Nike Air CB34 (1995)

The Nike Air CB34 black.

QUICK FACTS

Player: Charles Barkley

Team: Phoenix Suns

Original Colorways: 

  • black/white/concord/orange
  • white/black/concord/orange (unreleased)

Original Release: 1995

The Nike Air CB34 unreleased white.

NBA Debut: 1995 Playoffs, Round 1 vs Portland Trailblazers

Designer: Wilson Smith III

Release Type: general 

OG Price: $125 (about $243 in 2022)

Weight: 16.8 ounces

The Nike Air CB34 black.
The Nike Air CB34 unreleased white.

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Background

Sneaker signatures evolve. Jordan’s did. Penny’s eagle wing evolved and Pippen’s went from using Air Max to Zoom Air. However nowhere is evolution more obvious than in the Barkley’s, especially during his tenure with the Phoenix Suns. That evolution climaxed in 1995 with the release of the Nike Air CB34. 

The Nike Air CB34 black.
The Nike Air CB34 unreleased white.

Design Features

Also known as the Godzilla’s, the CB34 was the only shoe loud enough to follow its legendary predecessor, the Air Max 2 CB. And the evolution was clear. 

The Nike Air Max 2 CB 1994.
The Nike Air Max 2 CB.

Wilson Smith III designed the CB34. Like another one of his designs, the Nike Air More Uptempo, Smith drew inspiration from graffiti art in creating the CB34.

The Nike Air CB34 black.
The Nike Air CB34 unreleased white.

The CB34 continued with the visible heel Air-Sole cushioning unit of its predecessors. The CB34 also featured an encapsulated forefoot Air-Sole unit. The Velcro strap, which was last featured in the 1993 Air Force Max CB, also made its return. 

The 1992 Air Force 180 (not pictured), 1993 Air Force Max (top left), 1993 Air Force Max CB (top right) and 1995 Air CB34 all featured Velcro straps. Only the 1994 Air Max 2 CB (bottom left) and the 1996 Air Max CB34 (not pictured) did not, instead featuring elastic lockdown straps.

The shoe also featured lateral outriggers or “teeth”, just like the Phoenix-era Barkleys that came before it. The teeth on the CB34 were more exaggerated than on the Air Max 2 CB, earning the shoe the nickname,  “the Godzillas”.

Note the evolution of lateral outriggers or “teeth”.

The words “Sir” and  “Charles” adorned the bottom of the outsole in bold graffiti-style lettering. The CB34 was a mid cut shoe featuring a combination of Durabuck and full grain leather on the upper. 

The Air CB34 black (left) and white (right) colorway featured the words "Sir" and "Charles" written graffiti-style on the bottom.
A nod to its inspiration, the Air CB34 black (left) and white (right) colorway featured the words “Sir” and “Charles” written graffiti-style on the bottom.

Legacy

There were only two OG colorways of the CB34, a black based version and a white one. Barkley debuted both colorways during the 1995 Playoffs and wore them into the 95-96 NBA season. Barkley also wore the black pair during the 1996 All Star game.

Charles Barkley wearing the CB34 during the 1996 All Star Game (left), during a home game (middle) and during an away game with the protective toe plate (right).
Charles Barkley wearing the CB34 during the 1996 All Star Game (left), during a home game (middle) and during an away game with the protective toe plate (right).

In early 1996, Barkley had a custom toe plate affixed to the front of the left shoe. The toe plate protected his foot while he recovered from having a toenail removed after it became infected. After several games, Barkley had the toe plate removed and finished out the season in the general release CB34.

The black (top) and white (bottom) CB34 with the custom toe plate.
The CB34 with the custom toe plate via Heritageauctions.

The black colorway retroed in 2007 and 2016. While many non-OG colorways have released throughout the years, the OG white colorway has never been released to the public. Given the frequency with which Barkley wore them, including on the cover of George magazine and in the 1996 movie Space Jam, it seems surprising that Nike has yet to release them. 

Barkley wearing the unreleased white colorway of the CB34 during the movie Space Jam (left) and on the cover of George magazine (right).
Barkley wearing the unreleased white colorway of the CB34 during the movie Space Jam (left) and on the cover of George magazine (right).
The Nike Air CB34 unreleased white.
The Nike Air CB34 black.

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