June 13, 2025: The Big Splurge

I can’t believe I bought them.

In high school, I splurged on a flashy purchase. The kind of thing you show off but then second-guess. It got plenty of attention — maybe too much.

Every glance and comment made me more self-conscious, so I tucked them away, saved for special occasions. Sunny days only. Never with a chance of rain. I wanted to avoid scuffs, even if that meant they rarely left the box.

I’m talking about the original black and red Nike Air Jordan 1s from 1985.

Those bad boys cost me a whole sixty-five bucks, a lot back then, double the price of other footwear. But I scraped together all my birthday and lawn-mowing cash.

These shoes put Michael Jordan on the map. The NBA fined him $5,000 per game for breaking their fashion rule. But it’s now considered the most influential sneaker in history.

This week, while watching the NBA Finals, they came to mind again.

For the first time since the mid-2000s, Nike and Adidas aren't dominating the spotlight. Instead, Converse and Puma have made a comeback with star players Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton.

I can’t remember what finally happened to my Air Jordans, but I recently learned a pristine set now sells for $20,000 - $30,000.

So, my biggest regret other than barely wearing my pair?

Not keeping them.