JON CARAMANICA GOES SHOPPING: Disappointed Sneakerhead Edition

Today's Thursday Styles brings the revelation from Critical Shopper Jon Caramanica that he is a sneakerhead —not just a casual enthusiast of athletic footwear, but a deep knowledgeable aficionado of Air Jordans. Being more of an Adidas Originals devotee ourself, The Shophound understands the mentality, even if our familiarity with the fine points of Air Jordans is limited at best. All this brings Caramanica to Flight 23 by Footaction, a separate storefront on the 34th Street chain store corridor from the immense sneaker retailer exclusively devoted to the Jordan brand and all its different permutations. This should be a Mecca, as he calls it, for the multitudes of Jordan fanatics still salivating after the latest limited edition release, but instead, it represents the broadening and dilution of a once potent brand,

It is a missed opportunity. Jordan fanatics would race to a store designed to cater to their obsession, and everything about Flight 23 appears designed to dissuade such intensity...for the faithful, there is nothing here that hasn’t been seen, and barely anything worth salivating over.

Disappointment can be cruel, but at least there is still Flight Club for those seeking the rare and premium priced. Of course, sometimes it can do you the favor of reminding you that there is probably no more room in your closet for another pair of sneakers anyway.

Critical Shopper: An Unrewarded Leap of Faith By Jon Caramanica (NYTimes)
Flight 23 by Footaction 225 West 34th Street between Seventh & Eighth Avenues, Midtown