words_Jordan Hagedorn
A couple weeks ago Steve Jaconetta aka Junior from Sole Collector hit me up with an interesting request. He asked about the Sky Blue Jordan 6 boot from a few years back that he saw in an Eastbay catalog. He said that the shoe was never released and everyone he’d talked to about it either didn’t remember or doubted its existence. I decided to dig into the Eastbay archives since Junior was hunting these elusive kicks for years.
Here is Junior’s story straight from him:
“After 6 years of laying in limbo, the light has finally shined through! I remember it like it was yesterday. The latest Eastbay catalog arrived in the mail and I began to look through it like I always do. As I get to the Jordan section I begin to look a little more thoroughly of course. Then out of nowhere at the bottom left of a page I see the Jordan AJB 6 in a new colorway.
The Sky Blue/White/Black color had caught my eye. I know the Jordan 6 Boot was ridiculed in the sneaker world, and rightfully so, and I don’t think I know anyone who copped a pair unless they were dirt cheap on some clearance rack (and even then most people still didn’t!). What got me about these is the combination of some of my favorite colors. The all blue suede upper with the black sole was super nice and I had planned on getting a pair.
So the next Eastbay catalog arrives and I look again to see if by some chance they went on sale, but they had disappeared! I looked on the Eastbay website and they never made it up there either. I searched everywhere in stores and online to no avail. No one knew what I was talking about or even heard of that colorway. So I came to the conclusion they got canceled. After some time passed, I was talking it up with some people about this shoe and they all thought I was nuts and had no idea what I was talking about.
I searched for my Eastbay catalog to silence the critics but I couldn’t find it. I must’ve thrown it away. As the years passed I never forgot about that colorway and continued to talk about them, but no one could ever recall them. I was left on my own with these and feeling like I was the only one who ever knew about them!”
Knowing how frustrating it can be to feel doubted, I decided to dig for the catalog Junior was talking about. After a short search and some help from my boy Dupree, I found what he was talking about, the Sky Blue Jordan AJB 6. It was on page 22 of the New Year 2003 catalog seen at the top. Look below to see the unreleased AJB 6 in the Sky Blue colorway that Junior had been hunting for for the last 7 years.
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Good stuff! Thanks again Jordan for finding this for me!
-Jr.
I actually remember seeing a pair of these on eBay a couple years back. They were dirt cheap, brand new and samples, but still not worth my time.
jb should stop makeing boots
I love this kind of story. One of the shoes that does this for me is a mid/late 90’s Converse basketball shoe. I only have a photo from a magazine and a memory of a stack of them at a Sport Chek store here in Toronto. They were Clearance priced but studying Industrial Design at the time, I had no money so I had to pass. The design is reminiscent of the Nike Signature Player foamposite.
Another is a PUMA basketball shoe I’ve only seen in KICKS magazine, the PUMA Vindicator. My guess is they were a Vince Carter concept before he ditched PUMA and I never saw them at retail.
If anyone is a Converse or PUMA basketball shoe expert and can help, let me know. I have photos.
MdC
-addicted since the 80’s
jb really needs to stop mixing retro sneakers with any other kind of shoe.
its really getting old FASSTTTT
an ugly shoe, just terrible, but i like how “JR” was committed to finding the shoe
I actually had the black ones until about two years ago. I found them at a Nike Outlet for like $20. They weren’t as comfy as my Timberland Euros so they sat in the closet until I sold them on Ebay for like $30.
I actually remember those boots. The AJ6 Boot is actually comfortable. The air unit is directly underneath the insole making it really responsive. I ended up getting the tan colored ones at Ross for $30 several years back.
Hope you find them on eBay or something, Jr. Most people don’t like them but they’re still your grails!
I have the AJB6 Boots in black. I still wear them today, as I rotate through a number of different Jordan Brand boots in all or mostly black.
I recall the original Expeditions, and still wear my Downtowns and the recent 410 Boot, modeled after the Melo’s.
I feel the boots work best with jeans, and working in an office that allows jeans on Fridays and other times during the year, the boots are low key enough to represent the Jordan brand, without the flash and bling of Patent Leather from my Space Jams…
And now, my favorites are the Spiz’ike Boots! Way to go, Jordan Brand!