It’s been some time but maybe this review can swing us back into your friendly neighborhood! Ok, ok apologies for the lame joke, but these kicks are sure to get your senses tingling!
Now in case you’ve been living in a cave over the past several decades, I’m pretty sure you’ve gotten the reference to how these sneaks—the Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG 'Origin Story'—are themed after your friendly neighborhood hero Spiderman, or in this case, after Miles Morales who wears these shoes in his new adventures in Spiderverse.
Coinciding with the release of the second movie, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” this June, these kicks once again sport the Chicago colorway, albeit in a reimagined version. But do they live up to the hype? Let’s see.
Materials
I’ve been happy with recent J1 releases. Materials have been improving, in particular the leather used. Sad to say, this new release appears to be a tad off the mark. The leather in the toe box and other parts are actually thicker in my opinion, but translate somehow as being of lesser quality. Also, due to the theme of the shoe, I agree that different types of leather had to be used to give the desired effect, but the overall result just came out a little less precious. Also, QC was bad on my pair (see some of the closeups).
Rating: B+
Design
Fabulous. I haven’t seen the latest Spiderverse movie yet but from the little I know, these hold true to the “dimension” jumping theme. I can imagine kids the world over loving these, along with adults who enjoy putting a bit of color and craziness into their lives. However, without the story, a casual sneakerhead would probably prefer a more traditional colorway. By the way, fun fact: the outsole glows! Check out the photo with the UV light held up to it. Rating: A-
Wearability
These may be a bit harder to style. Essential, simple colors for tops and plain jeans would work if you roll the jeans up to expose the entire shoe. You could also simply cover the tops and it would appear as a variation of the Chicago colorway. But for this option, you’d be covering what makes it special.
Rating: B+
Price
Standard J1 pricing—and, surprisingly, pairs in smaller sizes are still available at retail stores. Rare for a Chicago colorway, no matter the variation (check out @titan_22’s recent posting). Resell prices are pretty good at the moment too.
Rating: A-
Rhobeelicious rating: This is the sizzling sinigang popularized by the Filipino restaurant Locavore—savory, sour and wonderful if you’re in the mood to try something new and fusion-y.
[An old school sneaker enthusiast, Rhobee Pilares enjoys street fashion, toys, cars, food and the excitement of busy, bustling cities. You can often catch him at coffee shops reading on the latest media trends. IG @rhobeelicious.]
Photos by Rhobee Pilares