line to include a whole inner air unit in the sole, although it wasn't visible until the III, the II had a full air unit on the sole, that's why they would possibly the most most unwearable OG of all the Jordan Line up. The inner Air Unit Corrodes and makes it unwearable even with proper repairing, there is still a HUGE chance of crumbling, especially with a person who walks like a beast.
AIR JORDAN III
Sinna-My input on the Air Jordan III is that they are indeed the first Air Jordan shoe to have a visible air unit/ bubble. Being that the bubbles are visible/exposed , they are more prone to being fogged up over time. From there on you have to check the mid soles by having someone to try them on and observe the mid soles near the bubbles and if it will be popping out/sticking out a bit then they are not wearable and you will indeed see the mid sole just pop out/ crack within 1-3 wears.
Sinna-On DS Pairs of IIIs from '01 & '03 when they get UN-DSed, there is a majority that there will be paint chipping on the mid sole. Paint chipping is usually caused by the layer of paint being dried up and just chipping off during wear and I myself would compare chipping to not be any worse that that of a crease on a shoe considering paint chipping is as common as a crease.
dunksrnice-Starting from 2001 pairs are rockable. It's rare when you find a 1994 pair that rockable, unless you wear smaller sizes. Things to look out for are the air bubble and mid sole. If the air bubble is cloudy, they it's not rockable. If the midsole is firm and hard, that's another indicator that there rockable. Soft mid soles are a sign that there not really rockable. If your not sure there rockable, what a lot people do it, wear there shoes around the house for about two weeks, that way the mid sole and air bubble gets use to your weight and pressure, making sure it's safe to wear.
By looking at a 2003 White Cement III pair, if you take a look at the air bubble, its clear, that's an indicator that it's rockable.
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Closer look at the air bubble.
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If you take a look at the back, the midsole, the white part, there no cracking or marks, again another sign that there rockable. That is dirt on the midsole.
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The midsole with little cracks, there rockable, just shows there worn only.
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AIR JORDAN IV
dunksrnice-Starting from 1999 and up, there rockable. A lot of people don't get why there 99 pairs crack and crumble. Again, if the air bubble isn't clear, there not rockable. If you press on the midsole or any part of the polyurethane part, and press to see if it's firm/hard, that's an indicator there rockable. If there soft, that means there not rockable. I'll start by some pics.
Again, the air bubble is clear, a sign that there rockable.
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Closer look.
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AIR JORDAN V
Hu'Ryu:
Air Jordan V
OG
Sole/Air Unit
Not considered wearable, unless some factoring or doctoring has been conducted. The Sole and Air Unit is too old, and chances of compression/implosion are high. Further compression of the sole leads to cracking, crumbling, and splitting. The sole of this sneaker has been reported as the main reason for it's unwearability. Most problems reside in the Sole and Air Unit(Air Bubble).
Upper/Vent/Reflective Tongue/Lacelock
The upper section of the V rarely poses a threat to the wearability of the sneaker; the leather is easy to clean. If it is suede upper, the common suede problems can occur. The reflective tongue poses no problems at all, although there have been problems with the tongue ripping, still causing no problems to the wearability. Vents have the same problem as the Clear Sole (See Below) with the exception of squeaking. Although the upper section of the V can be easily maintained and managed its the clear sole that poses more of a problem.
Clear Sole
Other problems are in the clearsole section of the sole, problems occur when the clear sole is aged badly. Although the aging doesnt affect any part of the wearability of the sneaker, however it does affect the appearance, causes a bad squeak and rarely, I mean RARELY has sole separation.
Overview
I declare that a OG V is considered Un-wearable unless doctoring the sneaker has occurred, or extraordinary conditions are presented. Please take into note, this is an analysis on many problems that I am familiar with and take into emphasis that I did mention extraordinary conditions. These are rare conditions, since some people find diamond OGs that have been worn in beyond belief, but still presentable and are sometimes wearable. Please take all of this into mind.
quality-choice-Here are provided pics of cracking/ crumbling on Original Fire Red Vs from 1990:
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dunksrnice-Starting from 1999 and up, their rockable.
Taking a look at OG Grapes, you can see the whole midsole fall apart. These have been hot glued by another ISSer, not by me. You can take a look at these pics and see were they start to fall apart. Since the midsole is polyurethane, they crack on every part of the midsole.
The cracking starts from the emerald color/flame. Take a look at the air bubble area as well.
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The back also starts cracking from there.
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Again check the midsole.
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AIR JORDAN VI
Sinna-Air Jordan VI have a polyurethane midsole that can indeed crack/crumble just like any other polyurethane midsole in a certain amount of years. Original VIs from 1991 are usually/ most likely found to not be wearable and if they seem to be wearable then after about 1-4 wears you should be able to see signs of cracking and some may disagree with this but I'll have to say eventually you 17 year old shoe will crack unless it's midsole been swapped then that's a different story. Retro VIs such as 2000 Infrareds, 2000 Olympics, and Midnights start cracking just like Originals as well. Signs of cracking would be excessive paint chipping to the point where midsole foam shows and/or starts falling out considering right after that it's exposed and there's nothing to cover the foam such as the layer of paint that just severely chipped off therefore they will dry up and crack. Another sign of them soon to crack is when you unfog the air bubbles and then they fog right back up within a couple minutes, hours, or even the next day meaning that the bubble(s) are popped or cracked or have a hole(s) in them.
Separating occurs to DS pairs that are UN-DSed and it usually occurs at the toe box areas or in the middle of the midsoles whether outter or inner midsoles, and can't forget to mention the back of the midsoles as well to where the soles connect to them.
Sinna-Advice is to make sure there's no cracking at all on them before you wear them and make sure the bubbles are clear and not fogged up, even after you UN-fog using the technique on the first page of this thread.
I have a couple pics of where VIs start cracking / separating and will post when I have the chance to.
AIR JORDAN VII
Sinna- Air Jordan VII were released in 1992 and have a high risk of cracking and separating as well. Wearing OG VIIs in hot weather would most likely have the sides start to separate on you due to the glue melting and the pressure put on by weight by a person at the same time. The insides of majority of OG VIIs are most likely crumbled or rotten therefore if there's a little separated piece, as you walk with them on more and more foam comes making there be less and less foam to stabilize the air bubbles or your weight. After a lot of foam comes out, the air bubbles will most likely pop and finally since there's nothing inside to hold your weight down, the inner socket (where you put your foot in) will end up breaking into where the air bubble once was therefore the sides start separating since no much pressure is going inside and the sides could only stay glued for so long on the sides till they give in.
Usually sizes 1-6Y don't separate but do indeed crack or crumble and 6.5Y and up has only separated from what I seen except one bizarre sz 8.5 that I recently got pictures of being cracked after being UN-DSed.
Sinna- Advice for separation would be to hand them over to a legit restorer otherwise known as a Sneaker Doctor on here and they'll work their magic on them.
dunksrnice-Starting from OG Hare from 1991. Again, another polyurethane midsole, so if the midsole is firm/hard, there rockable, if it's soft, then they're not rockable.
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Now where the sole and midsole meet, you can see that the glue is starting to wear off, again this 17 year old shoe.
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Another indication you want to look out for is the side area. The glue might be worn off.
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Again check if the midsole is hard/firm or soft. Also were the sole and midsole meet, check if the glue is attached, that's another indication.
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Check the front as well:
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Another angle shot.
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Sinna- Just wanted to show that Original Air Jordan VII due crack as well for all the non believers, this is caused by the midsoles becoming dry and rotting not only in the inners but on the outers as well:
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AIR JORDAN VIII
Sinna- Original Air Jordan VIII were released in 1993 as you should know and these are indeed one of the worst crackables. Reason being in that the whole midsole is polyurethane and can easily crumble. With the VIIIs, it's not likely to find a pair to be wearable for more than 1-2 wears without any glue supplied to them nowadays. Majority (in this case 99%) of all OG VIIIs have a spot on the midsole that you could flex and see a crack coming there. After witnessing a couple cracks, most of the time they will just fall apart within minutes of and crumble.
Sinna- Advice would be to just hold these for display or have a restorer glue the midsoles completely all around and repeat the process after every wear if you really want to be able to still have a chance to wear them.
AIR JORDAN XVIII
Sinna- Original Air Jordan XVIII were released in 2003 and these are known mostly for separation of the back heels as shown here:
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As well as the midsole area to crack:
phead81:
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Sinna- Advice to prevent this from happening would be to make sure they are kept in a good area, while in box with at least 1 silica pack and to not run around in them. Do not plan to wear them knowing you'll be under excessive sunlight, this could prevent separation from occurring.
HERE ARE MORE FACTS GIVEN:
While we take some more time to make More and more facts and explanation for other Numbered Jordan s.... here are some brief explanations by 23DUNKZEAZY, Hu'Ryu, and dunksrnice:
23DUNKZEAZY:
Here are some of the retros that came to mind:
All of the 2001 I's are wearable.
Not all of the III's that came out in 2001 are wearable. Most of them are wearable, but in some cases, they may crack if they weren't stored properly or frequently worn. If they are wearable, there's a chance that some of the paint may begin to chip, though. I have also seen a few III's in which the heel tab cracked or completely fell off. This doesn't that they are not wearable, though. You'd just have to be careful how you wear them.
Some 1999 IV's are wearable. However, many of them may crack if worn because the midsoles aren't strong enough to support a certain amount of weight anymore. The midsoles may crack and the sneaker will eventually crumble if worn. If stored correctly and frequently worn, they are wearable. Be sure to check the midsoles and air bubbles before buying or wearing these. Similar to the III's, the heel tab may crack or fall off completely. This, also, doesn't that they aren't wearable.
The 2000 V's are wearable. In some cases, there may be stress marks on the back or the sides of the midsole, but they're still wearable. These will also yellow (obviously) on the side netting and the soles. They are wearable nonetheless.
The retro VI's are also wearable. In some cases, there may be some paint chipping on the midsoles and the back. They can simply be repainted. If stored correctly, these are very much wearable. I don't suggest buying DS pairs of these to wear, though. The paint is almost guaranteed to chip. These, similarly to the V's, yellow on the soles. They're wearable regardless of yellowing, though.
Retro VII's get stress marks as well. Very very few of them will crack if worn.
Retro VIII's (from 2003) may have paint chipping (especially the white/true red ones). These are very much wearable though.
All of the 2001 I's are wearable.
Not all of the III's that came out in 2001 are wearable. Most of them are wearable, but in some cases, they may crack if they weren't stored properly or frequently worn. If they are wearable, there's a chance that some of the paint may begin to chip, though. I have also seen a few III's in which the heel tab cracked or completely fell off. This doesn't that they are not wearable, though. You'd just have to be careful how you wear them.
Some 1999 IV's are wearable. However, many of them may crack if worn because the midsoles aren't strong enough to support a certain amount of weight anymore. The midsoles may crack and the sneaker will eventually crumble if worn. If stored correctly and frequently worn, they are wearable. Be sure to check the midsoles and air bubbles before buying or wearing these. Similar to the III's, the heel tab may crack or fall off completely. This, also, doesn't that they aren't wearable.
The 2000 V's are wearable. In some cases, there may be stress marks on the back or the sides of the midsole, but they're still wearable. These will also yellow (obviously) on the side netting and the soles. They are wearable nonetheless.
The retro VI's are also wearable. In some cases, there may be some paint chipping on the midsoles and the back. They can simply be repainted. If stored correctly, these are very much wearable. I don't suggest buying DS pairs of these to wear, though. The paint is almost guaranteed to chip. These, similarly to the V's, yellow on the soles. They're wearable regardless of yellowing, though.
Retro VII's get stress marks as well. Very very few of them will crack if worn.
Retro VIII's (from 2003) may have paint chipping (especially the white/true red ones). These are very much wearable though.
Hu'Ryu:
Let The Dr. Hu'Ryu help out a bit. LOL
[quote:56692d1f33="Poofyo101"]no 11s crack to my knowledge
none of mine have at least should be good
[quote:56692d1f33="Poofyo101"]no 11s crack to my knowledge
none of mine have at least should be good
Indeed this may be true but we forget the potential threats from Older XI's, or just XI's in general.
They Age quickly and the Clear Sole separates from the carbon quicker with improper storage and age. The Carbon Plate Cracks sometimes and has this nasty peel of, happened to my OG Cobalt plate. Makes a bad Squeaking noise if the sneaker was stored bad and/or aged badly. Yes I know these are regular elements of the sneaker but we need to take into effect that these elements can determine the sneaker wearable or not wearable.
TRUEsoL3:
worn white cement IVs from 99?
will they crack?
will they crack?
Depends on how compressed the sole was, if it was you who wore them from back then and you have a lot of wear in them, then yes. If you got them from another person, take into consideration this: Weight means a lot, I don't think people stress this, but if the previous owner was 120 and you are 150 and walk heavier, the chances of more compression on the sole will increase thus making it tend to chip or crack if abused. Always find out how much wear was put into a sneaker, doesn't matter how many times, it matters on other elements such as walking patterns, if they were worn for basketball, or the weight of the wearer.
23DUNKZEAZY:
On a side note: I tried blow drying the holograms on my XIII's and I see no difference. I had the blow dryer at the highest power at a time and going for about 30 minutes, but it didn't seem to clear. I'm still too skeptical to try it on air bubbles.
There is 2 things I have found with XIII bubbles: One of them is the air bubble gets foggy with wear, because the bubble is technically connected to the inner lining of the sneaker, it gets foggy with constant wear and active use. Another is because of age. I have seen restorative methods work on foggy bubble Number 1... but not the aged bubble type. Another remedy I saw used was a vacuum cleaner (the small circle types) used on the inside of the sneaker parallel to the air bubble. But I don't know how effective it is. Any who the only way it seems to get the bubble to defog is due to friction and heat, fog of course is a moist air inside of a trapped location.
[/quote:56692d1f33]
Hu'Ryu:
[quote:56692d1f33="CM10TE"]What are the best storage methods for preserving a shoe's wearability?
Ahh Finally someone asked the question.
There are many ways to properly store sneakers. Although the other members on this team will tell you their personal ways or might disagree with me. I have a rational reason.
I will say to make sure you keep the original wrapping paper that the sneakers originally came in, and ditch the sneaker stuffer if you wore them, they are good for DS sneakers, but not for when a sneaker is un-ds'ed. Make sure you stuff a sneaker, not like a animal but a gentle stuffing with a sock, or plastic bag, I use a sock for another reason which I will tell you after.
Stuff the sneaker gently with the Sock/bag and make sure it fits itself don't force it to bring up creases just make sure it fits right. After you are done with stuffing, make sure you separate the sneakers by using the OG paper that came with the sneakers. After this make sure you have a location where it is secluded from a lot of air, but not completely sealed off, like a walk in closet or etc. For the Clear sole sneakers, make sure the Silica packs are not directly on the sneaker, it will cause a rotting effect on the sole, and make it dry out badly.
Occasionally take your sneakers out of the box and give them air, I mean this too.
After every wear clean your sneaker before you put them in the box and forget about them, left over dirt becomes oxidized dirt, the Oxidation causes the dirt to fuse on the sneaker and becomes a problem to clean off, or becomes one with the sneaker. same with Clear Soles, make sure you clean them thoroughly before you box them, that prevents them from getting the bad aging and nasty particles which makes them look yellow.
For Packs make sure you put them in reverse so that the big hole is inside the box and not facing outside. That could be a bad thing towards sneakers that are white, like Hares, Taxi's and Carmines. It could cause a Yellow Circle on the back or rapid aging in that spot, because of the direct air passage.
I know many may disagree, but I think this is the most rational way.[/quote:56692d1f33]
dunksrnice:
I have made this list for shoes, including the years thats rockable or not.
Air Jordan I's
1985 | 1994 | 2001 | 2008 all rockable.
Air Jordan II's
1986 & 1987 - Not rockable
1994 - Not rockable.
2004 - Rockable
Air Jordan III's
1988 - Not rockable.
1994 - Not rockable, rare if they are. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2001 - Rockable.
2003 - Rockable
2007 - Rockable.
Air Jordan IV's
1989 - Not rockable.
1999 - Most are rockable. Check air bubble and midsole.
2004 - Rockable.
2005 - Rockable
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan V's
1990 - Not rockable, smaller sizes are rockable.
1999 - Most are rockable. Check air bubble and midsole.
2000 - Most are rockable. Check air bubble and midsole.
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan VI's
1990 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
1991 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2000 - Rockable. Check air bubble and midsole.
2002 - Rockable.
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan VII's
1991 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
1992 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2002 - Rockable.
2004 - Rockable
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan VIII's
1993 - Not Rockable, some are but rare. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2003 - Rockable.
Air Jordan IX's
1993 - Rockable, but check midsole. Smaller sizes are rockable.
1994 - Rockable, but check midsole. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2002 - Rockable.
Air Jordan X's
1994 - Rockable, but check midsole. Smaller sizes are rockable.
1995 - Rockable, but check midsole. Smaller sizes are rockable.
2005 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XI's
1995 - Rockable.
1996 - Rockable.
2000 - Rockable
2001 - Rockable.
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XII's
1996 | 1997 | 2003 - All rockable.
Air Jordan XIII's
1997 | 1998 | 2004 | 2005 - All rockable.
Air Jordan XIV's
1998 | 1999 | 2005 | 2006 - All rockable
Air Jordan XV's
1999 | 2000 - All rockable.
Air Jordans XVI's
2001 - Rockable
Air Jordan XVII's
2002 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XVIII's
2003 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XIX
2004 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XX
2005 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XXI
2006 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XXII
2007 - Rockable.
Air Jordan XX3
2008 - Rockable.
UPDATE ON WHAT GLUE TO USE IF THERE IS CRACKING/SEPARATING :
dunksrnice:
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It dries white, but you can peel it off after it dries. You can use this on the foam part you were asking about. Apply the glue little by little because it foams up. Unfogging the air bubble won't weaken the midsole around it if you do it the correct way with a funnel. Weakening it as in like blowing it straight towards the midsole, yes obviously. There's a guide in custom/restoration guide. You should hit that up for your questions. Hope these answers your questions.
Here are the old thread for reference:
2008-2009: http://www.solecollector.com/forums/official-is-this-shoe-wearable-t488326.html
2010: http://www.solecollector.com/forums/official-is-this-shoe-wearable-2010-edition-t1014368.html
UPDATES WILL COME OFTEN!!!
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WEARABILITY OF A SHOE SHOULD BE ASKED HERE!!
INSTAGRAM: @IMREEEZY
CHECK THE EBAY LISTINGS!
THE DREAMS//TEAM WEARABILITY//S-S-S #keepitOG
CHECK THE EBAY LISTINGS!
THE DREAMS//TEAM WEARABILITY//S-S-S #keepitOG
Last edited on 23rd July 2011 13:49 edited 2 times in total
