My Journey with the Silver Jordan 11s
Okay, so I’d been wanting a pair of those silver Jordan 11s for ages. You know the ones, with the grey patent leather? Classic stuff. Didn’t want to pay the crazy resell prices for a brand new pair, so I started hunting around for a used set.
Took me a while, scrolling through apps, checking forums. Finally found a pair that looked decent in the pictures, price wasn’t too terrible either. Seller said they were worn but looked after. So, I pulled the trigger, paid the man, and waited.
When the box arrived, I opened it up. They were… alright. Definitely used. The patent leather had some scuffs, nothing major, but noticeable. The mesh uppers looked a bit grubby, kinda greyish instead of clean white. And the soles? Yeah, they were yellowed. Pretty standard for old 11s, but still, a bit disappointing.
Time to get to work. I wasn’t about to just wear them like that. Decided this would be my little project. I gathered my supplies:
- Some basic shoe cleaner soap.
- A few different brushes – soft one for the mesh, medium for the midsole.
- Microfiber cloths.
- Something for the patent leather shine.
- And I decided to try tackling those yellow soles. Got that special ‘sauce’ people talk about online and grabbed my UV light setup.
First, I went at the uppers and midsole. Used the soft brush and soapy water on the mesh, real gentle, trying to lift the dirt out without messing up the fabric. It took a few passes. Cleaned the midsole too. That part was easier.
Then, the patent leather. Cleaned it carefully, then used a bit of polish or conditioner I had lying around, buffed it up with a cloth. Got rid of most of the minor scuffs, looked way better afterwards. Shiny again.
Tackling the Soles
This was the part I was nervous about. Never really done the whole de-yellowing thing seriously before. I carefully applied the sauce stuff all over the icy soles, trying not to get it on the other parts of the shoe. Wrapped them up in clear wrap, like the videos show.
Then I stuck them under my UV lamp setup. Left them there for a few hours. Checked. Still yellow. Okay, patience. Put them back. Did a couple more sessions over the next day or two. Kept checking. Slowly, slowly, they started getting clearer. Not perfectly ice-white like brand new, but way, way better. Less like old pee stains, you know?
The Final Result
After all that cleaning and sole-clearing, I let them air out properly. Laced them back up. Man, the difference was huge. They weren’t perfect, museum quality or anything. You could still tell they were worn if you looked super close. But they looked clean. Respectable. The patent leather gleamed, the mesh was brighter, the soles were much icier.
Felt good, doing it myself. Took time and a bit of effort, sure. But seeing them transformed? Yeah, that was satisfying. Now I actually enjoy wearing them out. They feel more like my pair now, you know? Went through a bit together. Definitely worth the effort over just buying a beat-up pair and leaving it, or shelling out tons for perfect ones.
