Got mine today, I am stoked! It was about time they got retroed properly.
Compared them with my 1996 OG's and I was pretty pleased to say the least. On my pair the craftsmaship is flawless, CF texture is just like the originals, the smoked gray transluscent outsole is the right shade or at least real close to how I remember them when new back then, everything is close enough even if not 100% identical. I genuinely think they did a great job with these and I wonder if many of the people that are critical ever had a 1996 pair on hand to compare with sometimes.
So for those that really wanna know, here's are the minor differences I've found when comparing them side to side with my used 1996 OG's:
-the foam inside the tongue is a little thinner and red the liner is not as flush with the top of the tongue i.e more tucked in on the 2021, but that could be due to the fact mine have been worn.
-the red liner is a shade lighter to expert eyes only
-the 1996 are flat on the side panel where there is the leather and the sewing lines whereas the 2021 are ribbed a little bit. On the toe cap it's the opposite! (that could be different from pair to pair,IDK?) I like the 1996 toe better.
-as for the shape: can't comment since the 1996 are now used and back then nobody was noticing, comparing and talking toe shape! But I admit some retros have gone noticeably way too fat in the toe area recent years.
-as for the leather appearance or quality, no complaints at all here and I think we should be careful before drawing any general conclusions on appereance as there seem to be more variations from pair to pair these days. To be fair: mine seem pretty much on point but back in the days, materials seemed to be a bit more consistent from one pair to another, and even the it depends on the year and where they were made.
-the netting's knitting is similar but not identical.
-the laces on the new ones are a little stiffer; that could be due to either different knitting or the fact that the older ones are used, to me no big deal there.
-the jumpman has no buttcrack(which is a plus IMO)
-the geometrical shape of the carbon fiber bits is a tiny bit less rounded than the 1996, but better than most I can think of on top of my head and the texture is on point as mentionned earlier.
Seriously, unless I've missed something too obvious to see because I'm writing this at 2 AM, you have to inspect the shoes extra closely from less than 6 inch away to notice any of these differences. On feet no one would be able to tell. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention about the dimples like on all newer 11 models! So to each their own and I respect that, but these minute production differences are to be expected in my view and should not be major deal breakers, at least for this edition.
What I like less a bit is the price, but at least they did a great job with them as far as I can see.
The thing this shoe doesn't get enough credit for is how amazing the low top version is and performs just as well compared to any of the best current models. It feels super light but stable, durable, super breatheable, cushionning is great, traction is great and the cf plate is super sprigny. One of my all-time fav game shoe to this day and I genuinely feel like this shoe enhances your on court experience noticeably.
Got another pair comin'! Lets see if it's the same story or not with those when they get here...