Among those to lead the parade of remastered options for the Jordan Brand, the Air Jordan 7 Retro "French Blue" will be available for $190 on Jan. 24 — so if you've committed to getting one, expect to spend your Saturday either queuing or hunting.
Available beginning 10 a.m. EST (7 a.m. PST) on Nike.com, the colorway — white base made of white tumbled leather with French Blue, University Blue and Flint Grey accents all over — is released in a year that marks three decades of Jordan Brand and the 23rd anniversary of Air Jordan VII, noted Sole Collector, where the cop rating is 80 percent.
The model's tongue uses a full cast of its colors and has stiched "Jordan" and "Air," all caps. The blue and gray, spike-looking detailing on the outsole overlaps with the midsole and encroaches on the shoe's body.
The Air Jordan emblem is on the outer side of the shoe as well as at the outsole, right at the ball area. The iconic number 23 appears inside an arrow placed below the heel tab.
The Nike website has set an ordering limit of one pair per customer, complete with kids' sizing — gradeschool (3.5Y - 7Y) at $140, preschool (10.5c - 3Y) at $80 and toddler (2c-10c) at $60.
"Originally released in 2002, when the VII was retroed for the first time, this upcoming release remains true to its thirteen-year-old predecessor," Sole Collector noted.
With a 4.14 rate of a possible 5, based on 21 votes at Sneaker News, the "French Blue" option is the second in the line of Remastered Jordans this year, reporting a $65 price increase from the 2002 peg of $125.
Another Sneaker News piece explained the price increase as a consequence of producing the models with emphasis on how they were made and what they were made of in their first releases: "The brand will scope out factory production lines in a return to quality with premium materials."
The model may also be available on eBay, the previous report noted. Also try Paris Simply, but for an added price.
According to Footlocker Unlocked, meanwhile, it will implement a sweepstakes ticket procedure in some locations, with tickets to be given out Jan. 19 and 20.
The holders of the winning numbers would be notified by phone on Jan. 21 and 22. Foot Locker's Launch Locator identifies the stores that will carry the colorway as well as the ones implementing the lottery mechanism.
The options will be available online, on Footlocker.com, the same time as Nike.com.