Stocks, real estate, and bonds may be some of the business world’s most popular areas of investment. But Gen Z and Millennials are looking elsewhere to make money – they’re turning to Jordans.
The sneakers are the result of a partnership between basketball player Michael Jordan and sports brand Nike. And while the collaboration dates back to 1985, the trainers have recently become so popular amongst the younger generation, that they are now seen as serious investments.
Hard to believe that before Jordan’s partnership with Nike, the sportsman wanted to collaborate, instead, with Nike’s biggest rival, Adidas, who said they could not create the type of shoe he wanted.
When word spread of the fall-out, Nike offered him a meeting to potentially partner on a line (it was a meeting Jordan initially refused). In his 2020 ESPN docu-series The Last Dance, it was revealed that Jordan’s mother pressured him to go to and ‘at least listen’ to Nike. Despite being hesitant, the basketball player obeyed and ended up with over $1 billion as a result of the collaboration, according to Forbes. Maybe mothers are always right, after all.
And while investing in Jordans may not grant you personally $1bn, it may certainly bring you thousands or even $1 million, as it did for 16-year-old high school sneakerhead Benjamin Kapelushnik, better known by his online name, Benjamin Kickz.
With a love for sneakers and a habit to collect them, the Miami-based reseller found himself in need of cash. From there, he connected with friends with ties to Nike and Adidas, and who eventually helped him sell over 6,000 pairs of sneakers, while developing a loyal celebrity fanbase, including DJ Khaled.
Kickz is also a respected ‘shoe plug’ to celebrities like Floyd Mayweather, Odell Beckham Jr., and Kevin Hart.
So, how can you get started with your Jordans investment journey?
Emirati sneakerhead Nader Almahri, 35, runs a reselling Instagram business called Sole Clinic. He gives us exclusive insight on everything you need to know as a reseller.
For the love of sneakers
Almahri admits to Frankly that his business sprung from his love of sneakers, and not as a means to make money. As an athlete, he would regularly wear tennis shoes and came to love the look. “I was always in sneakers,” he says. “I couldn’t wear the sandals that Emiratis typically wear – I was always meant for sneakers.”
Like any investment, there is some risk – when it comes to Jordans and sneakers, the new releases in the sneakerhead community shift the market, he tells us. With new releases coming out every few weeks, Jordans may be ‘hot’ or exaggerated in hype, but could lose value within 3-5 years, Almahri says.
“The only ones that will always hold the most value and remain investment-worthy are the OG Jordans from number one to fourteen and the OG Caraways,” he says. “These are investments for the long-run.”
The sneakers’ condition, according to Almahri, is the determining factor in how much you’ll make as a reseller. In order to set your aims to the highest reselling price possible, the shoe must never be worn and should be left as it came in the box upon purchase.
Where you store your Jordans also makes or breaks your reselling chances, he says.
“If you store them in a slightly humid area, the paint and form will be affected. They need to be kept in either a cool area, vacuum-sealed in plastic to preserve them, or aired every three weeks to a month. If you were to keep a pair of shoes in a box for 10 years and open them, you would see a sparkly dust coating on the shoe because of the leather and paper being in contact for so long,” he tells us.
At the start of the Jordan line, a sneaker’s value was created by individuals. They would make the personal decision if a pair was worth a certain price, acquire it, then resell it to the next customer, and so on. However, Almahri has noticed a shift in how value is determined in the past 5 years.
“How the value is created now is through hype. Let’s take the Jordan 1 Tie-dye – the hype was created, and regardless of personal taste, people followed the hype because they did not want to miss out on it – people followed the value on it that others [who hyped it up] set on it,” he says.
The most expensive pair to resell to date are the 1985 OG Jordans, when Michael Jordan first joined the brand. They sell for over $16,000. The earlier the release, however, the lower the price.
Jordans released in 2015 would cost just under $2,000. Size also plays a role, but the cost of it depends on the targeted demographic. Although Jordans in the size EU 36.5 are difficult to come across to what is known as the ‘small foot gang,’ the price would be higher, with the same analogy applied to larger sizes, although EU 40.5 and above are more accessible through the Jordan store or reselling platforms such as StockX, KLEKT, and Sneaker Crush.
So, the next time you find yourself admitting the newest Jordans, remember Frankly and how we told you all you need to know about investing in Jordans.