The AJ II “Decon” keeps its 1986 roots but trades leather for three rich shades of premium suede.
Source: Nike News – Air Jordan II Decon: The First Luxury Basketball Sneaker Gets Deconstructed
Just for the sake of this post I will clarify that the Jordan 2 is my favorite Jordan. When I was in school I rocked adidas. I was a huge Hip-Hop head and although I played basketball I couldn’t really afford Jordans, but when I saw the Air Jordan 2 I thought that the shoe represented everything about being a great basketball player. It also represented the dope boys because the only guys who had the shoes at our school either looked like dealers or were dealers. The guys that drove Blazers with Camaro IROC rims and wore gold chains and silk shirts, that’s what this shoe reminds me of… When I started collecting it was one of the first shoes I picked up. I actually gave my QF version from about ten years ago to my son who destroyed them, but the shoe remains at the top of the list for me.
For others however… not so much. The Retro 2 saw a big release last year in the remastered series and almost every colorway that released sat. The low top is still sitting and can be found online at 69.99 to 99 dollars. Which brings us to the Decon 2. The Air Jordan 1 Decon has been basically laughed out of the sneaker game. I think this has more to do with the fact that a deconstructed Retro 1 looks basically like a Chuck Taylor in shape. There were some interesting colorways and for the spring and summer they could be a solid alternative if you are a Jordan fan, but that didn’t go so well. What’s does this mean for the Jordan 2 Decon? Let’s get into it.
*** I’ve been neglecting to say that I’m writing these for those people who don’t have a hookup or discount.
Since I do 3 checks before my decision I will weight them on a scale of 1-9. The max points on a scale = +3
*** New addition to the rating system: Tier 1: 0-25% = +1 Tier 2: 26-55% = +2 Tier 3: 56% and up is +3
First check: My first check is always with Flight Club. The shop remains the epitome of resale and my FC adjustment is always accurate. FC doesn’t have this shoe yet. It is an extremely limited release with each colorway releasing in a specific locale, but I don’t think that matters. The shoe retails at 160. In all honesty all Jordans shoe retail at 160, but the fact that a deconstructed suede sneaker is dropping at 160 at a time when the market prefers running and fashion style seems a bit reckless.
Cost: 160 + tax = 170.00
Add 15.00 for shipping
Total: 185.00
The Decon 1 is on FC at 100… 100.
My FC check is an obvious one and if I’m starting this way I don’t think it will get any better.
Rating = 0
Second check: Let’s jump into the eBay Check. There is currently 1 listing when I search for Air Jordan 2 Decon. That listing is for the Bordeaux version and it is up for 295.00. Amazingly there are 3 people watching, but this means very little now. eBay is a bargain basement and it is getting very difficult to sell through the platform on shoes that aren’t in high demand. This shoe is obviously going to be hard to get, but once again that doesn’t mean much. Let’s play the numbers though if it sells:
295.00
295.00 x .13 = 38.35 for fees on top of 170 = 208.35 At 295 that means we are at 295-208.35 = 86.65 as a ratio is over 208.35 and multiplied by x/100 which takes us to 86.65 x 100 = 8665/208.35 = 41.59% return on your investment which is amazing!
But… 3 watching on an early release at 1 person an hour, doesn’t inspire me to feel great about this shoe.
Unfortunately I simply don’t think this shoe as a limited release is enough to make it standout as a resale pair. I have to give the 1 listing some credit though so I’m giving the second check
Rating = +1
Third check: My final check is going to consist of a Twitter search to see if anyone is really sharing info on the Decon 2. In an interesting twist the Twitter chat on the Decon 2 is not bad at all. https://twitter.com/search?q=Air%20Jordan%202%20Decon&src=typd
This is actually unexpected and raises the question what are people on StockX doing? The shoe doesn’t show up at all on StockX which is more about the limited release than hype. The Decon 1 is there and it has zero bids. GOAT App isn’t that great and this is not a GR so not Foot Locker locator check is available. Twitter may be high, but I’m not.
Rating = +1
My final ruling: 2 out of 9… Obviously there will always be someone out there ready to drop a few bills on a limited release and the Just Don’s are a solid release and this could be considered a replacement for the Dons, but I don’t see it. I really need to check back and see if I’m right but what I see for this shoe is a resale at right around 209.99 which is a ROI, but not a strong one.