Technological advancements take place in every aspect of our society. Most often, these advancements are welcomed with open arms. Yet, this is not the case with sneakers…
The Air Jordan 8.0, a super charged version of the original Air Jordan VIII. While visually, I’ll admit, they aren’t very appealing, they are however designed with a specific purpose in mind… bring the greatness of the past and bring them up to date with the present.
Personally, if I were to choose a pair of sneakers to hoop in from the Air Jordan Legacy… it would have to be between the Air Jordan I or Air Jordan IV. However, the technology in a shoe from the 80’s is a far cry from what we are used to now. With that said, I personally love what Jordan Brand has been doing with their models that made the brand so iconic and updating them for all of us who actually play basketball, in our basketball shoes, a chance to do what we have always wanted… with a twist.
Believe it or not, there once was a time when Air Jordan’s were worn for playing basketball. While we older Sneakerheads fondly remember the better days, the newer generation seems to be more self absorbed with themselves to realize that the logo they love to wear with their favorite pair of jeans actually became famous with a pair of gym shorts and taped ankles.
Instead of embracing these re-tooled classics, they are dismissed and seen as a fail. Complaints reign supreme on blogs as these basketball worthy models from yesteryear are slowly being brought back to life, with a majority of the comments saying “we just want Retro shoes”… and you wonder why they choose not to place quality materials on the Retro models, nobody plans on using them for basketball so why bother placing basketball worthy materials on the silhouettes.
I for one applaud and appreciate that Jordan Brand has at least tried to update some classic models so we can enjoy them on court. If I ever tried to play in a pair of Air Jordan I’s I would most likely end up getting injured, luckily they created the Air Jordan I Alpha for just that occasion… same goes for the Jordan 2.0 & 8.0.
So, why is everyone so serious about these technological upgrades? They aren’t ruining the legacy of the Brand, they are solidifying it by keep the Jumpman on the basketball court as it should be… where it all started.
What are your thoughts on these upgrades; do you love them, hate them or not care either way?
As someone who truly loves the game of basketball, I welcome these upgrades without question… Retros aren’t going anywhere so there is no need to worry. Maybe they aren’t for you, but for the guy spending 4+ hours in the gym, they mean everything.
