Q&A: How can i protect the soles of my vintage nike air jordans from cracking?
I bought some Nike air Jordans from a charity shop, they’re original 80’s by the look of them, which means the air foam on the sole is starting to crumble and crack as i wear them. Is there any way i can prevent them from breaking before they are ruined? Serious answers only please, no ‘darn that’s a shame!’ type comments.
salt? leather? that’s not in my question, i am asking about the foam above the sole.

The answer in the following:

Answer by mohammad c
to not crack the soles of your jordans it is very simple do not wear your shoes keep them in a glass case and stare at them until you get some magical power of levitation

Answer by Moira
Salt doesn’t come from the road. Salt comes from the leather itself. The leather is tanned with salt. When it gets soaking wet, the salt rises to the top of the shoe. That’s how you get the salt stains. The salt is in the lining, and it’s in the leather.

The best way to protect your footwear is to not wear it outside and tempt the fates and weather systems.

Why don’t you try to buy another shoes? Try Keds. Im using on it. My friend has a collection on a vintage shoes. Check and read this article, for further info.

Answer by jvoorhees77
Unfortunately, and I really do hate to tell you this, there isn’t much you can do once the process has begun. For a long time – like about a decade – shoe enthusiasts commonly believed that the best way to store and preserve sneakers was to keep them in dark, dry places. This idea emerged because of observations of shoes “yellowing” over time (which they combatted with limited exposure to light) and because of anecdotal evidence involving many people digging out long forgotten shoe boxes only to find the shoes covered in mildew (usually the result of storing them in warm, humid places). Like anything, people took the protective measures to extremes and many began storing their shoes with silica packs to minimize moisture during long term storage. However by removing all the moisture from the air, people learned that foam midsoles begin to crumble and glued seams dry out and open much, much faster. Granted, these things will happen in time anyway, but these less-than-ideal long term storage conditions greatly accelerate the process. The bottom line for you, unfortunately, is that since your shoes have already begun to crumble, there isn’t really much you can do to rejuvenate them. You can either wear them and enjoy them for what you have or put them away and wear them sparingly until they’re completely dead.

If this was helpful – even though maybe not the most encouraging thin to hear – I’d appreciate it if you marked this answer as a good one. Thanks!

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