KEEPING IT RAHEEL
Air Jordan XI Concords are the Holy Grail of sneakers
Nov 20, 2018, 9:31 am
The Concords are the Holy Grail of sneakers. Nike Inc.
On Dec. 8, 2018, the most iconic sneakers ever, the Air Jordan XI “Concords,” will be re-released by Jordan Brand for sneakerheads and casual fans everywhere. I’m not overstating it when I say these shoes are The Grail for fans of all ages. This release is special for fans because it will be their chance to own a shoe that should be in every collection and thus will help the shoe’s legacy live on forever with fans of all ages from various generations.
Behind every shoe is a story from the person that wants the shoes and that gives said pair of shoes a meaning and spirit that nobody else can comprehend. For me, this shoe was the living embodiment of “Like Mike.” I wanted the shoes the greatest player ever wore, but being a hypebeast in a immigrant family meant that I wouldn’t be able to purchase the shoes and would have to admire that glossy beautiful patent leather from afar. I reached out to various people in my life that I consider to be sneakerheads and casual collectors to hear their stories and see why exactly the “Concords” are considered The Grail for so many.
Bun B - Recording Artist and member of UGK.
One of the best sneakers ever designed. It’s a grail. The patent leather was an absolute game changer.
Joel Blank - Host of the Usual Suspects on ESPN Houston.
I always thought the shoe was iconic and such a classic for many reasons. The first and foremost reason was the greatest player on the planet was wearing them and then the clean look of the bright white and the patent leather black was an excellent combination. I loved the shoe so much that I got married in the low top version and my wedding party all wore black-and-white Air Force ones to boot. I am glad they are bringing them back, because with the fashion trend of wearing tennis shoes with suits and dress clothes, this is the perfect and most versatile shoe and colorway to go with anything.
David Johnson - Retired MLB player.
To me, the Concord is to sneakerheads, what the 66’ Mustang or 69’ Corvette is for car collectors. No matter how many quirky “quick strike/exclusive releases” that come out. The Concord will always stand the test of time. It’s a classic. It’s a perfect example of what signature sneakers used to always be about. A nostalgic and historic piece of art that tells a story in a silent movie format. As a sneakerhead and sports fan that grew up watching MJ play, the Concord 11 signify “New Testament MJ”. (Old testament MJ was pre-retirement/going to play baseball.) It’s the shoe he broke out in his first playoff series since coming back to the NBA, against the Orlando Magic, while wearing number 45. Ironically, with it being the 11th shoe, it somewhat falls in the middle of his career/shoe legacy that signifies a different MJ we saw once he came back and rattled off three NBA titles for a second time. Which he did in a dominating fashion unlike the first three. Because of that historic moment/time period for MJ, his career and signature shoes, which I was alive to witness, it’s a must have in my collection and should be in any real sneakerhead’s collection.
Jose Partida - Producer at SB Nation Radio and ESPN Houston and co-host of The Raheel and Jose Show Podcast.
The patent leather didn’t just mean luxury, it meant unattainability. I grew up reading all about jordan 11s. I was seven in 2001 when they first re-released the Concords, and there was no way my parents were getting them for me. As a younger sneakerhead, I learned to save my money. But no amount of penny pinching could have prepared me for how in-demand and impossible they were to get during the 2011 release. At the peak of their hype, in my lifetime as a sneaker head at least, I had no chance of getting my hands on a pair. The Concord is as close as a grail as it can get for me. It’s the shoe that has eluded me my whole life, that changes on December 8th.
Sam Windsor - Houston Sabercats Rugby player and coach.
I’ll admit as a kid growing up in Australia, I knew who MJ was but never knew much about the game or sneakers. You ask me about concords in the 90s and I’d tell you it was a fast AF plane that flew from NYC to Paris. Fast forward 20 years and i have a new found love for, not just basketball shoes, but sneakers and shoes in general. I don’t like sneakers because of what they mean socially or for their worth on a resale market, I like the way they look and probably more importantly how they feel on my feet. I’m a big fan of the 1s, 3s, some of the 4s, but the 11s have always intrigued me. They are a shoe that looks clean and comfy and the fact that these are the OGs make them even more desirable and a must have. Maybe they’re what I need to sort out my jump shot too!
Active Adrian - Co-founder of Houston Sneaker Summit.
The Jordan 11 Concord was the shoe that he wore during the ‘95 season when they went 72-10 after coming back from baseball. Most of the Bulls games were televised on WGN and none of us had cable. I remember we went to this particular Asian restaurant where the owner always had the Bulls on (because he bet them). We were broke high school seniors but we had $6 for a dinner special AND we got to watch Michael play! We ate there 2-3 times a week not just because he was great but because we had to see the shoes, the Jordans fly. He was gave us that feeling like the Sand Lot Kids when they wore PF Flyers.
Nightwing2303 - The Godfather of YouTube Sneaker Performance Reviews.
Excerpt taken with permission from WearTesters.com: Everything written is all about the shoes. It’s why I love the Air Jordan 11. It's why the Concord version of the shoe is the best one — personal opinion of course. The only reason, besides the shoe being dead sexy, why most of us were so enamored with the Air Jordan 11 is due to the amazing feats and accomplishments — even the fails — that MJ performed while lacing them up.
El Jefe - Shoe Collecter and Hypebeast.
The Jordan 11 “Concord” has always been a shoe that I’ve wanted but was never able to get my hands on. I was born in 95 so that’s why the Jordan 11 has always been a favorite of mine. But at that time I was too young to appreciate them. However when they Nike re-released them in 2011, I knew I had to have them, only problem for me was, like most high schoolers I had no job and no money, so I did what every high school kid does when they want something, begged my mom. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my hands on a pair for Christmas. But this year I’m optimistic, release numbers and availability look high, so hopefully I’m able to get a pair!
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Through 20 games, the Houston Astros have managed just six wins and are in last place in the AL West.
Their pitching staff trails only Colorado with a 5.24 ERA and big-money new closer Josh Hader has given up the same number of earned runs in 10 games as he did in 61 last year.
Despite this, these veteran Astros, who have reached the AL Championship Series seven consecutive times, have no doubt they’ll turn things around.
“If there’s a team that can do it, it’s this team,” shortstop Jeremy Peña said.
First-year manager Joe Espada, who was hired in January to replace the retired Dusty Baker, discussed his team’s early struggles.
“It’s not ideal,” he said. “It’s not what we expected, to come out of the shoot playing this type of baseball. But you know what, this is where we’re at and we’ve got to pick it up and play better. That’s just the bottom line.”
Many of Houston’s problems have stemmed from a poor performance by a rotation that has been decimated by injuries. Ace Justin Verlander and fellow starter José Urquidy haven’t pitched this season because of injuries and lefty Framber Valdez made just two starts before landing on the injured list with a sore elbow.
Ronel Blanco, who threw a no-hitter in his season debut April 1, has pitched well and is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three starts this season. Cristian Javier is also off to a good start, going 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in four starts, but the team has won just two games not started by those two pitchers.
However, Espada wouldn’t blame the rotation for Houston’s current position.
“It’s been a little bit of a roller coaster how we've played overall,” he said. “One day we get good starting pitching, some days we don’t. The middle relief has been better and sometimes it hasn’t been. So, we’ve just got to put it all together and then play more as a team. And once we start doing that, we’ll be in good shape.”
The good news for the Astros is that Verlander will make his season debut Friday night when they open a series at Washington and Valdez should return soon after him.
“Framber and Justin have been a great part of our success in the last few years,” second baseman Jose Altuve said. “So, it’s always good to have those two guys back helping the team. We trust them and I think it’s going to be good.”
Hader signed a five-year, $95 million contract this offseason to give the Astros a shutdown 7-8-9 combination at the back end of their bullpen with Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly. But the five-time All-Star is off to a bumpy start.
He allowed four runs in the ninth inning of a 6-1 loss to the Braves on Monday night and has yielded eight earned runs this season after giving up the same number in 56 1/3 innings for San Diego last year.
He was much better Wednesday when he struck out the side in the ninth before the Astros fell to Atlanta in 10 innings for their third straight loss.
Houston’s offense, led by Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, ranks third in the majors with a .268 batting average and is tied for third with 24 homers this season. But the Astros have struggled with runners in scoring position and often failed to get a big hit in close games.
While many of Houston’s hitters have thrived this season, one notable exception is first baseman José Abreu. The 37-year-old, who is in the second year of a three-year, $58.5 million contract, is hitting 0.78 with just one extra-base hit in 16 games, raising questions about why he remains in the lineup every day.
To make matters worse, his error on a routine ground ball in the eighth inning Wednesday helped the Braves tie the game before they won in extra innings.
Espada brushed off criticism of Abreu and said he knows the 2020 AL MVP can break out of his early slump.
“Because (of) history,” Espada said. “The back of his baseball card. He can do it.”
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Altuve added that he doesn’t have to say anything to his teammates during this tough time.
“I think they’ve played enough baseball to know how to control themselves and how to come back to the plan we have, which is winning games,” he said.
The clubhouse was quiet and somber Wednesday after the Astros suffered their third series sweep of the season and second at home. While not panicking about the slow start, this team, which has won at least 90 games in each of the last three seasons, is certainly not happy with its record.
“We need to do everything better,” third baseman Alex Bregman said. “I feel like we’re in a lot of games, but we just haven’t found a way to win them. And good teams find a way to win games. So we need to find a way to win games.”