Old Nikes destroyed by time ... or my poor care?

[mazz305]

A couple of months ago, I was at a mall wearing my Air Max (something) from 2000, and i noticed something that looked like breadcrumbs behind me. Next thing I know, the sole was detached on both shoes. All I could think is what what Tyra Banks say/do and "I owned it". I walked around that mall with my soles flopping like I was wearing a pair of Gucci loafers.

LOL. If this happens to me I swear I'm gonna probably cry, smh.

 

[bigty23]

Wouldn't DampRid be able to help regulate the humidity somewhat?

I guess having a dehumidifier will help out with that, but simply wearing the shoes actually prolongs the life of them...

 

[stephenj64]

A couple of months ago, I was at a mall wearing my Air Max (something) from 2000, and i noticed something that looked like breadcrumbs behind me. Next thing I know, the sole was detached on both shoes. All I could think is what what Tyra Banks say/do and "I owned it". I walked around that mall with my soles flopping like I was wearing a pair of Gucci loafers.

 Last Saturday, i just lost my Chris Webber's. The OG colorways (white/blue and black/blue) with the CW on the back and the #2 on the tab. I hadn't worn either of those shoes in at least 5 years, in fact they hadn't been out the box. I took them out last Saturday and the sole was separated on all 4 shoes. My Griffey 1's (Freshwaters) are on the verge of crumbling, too. That's why it is great to snap necks with older model shoes that are in great condition, but this is a lesson to all...wear your shoes! That is their purpose.

Man, your story is MY story. Sorry the same thing happened to your kicks.

 

[beh235]

What did you expect? Polyurethane is durable, but over a long period of time it disintegrates when put on a shoe. Those kicks from the mid to late 90's have a timer on them. This happened to me with a pair of my 95's (Grey/University Blue). I think those were from 99 or 00. Those crumbled on me in 08 or so. This was inevitable whether you wore them regularly or not. Just part of the life cycle of a shoe.

 

[beh235]

Damn those Maxes... Specially the 95

I didn't show a pic of what was arguably my worst loss: A still-pristine pair of Air Jordan 4 retros, the black/red variety, that i got in May 1999. That was the first Jordan retro released, and this morning i found it with the foam all crumbled too.

Damn 4's from 99 . FYI, those were not the first retros released. II's and III's in 94 bro.

 

[bip roberts]

A couple of months ago, I was at a mall wearing my Air Max (something) from 2000, and i noticed something that looked like breadcrumbs behind me. Next thing I know, the sole was detached on both shoes. All I could think is what what Tyra Banks say/do and "I owned it". I walked around that mall with my soles flopping like I was wearing a pair of Gucci loafers.  Last Saturday, i just lost my Chris Webber's. The OG colorways (white/blue and black/blue) with the CW on the back and the #2 on the tab. I hadn't worn either of those shoes in at least 5 years, in fact they hadn't been out the box. I took them out last Saturday and the sole was separated on all 4 shoes. My Griffey 1's (Freshwaters) are on the verge of crumbling, too. That's why it is great to snap necks with older model shoes that are in great condition, but this is a lesson to all...wear your shoes! That is their purpose.

Last fall, I was on my way home from watching football at a friend's house. I was making the 8 - 10 block walk from the train when a few blocks in, the soles on my OG Concords started flapping. I made it home walking cautiously (and inebriately) and have since been able to reglue the soles. I have a full OG XI set, plus several 2001s and have had sole separation on several of them - OG Concords, '01 Space Jams, '01 Snakeskin lows. Haven't worn my OG black/reds or Columbias in a minute and am now apprehensive to do so for that reason.

I can't even count how many pre-2000 95s have crumbled on me! Leather slates, Yellow streaks, safety oranges, crystal blues just off the top of my head. Then I have several pairs that I'm afraid to wear because I feel like they're just waiting to go - women's resins, women's reds.

 

[rcjbbp1313]

i have had 2 pairs of Ndestrukts from 96 and they always crumble regardless of care, foam midsoles are garbage after a certain amount of time, so sad cuz u can rock OG jordan 1s all day but certain shoes from 10 years after 85 will die on one wear.

 

[bip roberts]

i have had 2 pairs of Ndestrukts from 96 and they always crumble regardless of care, foam midsoles are garbage after a certain amount of time, so sad cuz u can rock OG jordan 1s all day but certain shoes from 10 years after 85 will die on one wear.

Another reason why AF1s are the greatest shoe of all time. I wear pairs from the grey and orange, two piece box era all the time with no worries. I have a pair of white/orange lows from '91 that are just starting to feel a bit weak now. That shoe is older than half of those on this board and it's still holding up. ...It's old enough to legally buy a beer!

 

[beh235]

i have had 2 pairs of Ndestrukts from 96 and they always crumble regardless of care, foam midsoles are garbage after a certain amount of time, so sad cuz u can rock OG jordan 1s all day but certain shoes from 10 years after 85 will die on one wear.

Another reason why AF1s are the greatest shoe of all time. I wear pairs from the grey and orange, two piece box era all the time with no worries. I have a pair of white/orange lows from '91 that are just starting to feel a bit weak now. That shoe is older than half of those on this board and it's still holding up. ...It's old enough to legally buy a beer!

That's because that shoe doesn't contain polyurethane. At least not in the midsole. There's no risk of crumbling.

 

[stephenj64]

Damn 4's from 99

. FYI, those were not the first retros released. II's and III's in 94 bro.

Yeah, good catch on that. What I meant to say (LOL) was that 4s from 99 were the first retros during the internet era, when shoe collecting became like a recognized critical-mass community. But yes, the Is, IIs, and IIIs were retroed inn 94, and as a sign of those times, many went unsold and could be found on clearance throughout 1995 and in to 1996.

 

[airthompson]

Damn 4's from 99 . FYI, those were not the first retros released. II's and III's in 94 bro.

Dont forget the 1's too

 

[dankenstien88]

FYI!!!

Something else Ive noticed that will cause seperation on your kicks is running your cars lower heat vents on high. I had the right shoe of a pair of Zoom 98s seperate. Same thing happened to a pair of black/red XIs and then finally my Olive Vs started to seperate. At first I didnt relate it to running the heat in my car but when my Olives started split on a long drive I realized it was always only the right shoe and knew it couldnt have been just due to age.

 

[wallyhopp]

Anyone else just very hesitant to stock up on current day retros/ new releases?

I have had a few that have yellowed faster than OGs. I'm talking a 15 year difference. I had retros from 2006 that had certain elements yellow by 2009. Yet OGs 17 years after production had none of that. I had retros of one model
---------
Regarding durability and lifespan...........
Are there other factors that help your chances? Possibly. I live where there is minimal humidity, so dryness is a factor. You have one side facing extreme humidity, and myself facing the opposite. The end result is still shoes that are crumbling down.

I've seen AF1/AJ1 midsoles not really crumble, but they will dry up, harden, then crack. They will become racing slicks on your feet with no gripe at all.
I've seen polyurethane last longer than phylon.
I've seen retros of the same model, produced two years apart, with the newer pair yellowing faster than the older... This is what will become all too apparent in a couple of years... How is a Nike shoe made in 2004, and bought in 2005, going to age faster than a retro shoe from 2000.

It all comes down to lifespan. I truly believe if the first true retros from 97-02 could last 10-12 years, and the OGs could last 10-15, these latest editions will be done with at 7-10 years TOPS... It's a scary notion.

For the past, I believe it's almost a 90% crap shoot. There is a luck element. You can talk humidty, how much you weigh, how they were stored, visible air and phylon, were they worn at least once a month for that time frame etc... Sometimes luck is on your side... I remember seeing a guy at my local universities rec cent in some 1989 air flights.. This was only in 2008, yet there he was.. Those days are long gone. It;s time we adapt to that.

 

[lynchpin33]

Wow thought i was the only one who had this issue, after years of looking at shoes in the closet i had decided to start wearing them


one of these days i'll post pics of all I have lost...

 

[stephenj64]

Anyone else just very hesitant to stock up on current day retros/ new releases?

Yes. IMO, the quality of the retros is just not up to snuff. I found this out when i compared the black/red 12 retros I got a few years ago to the OGs that I've had since 1997. The OGs were built like tanks, the retros were made of this weird, light, rubbery substance that in no way resembled the quality of the OGs. That's when i stopped actively collecting.

 

[bip roberts]

That's because that shoe doesn't contain polyurethane. At least not in the midsole. There's no risk of crumbling.

Yeah. That's the point.

The materials used in the shoe represent the most influential factor in their lifespan.

 

[rcjbbp1313]

true but the Ndestrukts are my grail and if i get them cheap i get them and wear them a few times before they go, i might try the caulking technique i saw someone do for a full midsole repair and see if that works or maybe use liquid nails to hold it together, ill let u know if it works (doubtful)

 

[eyes of hazel]

As mentioned, father time stops for no one.

All of my 99 IVs are, all of a sudden, starting to crack and crash on me.

ALL were worn since 1999, on av average of 6 times a month since '99 (more during college days, less after graduation).

So, even wearing your stuff doesn't matter. They weren't made to last forever, with any kind of treatment, worn or unworn.

I still keep them (file 13 NEVER), to remind myself of the "good ole' days" of what used to be the norm quality wise, and what most of us "cry" about now (justifiably IMO) with releases today.

It's part of "the game."

 

[eyes of hazel]

Anyone else just very hesitant to stock up on current day retros/ new releases?

I'm like you, if I buy now, I'm wearing (or have an intent to wear).

I rarely double up anymore. No need to.

But I guess that's part of the progression of getting older in the hobby as well.

Shoes were never trophies for me, "display" only with my feet in them.

If I died tomorrow, my wife would give them away anyway, so what the hell,

 

[koolchris95]

I get mad from a small scratches or scuffs on my kicks, I can't even imagine what I'd do if this happened to me.

 

[rcjbbp1313]

you throw them away and move on, nothing else to do

 

[baldgrill]

This is why I've been moving all my 90's pairs with that type of midsole. I had a nice stash of ndestrukts. Some euro exclusives among other things. All of them were in pristine condition but I started to notice the foam give way on one of my pairs. Decided it was time to move em before I had a closet full of crumbling shoes.

 

[thegoldenchild]

im just gonna use E6000 to glue my shoes.. cause this same thing happened to my OG jumpman pro's

 

[hookid hd]

A couple of months ago, I was at a mall wearing my Air Max (something) from 2000, and i noticed something that looked like breadcrumbs behind me. Next thing I know, the sole was detached on both shoes. All I could think is what what Tyra Banks say/do and "I owned it". I walked around that mall with my soles flopping like I was wearing a pair of Gucci loafers.  Last Saturday, i just lost my Chris Webber's. The OG colorways (white/blue and black/blue) with the CW on the back and the #2 on the tab. I hadn't worn either of those shoes in at least 5 years, in fact they hadn't been out the box. I took them out last Saturday and the sole was separated on all 4 shoes. My Griffey 1's (Freshwaters) are on the verge of crumbling, too. That's why it is great to snap necks with older model shoes that are in great condition, but this is a lesson to all...wear your shoes! That is their purpose.

.......happened to me too .....in my pair of 1992 nike air magnums ....i knew i was pushing it but i pushed and they crumbled............such a nice shoe though bring them back!

 

[slimkid1122]

im glad im not old enuff to have stories of soles splitting and shoes crumbling lol...i wonder how long ill be able to wear all the sneakers i own now?