by Marvin Barias
Have you ever imagined what it would take to catalog every Air Jordan that has ever released since its creation in 1985?
Jay Lawrence of Orlando, FL had a vision to fulfill that feat and he spent the past 5 years gathering information. Every model, every colorway and every bit of history entailed in the Air Jordan line with this 500+ page hardcover book. The Encyclopedia of Air Jordans is well represented with over 1300 clean shots of models I-XX9 and a foreward by dedicated Air Jordan collector of over 700 pairs, JumpmanBostic. Not only does it document the lineage of Air Jordans, it also details write ups such as how to clean your sneakers, technology advances, sneaker culture, sneaker events and so much more.
Jay has initiated a campaign on kickstarter to help fund the project and has high hopes to get the book released by Holiday 2014. If you're a big time Jordan fanatic (like myself), this has to be a must in your collection. Check out the rest of the photos below and show Jay support by visiting the kickstarter today.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/139596288/encyclopedia-of-air-jordan-sneakers
Update 9/9/14
The Encyclopedia of Air Jordans has met its goal! Since publishing this article 2 weeks ago (8/26/14), the kickstarter has raised over $36k in funds. The original goal was $20k but with your help, its author, Jay Lawrence is extremely indebted to the entire sneakerhead community. To show his appreciation, Jay has exclusively provided Sole Collector with the following words:
I just wanted to update you on the project and the next steps. I again want to thank you and Solecollector.com for the support. The book project as of today is over $36k. Since the launch of the project, I have had over 3,000 new original photos. Also I'm still working out an agreement with Mark AKA "JumpManBostic" to include his collection. So I will have over 4,500 original photos to filter for the final book. I've also been contacted and assisted by several sneaker shops and industry executives. I have also tried out more sample papers and books from printers.
"I want to push the envelope in creativity for this book."
I will be adding velum (translucent) pages and 3d photos for the book. The 3d glasses and photos will assist in making this a great book. I have also tested custom wrapping paper for the books. I think the wrapping paper will be great for the holidays. There has been a few industry executives who want to make sure that this book is special and done correctly. I want to thank my backers who made all of this possible. I will begin collecting names and certain backer photos in a week. The proofs will be sent to the printers after editing all the new updated material. Again this book showcases the power of the sneaker community and Kickstarter.
With that said, the excitement continues to rise as the support for the Encyclopedia is within our reach. JumpmanBostic has also provided a detailed review on his YouTube channel.
Update 12/24/2014
Due to an overwhelming amount of support, it looks like the release for the Encyclopedia of Air Jordans will be delayed.
The book was originally slated to be available days before Christmas with a limited print run of 2,500 units. Now we're looking at about 3,000 books to be sold worldwide. Since publishing the news on Sole Collector, Jay has received well over 300 emails requesting pre-order information. There may be another Kickstarter in the near future for the last print run of 600 or so books and shipping for those copies will go out between February and March 2015. The book will only be available via pre-order and will retail for $65. Kickstarter backers have already been contacted regarding their orders and those will ship out during the last week of January 2015.
To gauge how huge this project has become, Jay decided to list 2 signed sample copies on eBay last month which sold for a staggering $765. One was sealed and the other was opened. Both were used strictly for promotional purposes. There are only 5 copies of these versions in the wild.
Here is a detailed review of the final version of the Enyclopedia of Air Jordans prepared by JumpmanBostic.
Check out some updated pictures below and keep it locked to solecollector.com as we will continue to gather exclusive updates from Jay himself.
Update 12/28/2014
As expected, the final print run of 750 copies is now available. To pre-order your copy of the Encyclopedia of Air Jordans, use the Kickstarter link below.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/139596288/encyclopedia-of-air-jordan-sneakers-2nd-print-run
This will be the final Kickstarter and no other copies will be made once pre-orders are in.
Update 1/12/2015
The 2nd print run of the Encyclopedia of Air Jordans has sold out! If you're trying to secure a copy now, it's too late.
As of today's date, the project has spawned about 1,500 backers with an estimated amount to well over $125,000. Shipping for the first print runs will begin during the last week of January while the 2nd print run will ship toward the end of March going into April. If you have questions on your order, please contact the author through the kickstarter page.
