Whenever a Chicago Bulls-coloured Jordan OG shoe is released, sneakerheads the world round go wild. Like the re-release of the “Infrared” 6 earlier this year during the NBA All-Star weekend in Charlotte.

The date is by no means arbitrary — the last time the Hornets hosted the star-studded event was in 1991 where the GOAT himself debuted the red, black and icy blue colourway 6s in his hometown, the same year he and his team would net their first of six championships.

While not the first, second or even third instance they’ve been retro’d, many consumers, including myself, waited until this year to pull the trigger for a few primary reasons.

Subtly gaining weight and experiencing a change of shade over the years, the 2019 version sees a return to roots possessing an overall tighter shape and more faithful red accenting along the midsole and on the heel tab. As the original was, the upper is finished in nubuck.

For the hypebeasts out there, the most important detail might be the tonal “Nike Air” branding at the back, replacing the Jumpman present on the previous two iterations. He’s still on tongue, and on the outsole surrounded by a totally tubular 90s-appropriate geometric design pattern.

Full disclosure, I was never a really fan of any Jordan past the 3 — although I do own a pair of the futuristic 13s — that in my eyes started to look more technical and less lifestyle. Seeing the 6 on feet really changed my mind however as it’s a lot sleeker in person than in pictures.

Protip: don’t lace all the way up to the top hole unless you like attempting to jam a square peg into a round hole when putting on the sneakers. I prefer to leave them a little loose so I can slip them on with the assistance of a shoehorn or the integrated pull tabs for convenience’s sake, although in doing so the surprisingly generous amount of room inside does leave the fit feeling a little on the looser side.

A pair of adorable miniature water bottle lace locks comes attached, branded Nike on one side and Jumpman on the other. However, not for lack of trying, I still can’t figure out the proper way to use them. If you know, feel free to school me in the comments below 😉

The Air Jordan 6 Retro “Infrared” retailed for $265 Canadian at launch, with resale prices currently hovering around an additional $100.