I’m back with part 2 of my “Old Time Religion” talk with Detroit’s own Jumpman Bostic. The feedback from part 1 was really great, so this time we had to up the ante. We’re gonna get real candid on thoughts about his beloved Jordan Brand. Grab ya popcorn!

You received some great feedback from part 1, what answer would you say shocked the most readers?

That I’ve actually been the sneaker game for as long as I have and that I’m actually 2 days older than Jordan.

If a basketball sneaker brand besides Nike or Jordan asked you to do a sneaker with them, would you?

It would probably be where MJ was thinking of going until he saw the AIR JORDAN 3. Tinker saved Nike from the GOAT leaving after wearing the JORDAN 2 that he broke his foot wearing. So I’d say ADIDAS would be my next choice.

Looking back, If you had the power to do it, after the Jordan 23, would you have went away from the numbered lineage of the sneaker?

Yes, I would have done the same thing. Except I would have done a shoe with the #45 like the Chicago 10 and/or the Space Jam. Then I would have started the yearly series of shoes.

What is your biggest complaint about Jordan Brand’s footwear these days? How would you like to see it changed?

The QUALITY, the cost cutting on materials and it seems as if the workers are being pressed to get the shoes completed. The stitching is bad, the midsoles crack easily (III, IV, V), and one year they run small in size then this year (2012) the retro’s are running big. QUALITY ISSUES, and they keep raising prices promising better quality. I know it won’t be like it was even 5-10 years ago but do better Jordan Brand. I would like to see it changed by Jordan Brand taking constructive criticism and doing like they did in the past to ensure that customers get the “Quality Inspired By The Greatest Athlete Ever.”

What years do you think were the best years for the Jordan Brand?

Several years were great for JB, 1988, 1989, 1990 then it really took off in 1991, 92, 93. Then 1995 the comeback and 96 the first ever with the Patent Leather on performance sneakers and who could forget 1997 & 1998. It’s really hard to narrow it down, but the AIR JORDAN 3, 4, & 5′s were fire. The 8′s are my favs though. I had to add those in.

Does MJ no longer playing have a strong consideration in why the footwear direction (design wise) changed?

I honestly think so, just like most people in sneaker culture refuse to rock/buy/acknowledge anything over the Jordan 14 and many the Jordan 13. If MJ had continued to play (instead of retiring again), those shoes above the Jordan 13/14 would be more sought after.  To answer the question though, YES if MJ were still ballin’ now the quality would be like the other guys shoes being made.

Do you think the kicks should still be designed based in him as the centerpiece, even though he no longer plays?

No, I think they should be designed with the players on Team Jordan being the centerpiece. I think MJ should definitely have say so in the final product though. Without him there wouldn’t be Jordan Brand or Team Jordan.

Do you think 3 Basketball players with Signature shoes under one man’s legacy (and symbol) is a problem?

No, I remember other players ballin’ in Jordan’s before Jordan Brand came about. It’s great that other players respected this man even when he was still playing in the NBA, retired and came back, then retired again. That’s the ultimate respect of your peers.

Is there an issue with the price point for all Jordan brand releases these days, in your personal opinion or what you hear from others?

Yes, the prices are high and getting higher. There were promises of better quality, some have great quality but some (like the Orion 7s) were terrible. I have some Fusions with way better quality than the Retro J’s.

Do you think Converse’s part of MJs basketball history is not appreciated?

I see it has started, but I always wondered why a collaboration shoe hasn’t been done like with Jordan/Cole Haan or Jordan/Air Force One. It would be nice to see that done in my opinion. MJ wore converse in 1984 in his first Olympics, that’s who I thought he was gonna sign with instead of Nike.

The main ingredient missing from all Jordan Brand signature shoes these days is….

1. QUALITY 2. EXACT retro colors 3. PRICES are too high for the quality of the shoes.

Final thoughts?

Once again thanks for the love you’ve shown me and countless others in the #SneakerCulture. A lot of us in the culture suffer from what I call #A_Kiction which is true love for sneakers. I put my love in one brand since 1986, I hate to see the game being destroyed by hype beasts and resellers. Hypebeasts buying shoes to fit in and just to be cool. Resellers having hypebeasts and others go stand in line to buy up product and sell at ridiculous prices. Resellers can sell if the keep the price reasonable, if that’s there way of making a living. But the point of emphasis is KEEPING PRICES REASONABLE.

Thanks again, fading to the back from the Basement Of The J’s

If you read my article about my introduction to boat shoes, and my segue to the Timberland 50009, then you’ll quickly realize that boat shoes will always be an important choice of shoes for me.

Boat shoes can be worn all-year-round, and they look good with everything from khakis,  denim, shorts, and, of course, on a boat. (Hey, some people do use their footwear for their intended purpose.  Key word being ‘some’.)

If you’d like to design yourself a pair of Timberland boat shoes, head on over to Timberland’s ‘customize’ website.

Here are pictures of my pair!

But, it’s hard to not fall for the okey-doke when you’re under attack, and some folks may even call it a ‘barrage’ with the number of sneakers that are being released on a weekly basis.  Yeah, it’s crazy!

The OSD Crew has discussed the topic of the newer generation of sneaker fiends trying to buy every pair of sneakers that are released, only to be disappointed and stuck with kicks that they really don’t like.  Shoot, folks are already suffering from OSD, and now we can add LPS (read: Light Pockets Syndrome) to that list!

So, how do you determine what sneakers you’re going to buy?  Do you have a ‘criteria list’ that you go through and use to decide?  Let us know by sending us an email to info@osdlive(.)com or hit us on Twitter or Facebook and tell us.

We love hearing from Disorderlies!

Sneakers NEWS:

• FTC  hits Skechers for $40 Million for deceiving the public
• Top 5 Sneaker sold during 1st Quarter for 2012 (Period ending 5/05/12) As provided by Matt Powell of SportsOneSource

• FRSHR Than Your AVRGE Sneaker Battle Recap

CUSTOMS:

• Nash Money x Sole DXB Visvim New Balance

EVENTS

• Cleveland’s Got Sole 3 Cleveland, OH (6/24)
• Arkansas sneaker event “Lace Swap” Little Rock, AR (9/8)

OSD Shop Updates

• OSD x RDQLUS “Playoffs” Tee AVAILABLE NOW!

Sneakers DISCUSSED:

• Shaqnosis sample seen will NOT be released 
• Sneaker Freaker x Saucony Grid 9000 “Bushwacker” 
• Louisville Slugger x PRO-Keds Royal High
• BAIT x Asics “Rings Pack”
• New Balance 3090 Minimus Ionix (May Exclusive)
• Converse customized DC Comics Chucks

WTF:

• Blake Griffin tears his Nike Hyperdunk Elite

• Manny Pacquiao comments about gay marriage (UPDATE: Pacquiao denounces anti-gay comments 5/17/12)

[download]

Yeah, we believe there will be some madness taking place, but hopefully it will pale in comparison to the craziness we saw and read about regarding the Air Jordan XIs, and the “Galaxy” Foamposites that were released earlier this year.Taking a quick glance back to Ep222 you’ll hear the Crew discuss the financial numbers for the footwear industry, which reached $18.4 billion,which is up from $17.5 billion in sales in 2010.  And, you’ll hear our predictions for sales in 2012.

Do you have something to say about OSD or is your sole telling you that you have to let us know how much you appreciate the weekly talk show?  Well, let us know by sending us an email to info@osdlive(.)com, and you might hear your name and comment read on the show!

We love hearing from Sneaker Disorderlies!

Sneakers NEWS:

• PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy Officially Opens 5/9/2012
• adidas Group post 1st quarter double digit sales gainDouble Digit Sales Gain
• Reebok makes shoes for USA’s tallest man
• Reebok Questions to be released on May 25th
• Nice Kicks launches internship program
• Floyd Mayweather Shoe Design Contest

EVENTS

• Fresher Than Your Average Brooklyn, NY (5/11 & 5/12)
• Cleveland’s Got Sole 3 Cleveland, OH (6/24)

OSD Shop Updates

• OSD x RDQLUS “Playoffs” Tee AVAILABLE NOW!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2012

PENSOLE FOOTWEAR DESIGN ACADEMY CELEBRATES OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING WITH EVENT MARKING CULMINATION OF ART CENTER MASTER CLASS

Portland, Ore. – PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy will celebrate its official grand opening on Wednesday, May 9, coinciding with the end of a collaborative class with Art Center College of Design, that includes a reception for Portland-based Art Center alumni, according to PENSOLE founder D’Wayne Edwards.

The event, to be held at PENSOLE’s Old Town/Chinatown studio, is the culmination of an intensive two-week master class for Art Center students, who will present the footwear designs they created during the program to footwear industry professionals. Directly after the students’ presentations, Portland Art Center alums will hold a reception at PENSOLE.

“I wanted our grand opening to coincide with this class because Art Center was one of the very first colleges to collaborate with PENSOLE,” Edwards said. “And Portland has one of the strongest Art Center alumni groups in the nation.”

This Art Center/PENSOLE collaborative program is sponsored by Adidas, Nike, Under Armour, Vans, Disney Consumer Products, and OluKai, all of which currently employ Art Center graduates.

Art Center graduates play a large role in the Portland area sportswear industry, with alumni holding senior design positions at companies including Nike, adidas, Columbia Sportswear, and ID Workshop among others.

“There is no better place than Portland, the creative center of footwear design, to have our students learn from the best in the industry, be mentored by inspirational leaders such as D’Wayne, and be immersed in this creative culture,” said Karen Hofmann, Chair of Product Design at Art Center. Hofmann pointed out that this Pasadena-Portland educational partnership represents her department’s commitment to building its concentration in wearables and soft goods—an area of growing interest for Art Center and an industry in which the College’s alumni are leading the way. “We are grateful to our generous sponsors for their continuing support and for D’Wayne’s commitment to delivering such a meaningful program for our students, and we’re thrilled to celebrate the opening of the PENSOLE Academy.”

The students, who traveled from Art Center’s Pasadena, Calif., campus to attend the program that began in Portland on April 26, have been immersed in PENSOLE curriculum, introducing them to the entire footwear design process: design brief development, design process, problem solving, concept development, material design, visual and verbal communication skills development, storytelling and branding. At the end of the two weeks, each student walks away from the experience with an exceptional project that is ready to be shared with potential employers, manufacturers, fellow designers, and the world.

D’Wayne Edwards, a celebrated member of the global footwear community for the last 23 years, founded PENSOLE to give talented young design students—regardless of socioeconomic background—an opportunity to learn from the industry’s best, without financial barriers, and to provide the industry with a farm system for the next generation of footwear designers. “Growing up my dream was to become a footwear designer but there were no schools that taught that curriculum, and even if there had been, I could not afford to attend design school,” Edwards said. “I created PENSOLE to provide students the opportunity I never had.”

In less than two years since the first PENSOLE class, there are more than 30 Academy graduates working professionally, full-time or as interns for footwear companies worldwide such as Bluehaven, Anta, North Face, New Balance, Wolverine, Under Armour, Stride Rite, Adidas, JORDAN and Nike.

Art Center College of Design is widely recognized as one of the most preeminent schools of art and design in the world today. Founded in 1930 and based in Pasadena, California, Art Center has achieved an international reputation for its rigorous, transdisciplinary curriculum, faculty of professionals, strong ties to industry, and commitment to socially responsible design. The College’s undergraduate Industrial Design programs were ranked #1 in the nation in 2011 for the seventh year in a row by the respected trade publication Design Intelligence, which recognizes the schools that are best preparing students for success in their professions.

So, it should be no surprise that when I was in the 7th grade, and had to buy shoes to wear with my school uniform, I chose to buy brown and beige Sperry Top-Siders that landed me in the Principal’s office because “they didn’t adhere to the dress code which called for black or brown shoes”.

Well, they were brown and beige, and beige is a shade of brown, right? After a 5 minute conversation with Mrs. Brady, a few stories about her teaching my mother at the same school which I was now attending, and her hope that this would be the only time she’d be seeing me in her office, she gave me a “pass”. Whew!

Fast forward to me returning to school after the Christmas break, don’t you know it, I spotted 7 cats wearing Sperry Top-Siders!

But, little did they know that I had ‘switched it up’ with my choice of shoes, and they weren’t going to get this one immediately.

I discovered the Timberland “50009” which, if you grew up in the ’80s, you’ll quickly recognize them, but only a few folks know the style number: The 3-eyelet, handsewn moccasins with the rugged lugged out soles.

And, their burgundy color adds just enough ‘pop’ to any wardrobe, and they can be worn with jeans, khakis, camouflage or sockless with shorts when Mother Nature decides to turn the heat up.

Shoot, they move like you move……from party to party!

So, with more butter than a biscuit from Grandma’s kitchen, I hit cats with my 2-piece, and, again, I ended up in Mrs. Brady’s office.

Again, I had to endure more stories about how good of a student Moms was, and that I needed to apply myself more in Mathematics because Mr. Carillo knew I could do better, and she expected me to apply myself more, too.

The subject of my shoes, particularly their color, was the reason why I was in her office, and I think I said something about my feet growing, and that I had outgrown my Sperry Top-Siders, and that it was hard to find shoes to fit me in the Virgin Islands. Again, I was given a “pass”.

Thank you sweet baby Jesus!

Yeah, I was on cloud 9, and breathed some of that fresh New Hampshire air as I made my way to English class. I was in a granite state of mind.

The morale of the story: Dare to be different, but make sure your family has been “Walking Good” so that your steps allow you to live freely.

College: Fall 1992 in Rhode Island.  Yeah, I’m wearing 50009s!

Well, I have news for you! Custom kicks have influenced some of the biggest brands in the business PERIOD! 

One sneaker customizer in particular has been elevating the craft for a very, very long time now. Chef of Gourmet Kickz has always been one of my favorite customizers simply because, while others were just painting on sneakers with paint and markers 6-8 years ago, Chef was already un-stitching sneakers, and playing around with different materials and telling stories, and interpreting movie themes like “Dreamcatcher” with his creations.

A few years ago, he even went as far as creating the “Decreaser” a sneaker accessory he put on the market to help solve the issue of toe-box creasing on kicks. He also created his own interactive web based customization site for folks to order custom kicks from him. Allow me to add that prior to all that, the fact that Chef is a cancer survivor. Chef took his new chapter in life and pushed his passion for kicks up another level, by quitting his job as a Mortgage Banker, and customizing kicks full-time after his cancer went into remission.

The things that he created as mentioned above are the result of that. With that said, this man has earned a certain level of respect and admiration from me. He’s an example of one of the “Kickstories” that I like to tell.

So whats the point Pape? Aight, aight..I’ll get to it! I’m no fan of the Nike Lebron 9 in any version or by any stretch, but Chef’s latest creation, the Galaxy Lebron 9 is phenomenal. And YES, I still don’t like kicks that glow in the dark (for myself). Pics are below..that’s it, that all!

Want some kicks done by Chef hit him up at Gourmet Kickz.

~WALK GOOD

Taking a look back at Ep221 where we discussed Nike’s newly proposed Twitter RSVP program for sneaker releases, along with Green Street Vault fighting Boston City Hall, and Curtis Granderson having inked a footwear deal with New Balance.For Ep222 you’ll hear the Crew discuss the financial numbers for the footwear industry, which reached $18.4 billion,which is up from $17.5 billion in sales in 2010.  And, you’ll hear our predictions for sales in 2012.

What do you think the sales numbers will be for 2012?  Let us know your predictions by sending us an email to info@osdlive(.)com, and we’ll share them on the weekly talk show.

We love hearing from Sneaker Disorderlies!

Walk with the OSD Crew  Connect with OSD on

Sneakers NEWS:

EVENTS

• San Antonio ‘Sneaks Up’ San Antonio, TX (4/29)
• Xotics Barber & Sneaker Battle Boston, MA (5/6)
• Fresher Than Your Average Brooklyn, NY (5/12)

Jorge Sierra & Lamar Watkins of HairBattleTour.com

OSD Shop Updates

• OSD x RDQLUS “Playoffs” Tee AVAILABLE NOW!

Do you have something to say about OSD or is your sole telling you that you have to let us know how much you appreciate the weekly talk show?  Well, let us know by sending us an email to info@osdlive(.)com, and you might hear your name and comment read on the show!

We love hearing from Sneaker Disorderlies!

Sneakers NEWS:

• Nike Announces new Twitter RSVP system for Releases
• It SUCKS Being First “Green Street Vault”
• New Balance Signs Curtis Granderson (New York Yankee)
• Granderson auctions New Balance Jackie Robinson Day Cleats & Jersey
• APL announces Pop-Up Shop
• Reebok ‘Questions’ WILL RETURN….Swizz Beatz Hollas at Allen Iverson
• RAMP ACADEMY REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
• PENSOLE partners with Adidas for a special design program

EVENTS

• Charlotte Bobcats Present: Sneaker Friends Charlotte, NC (4/22)
• Xotics Barber & Sneaker Battle Boston, MA (5/6)
• Fresher Than Your Average Brooklyn, NY (5/12)

OSD Shop Updates

OSD x RDQLUS “Playoffs” Tee AVAILABLE NOW!