The man’s swing was heartfelt poetry. The crash of his bat against the ball echoed into a symphony orchestra. Ken Griffey, Jr. is an icon of my youth; an artist with a baseball bat and a master of his craft. And then he’s endorsed by Nike, and the folks at Beaverton made a legendary shoe to match their inspiration’s status.

Since sneakers are often a nostalgic experience for me, there really aren’t many memories better than the days I’d spend watching baseball as a child. Those memories are highlighted by the afternoons when Griffey and the Seattle Mariners played in New York, and I’d wait impatiently for his turn at bat. I was a kid who didn’t fully understand sports yet, but I was spoiled by how easy Griffey made it look.

Let’s go ahead and get this right out in the open: These Freshwater Griffeys are classified as B grades. And now, let’s clarify that I don’t care. It does not matter. Clarified? Cool.

A few imperfections are visible when under the zoom of my camera. I can’t deny that. The paint job on the black accents in the midsole and heel could’ve used another coat. It’s got a scraped look that shouldn’t exist on a deadstock pair of shoes. And that’s really about it.

Listen, not every pair of shoes is delivered to the retailer with perfect cuts. There are always going to be stray pieces of fabric, or some stitching with strings that are too long (and weren’t cut closely enough). Sometimes you’ll find a random, microscopic dot somewhere in the white. It happens. Seriously, as long as the sole doesn’t pop out once you put them on, sneakerheads have to chalk it up as part of the game.

Do any of the things I mentioned take away from the classic Freshwaters? It shouldn’t, unless you’re a purist of an ilk I do not yet know.