Underground Manchester trainer consignment store Sneaker 63 has made headlines around the world this morning after sharing a ‘first world look’ at the latest pair of rare Nike Air Jordans ahead of their official release.
The first shop in the world to show the brand new Air Jordan 2 Low x Two 18 collab, thanks to the ‘leak’ the hidden Chinatown trainer store has blown up across the globe overnight – getting media coverage from sneaker fans in America, Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong.
The store is known for getting its hands on super-rare pairs of trainers and is full to the brim with elite and exclusive designs, some of which sell for as much as £6,000.
Image: Sneaker 63
And whilst they tell us that these new Aid Jordan 2s are more likely to go for around the £200 mark, the prestige of having the shoe first is worth way more than the shoe’s retail value.
Speaking to The Manc, they described getting their hands on these extremely rare Jordans first as being like ‘looking [for] and finding a rare or unseen Pokemon.’
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Created by Detroit sneaker retailer Two 18 in collaboration with Jordan, the shoes feature a full suede build with tonal browns covering the upper and leather liner with subtle red and blue paneling.
The soles feature Two 18 branding, whilst the tongue is dressed in the usual Wings logo.
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Owner Jack Chen has some great connections in the sneaker world, cultivated through meets and events he goes to, and is helping to put Manchester on the map for sneakerheads.
It certainly seems to have worked. Since opening the store in Chinatown in 2019, Manchester has welcomed the arrival of quite a few more shops in Sneaker63’s image – Kershkicks, Kick Game, and Crespslocker, to be precise.
Image: Sneaker 63
Jordan has made the Air Jordan 2s a priority for this year, and whilst Sneaker 63 tell us the UK ‘isn’t ready for Jordan 2 at the moment’ that hasn’t stopped them from getting ahead of the curb and debuting the new shoe collab.
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Since sharing the post yesterday, the store has featured on the front pages of some of the world’s best sneaker pages – including Nice Kicks and the Japanese page Up to Date, both followed by big-name sneakerheads and rappers like Michael Jordan’s son Marcus Jordan, Pigeon SB dunk designer Jeff Staple, and rappers Mayor and PJ Tucker.
Other rare pairs the store has stocked in recent years include players’ edition shoes made for the Oregon basketball team; a limited, executive-level ‘friends and family’ release of Para’s Nike Airmax 1 collab; Chinese New Year custom Jordans 1’s (one of just 50 pairs in the world); and a leaked early pair of the Travis Scott x Jordan collaboration.
Whilst Jordan Brand and Two 18 are yet to officially comment on this collaboration, it’s exciting to see an independent Manchester store putting the city on the map in such a big way.
Feature image – Sneaker 63
News
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”