Many of you in recent months have begun to proclaim yourselves as what you believe to be a “Sneakerhead” largely due to the fact that you… occasionally wear sneakers. This myth couldn’t be further from the truth. How can you be a sneakerhead if you know absolutely nothing about the sneakers you claim to be obsessed with? Is it because you slept outside for some sneakers? …Nah. Let’s do the knowledge…

On May 7th, 1995 when Michael Jordan stepped onto the court in the beginning of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls & the Orlando Magic in a pair of sneakers the world (& Nike execs) had never seen before (& wouldn’t see again for a year), he had no idea what he had started. The subsequent ban of the sneakers due to what NBA executives called a “dress code violation” only heightened the excitement for a commercial release.

The sneaker in question? The Nike Air Jordan #11 – Concord’s, whose release in November 1995 release coincided with the still active hype over MJ‘s comeback. At the time they were simply known as the “patent leather” Jordan‘s & along with the Bulls going 72 – 10, they sold out nationwide almost instantly.

Fast Forward:

**October 25th, 2000 – The first re- release

**January 28th, 2006 – Another re-release, another sellout (in both meanings of the phrase)

**January 17, 2011 – Confirmation that ONCE AGAIN, a version of the Concords would be re-re-released, is leaked on a Nike line sheet.

**December 23rd, 2011– N*ggas once again camped out, lined up, missed meals, didn’t pay bills/daycare/child support/buy gas etc. just for the Nike Air Jordan #11 Concords

…… Wow…..

Regardless of the historical significance the release carries, if I thought it was stupid for people to sleep outside for #OccupyPhilly & #OccupyWallstreet, you can only imagine how I feel about a bunch of pseudo Jordan enthusiasts & “collectors” sleeping outside for some sneakers I had in the 3rd grade which have been released on two other separate occasions. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the purpose of collecting sneakers was to have rare & limited editions which haven’t been commercially released or have been but in other countries. What I don’t think it’s about is shooting, looting, leaving your children in the car to make a purchase, & fighting over $200 6-year-old Air Jordan’s.  In Atlanta, at least four people were arrested in a mob scene at a suburban mall, according to the Associated Press. Twenty police cars responded and the crowd broke down a door to enter the mall before it opened. Police had to smash the windows of a car to get two toddlers out after a woman had left them there to go buy the shoes. She was taken into custody when she returned, according to the AP. Florida police used pepper spray on unruly shoe seekers and fights were reported in Kentucky; glass was shattered at stores in North Carolina. Frantic shoppers even tried to break down a door at one of the Indiana malls. Over the last decade, more than 45 deaths or violent incidents have been reported in relation to the release of a Jordan shoe.

I’ve already established the fact that #N*ggasAreTooFree so there is really no need to beat a dead horse, but I do have a few concerns. Michael Jordan, as owner of the Charlotte Bobcats was an integral part of the prolonged NBA lockout. Nearly 87% of the profit from these sneakers goes into his pocket. So the man who was one of the owners who kept your precious basketball away is now your priority when just a few short weeks ago you were in distress trying to understand football to fill your sport watching needs.

Lastly, the current unemployment rate is 8.6% (15.5% for African Americans) which means most of you n*ggas are camping out because you don’t have jobs or a place to live & can’t afford the sneakers anyway. “Ballin’ on unemployment”. If you can afford it then please, by all means, spend $200 on a 6-year-old pair of sneakers if that’s how you choose to spend your money. I don’t judge people, I leave that up to  Jesus M Christ and honestly I have been guilty of being a vanity slave too. It’s like the Post Christmas Stress Syndrome; Once that temporary high is gone you’ll be left with nothing but a new excuse…You’ll be just another victim of the #PlightOfTheConcords. Until next release…