Below the ThisNext office on Santa Monica, CA’s Third Street Promenade is a Levi’s store, which will tomorrow be hosting the launch of a highly anticipated Jordan Brand collaboration called the 23/501 Collection. A segment of Nike that is doing a pretty decent job of capitalizing on the iconic mystique of the man simply called “Michael,” Jordan Brand’s pairing with Levi’s marks one of the first significant collaborations between Nike and another apparel giant. And the kids are lining up for it.

The collaboration has produced a pack that includes a co-branded tee, a selvage denim pant lined on the interior with the elephant print made famous by early Jordan sneakers, and a revision on the first Air Jordan shoe with a partial denim upper that also features the elephant print. Only 2,323 pieces (referring to the #23 that Jordan wore) were produced, each landing with a price tag of $395.

 
At 8:00 pm on Friday night, a kid in his early 20’s who identifies himself as “A.J.” tells me that he has been queued up since 2:30 am the previous night, nearly 30 hours in advance of the collection’s release. He drove all the way from Santa Barbara, leaving at midnight, to ensure that he got a good spot, and it has paid off—he’s fist in line. When asked how often he stays in line all night for a pair of sneakers, he sheepishly tells me, “about once every two months. Just say that.” It’s clearly a passion that he follows more closely than he’s willing to admit.


Collectible sneakers is big business, as niche-market as it may appear. A small line behind A.J. snakes down the promenade, even though this store only has 24 pieces (a fact known by all of these tuned-in shoppers, who are actually going so far as to discourage anyone trying to line up, still 12 hours in advance of the product distribution, as having arrived too late). As every one of the trendpotters and budding tastemakers lined up here understands, the thrill is in the hunt.