The 10 Rarest Sneakers On Grailed: Week of January 12, 2020
- Words Stephen Albertini
- Date January 15, 2020
The late-2000s were a wild time in the sneaker community. The SB Dunk wave was beginning to crescendo, reselling was well on its way to becoming the multi-million dollar enterprise it is today, and Jordan retros were having a moment, thanks in large part to celebs like Jay-Z, Kid Cudi and (of course) Kanye West.
Jordan Brand capitalized by releasing every signature Jordan model (I-XXII at the time) as a part of “Countdown Packs” in 2008. It wasn’t the first time they went with the two-shoe approach, as 2006’s “Defining Moments” Pack and 2007’s “Old Love/New Love” Jordan I Pack had already proven to be successful releases. The “Countdown Packs” retailed at $310 for both shoes, which is significantly cheaper than what retros go for today. For example, the Jordan XI “Black/Red” that was released this past December retailed for $220. While the packs did indeed sell, it wasn’t always a perfect marriage. Some popular sneakers like the Is and IVs were paired with duds from later years, and some in the sneaker community complained about both the quality of materials and certain colorway choices. A lot of people didn’t want to buy a Jordan XIX to get the “Black/Red” IVs they really wanted, and often had a hard time reselling a lot of those pairs everyone simultaneously looking to unload.
Nevertheless, Jordan Brand started churning out other combo ideas, focusing in on specific Jordan moments and sneakers once the Countdown Pack run was coming to its end. The “Bulls/Celtics” Jordan I Pack would soon follow. As did a Jordan V Pack dubbed the “Raging Bull”, which kicks off this week’s list.
Jordan Brand veered away from the combos for the most part during the 2010s, but it seems as though they will be taking some of the things that worked with those old double packs and bringing them into 2020. The brand made a big splash last month when it announced its “New Beginnings” Pack, which featured a red and white Jordan I and the elusive Nike Air Ship, which will be hitting retailers this February. A black and gold Jordan VI, which originally debuted as a part of the “Defining Moments” Pack all those years ago, will now be receiving its own solo release for the first time in 14 years. Looking back, a lot of good things came from that flood of retros a decade ago, even if you may have had to sit on some unwanted Jordans in the process.
Never forget: No online retailer has the same breadth and depth of selection as Grailed. From rock & roll-inspired Dunks to Supreme Air Force 1s (and everything in between), in no particular order, these are our picks for the Rarest Sneakers on Grailed This Week.
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