Has the Jordan XI Lost Its Allure?

[In today’s world, sneakers release by the dozens every month, making it impossible for sneakerheads to keep up. This week we’re starting a new series where Mike Guillory takes on a real-world perspective from the side of sneakers that is not always seen amongst the influencer #ad posts and relentless marketing that has become sneaker culture. The Medial Side will discuss the topics that we all think about and discuss amongst friends but never see on our favorite sites and social accounts.]

With another Jordan 11 holiday release upon us, I sit and wonder, do sneakerheads still care as much? Before everyone gets all up in arms about this question, just sit and think. With all of the Jordan Brand releases and re-releases, this year has everyone been so bombarded that the Concord hype may have possibly cooled off a bit? I mean Jordan released nine 11s this year alone and then three more IEs. That used to be unheard of with what seemed to be the crown jewel of the brand, but now it looks to be a cash grab from the brand. Colorway after colorway we keep getting watered down versions of arguably the most coveted and recognizable model from Jordan. With each release, the allure of the 11 is tainted with forced stories that honestly I feel like no one is asking for, the cap and gown colorway for example. Yes, we know sneakerheads like to wear these with formalwear (big shouts to Boyz II Men), but did we really need a colorway explaining that to the world? I know that everyone has collectively rolled their eyes so far but let me make this clear…I know every Concord will sell out, I’m just asking does it have the same meaning as it did in 2011 and the years before?

Photo Courtesy of Sneaker News

With recent releases such as the Union x Air Jordan 1 (maybe the most upsetting release of recent history) has Jordan maybe taken away a bit of the demand from this traditional holiday release? Not because the shoe is bad by any means, but because they forced people to choose between which release to go after because let’s be honest, most of us aren’t rich and two $200 releases back to back don’t sit well with everyone’s budget. Due to this, I feel like JB is really ramping up the marketing on this Concord release at a pace that seems like more than any previous release. In the past, all you needed was the date and sneakerheads were on pins and needles with anticipation. But now, every time I open my email or the Nike site…Boom! More ads telling why the Concords are so great. In 2011, I didn’t need “The Grail” marketing campaign, but only to know where to be on that December drop date.

Photo Courtesy of Nike

The marketing seems to be a forced effort to impose a sense of urgency to the customer telling them these will fly off shelves and never come back, but we know that’s not true. With the numbers that will supposedly release, it seems people will have a “decent” chance to snag them. To be honest, sneaker collectors don’t have that same fear of missing out due to places like StockX, Stadium Goods, and Goat being able to supply them at any time of the year (even if the price may be a bit higher), but the biggest offender for eliminating that fear is the company itself. How many times have you gotten a notification from SNKRS about a restock or followed up with your favorite sneaker blog to hear such and such store will restock on this day? The answer is all the time…so with a lot of people, they don’t have the same incentive to wait in lines on release day. The scenes of chaos are pretty much over when it comes to the release of this Jordan 11 (or at least we would think). We’ve come to a point where they are readily available in both classic and unnecessary colorways, so I ask the question once more, has the Jordan 11 lost the legendary status it once had? I’ll let you all be the judge.