If you were old enough to remember the 1993, you probably remember the NBA All Star game for one specific reason: Michael Jordan’s first retirement. We all know now that this was the first of a few “retirements” from the NBA, but at the time, this was electric. Michael was riding out another first, that being the ‘91, ‘92, and ‘93 Championship Three-Peat. So this retirement game seemed like a true end of an era.
(Source: Ohyoumad.com)
But MJ’s retirement was not the only big deal in the ‘93 All-Star Game. And we’re not talking about Karl Malone’s MVP award (sorry bruh). Michael hit the court wearing the craziest things to be seen on television that year—the Jordan 8 Aqua. When these hit the airwaves, everyone from OG sneakerheads to Jordan fans to probably Jerry Seinfeld wanted a pair.
(Source: Stunninstyle)
This was pre-Internet, so what you saw on television was a one time thing until you caught the highlight reel on your local news. After that, you might have seen a Nike ad in a magazine. After that, maybe they hit Footlocker or whatever your local shoe spot was. But you couldn’t get on Twitter and ask around for the sneakers MJ was wearing on his “final” night on the hardwood. So the Aqua 8’s became an instant classic from the start.
(Source: Hiphophoodcommunity.com)
Now for those of you who don’t have an OG pair, or missed the first retro in ‘07, Nike is dropping these again on Black Friday. So get those Twitter fingers ready if you’re trying to cop a pair because these are one of the most sought after colorways of the 8’s.
(Source: Nike.com)
Or, if you don’t have a pair, you could make your own. If you do have a pair, and they could always use an, that’s where we come in. At Angelus, our Collector’s Edition Paints pay homage to the legendary drops of yesterday that are almost impossible to find. So if you’re not trying to wait in line for a new pair of 8’s, have an old pair you want to breeze some new life into, or using the colorway as inspiration pick up our Aqua 8 and Concord 8 paints. These are the highest quality acrylic leather paints for serious sneakerheads.
We love giving shouts out to all the sneaker customizers and artists out there. So we came to show some love to a talented dude by the name of Chase Maccini from Syndey, Australia. This video he posted to his YouTube Channel shows him restoring a pair of Aqua 8’s with our paint. So if you have any doubts that you can create your own, here’s proof.
(Source: YouTube.com)
And this was the finished product. These look like they would been fresh out the box back in '93. This dude is a master!
(Source: @xchasemaccini)
Check out more of Chase’s work on his Instagram. Or if you’re in the Sydney area and need some custom or restoration work done, head over to his business page at Sneaker Revive Sydney for a look of his skills.
(Source: @xchasemaccini)
Thanks for doing our paints justice Chase!