TheFader

Itemized: Air Jordan I Retro

• story THE FADER

Every week a different FADER staff member will pick a clothing item or accessory that he or she has lately been spending a lot of time with—or would like to—and write a little love letter to it. We would’ve done a column on who we’re dating but that seemed a little bit much. This week Mobolaji Dawodu writes about the Air Jordan I Retro.

I must say when I laid eyes on these Jordans my first thoughts were how I was introduced to Air Jordan. It was my first few months moving to America from Lagos, Nigeria. It was quite an interesting time. My family was just getting acclimated to living in the land of the “free.” My brother had just gotten his first job at McDonald’s. Funnily enough, the first real conflict that occurred when we arrived was when my brother got his first ever paycheck. He wanted to blow it on a pair of Air Jordans and a pair of Nike Air Flights. I believe the Jordans were $129.00 at the time and the Flights were $99.99. My dad being of a traditional African mindset was not having it! He thought it was absolutely nuts. My mother on the other hand, while being quite traditional, as an American felt he should get to do what ever he wanted with his hard-earned money. To complicate matters, my grandparents were visiting from Nigeria. In true African fashion, there were several family discussions (Quite frankly I remember a lot of arguing in between the discussing). After about a week or so of these discussions, I will never forget the day we all went as a family (grandparents included) and my brother got his Jordans and Flights. I must say, it was quite an event. At the time I was about 10 and thought the whole thing was so crazy. But now that I have grown up, I get what the Jordan thing was all about at least for my brother at 16!! THEY WERE JORDANS DAMNIT!!! I rock the hell out of these Jordans in honor of my brother and what he went through to get his first pair. In life there are sneakers and then there are Jordans!! He never did really wear the Nike flights.

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• posted on Oct 13, 2009 in ITEMIZED
• tags Air Jordan, itemized