By Peyton Gallaher
2 cents: Why Jordans aren’t selling out
Jordan brand has been on a market shaping tear since 1984. The cultural influence that a simple pair of sneakers has created is simply incredible. A pair of mint condition “black cement” Jordan threes from their original 1987 release are equivalent in value to a share of stock in Apple from that same year. Today, however, their stature is in question.
2016 saw traditionally coveted releases like the “true blue three”,”dunk from above fours”, and the “city pack” sit, collecting dust on shelves around the nation. It took only a quick run to a local Footlocker to grab once impossible to find shoes. It was a blindsiding turn of events that shifted the paradigm in the sneaker world.
This is both a good thing and a bad thing. For the consumer, the availability of Jordan shoes means that people are no longer spending long nights on sidewalks camping out for shoes. It also means the amount of senseless bloodshed tied in with sneaker related violence is on the decline as re-sale prices for Jordans drop.
However, there are negatives to this change. Primarily, the lack of exclusivity takes a little bit of the shine off of Jordans. Stunting in the kicks that you have and no else does is all that matters to a lot people. Additionally, the deterioration of the resale market place makes it difficult for people to flip shoes, and therefore buy more product.
The big question is why? Why all of a sudden did Jordan brand shoes stop selling out consistently? What has changed, and do people sill even want Jays?
Yes; people still want Jordans. They are, and will forever be, an all-time classic. But Jordan has made conscious choices that have lead to the phenomenon.
Several years ago, the limitation of Nike and Jordan merchandise was causing re-sale prices to sore. With quantities in such scarce production, people began to literally kill each other over shoes. The re-sale game was an unchecked market where sellers could make a lot of capitol and if it meant killing someone to sell the shoes of their corpse, some were willing to commit murder.
Additionally, knowing that anything they released would be bought up, Jordan put out a poor product that didn’t last and fell apart easily.
The general public, tired of nonsensical violence and killing for sneakers that were made with cheap products and no attention to detail, made a plea to Beaverton, Oregon. People wanted a higher quality, more available commodity.
And Jordan listened. As recently as last year, they began to roll out their “re-mastered” line. They started to produce a far better product with these “re-mastered” releases that were much more available. This archetype would set the baritone of the future business model of Jordan Brand.
But, despite the consumer positives of the “re-mastered” mold, not everything was perfect for the public. The consequent rise in Jordan prices that accompanied the shift was necessary for the brand to maintain consistent profit margins.
This is the major reason that shoes are sitting now. Higher prices, mixed with more available product, have lead to a surplus that sticks around longer than release day. It is not any indication that Jordan and Nike are out of style. They are still very much so the top of the fashion game with musicians, athletes, actors, and other trendsetters repping Jumpman heavily.
The fact that Jordans are sitting on shelves is our fault. We asked for this, and I’m not so sure it’s a bad thing.
Today, you can walk into a store and pick up your shoes without even stressing. Re-sale prices on more exclusive releases are also plummeting making once unattainable grails into affordable options.
Ontop of that, it is imperative to cut down the amount of sneaker related violence that is occurring with in America’s youth. These changes have effectively done this. At the of the day, the fewer mothers that are crying because there child was taken from them for a pair of shoes, the better.
The Run
Brand: Nike
Silhouette: Air Max 1
Name: “University Red” or “OG”
Air Max Day is right around the corner! The silhouette that introduced air bubbles to the untempered masses is being celebrated in grand fashion. The party begins this Saturday with the very special release of an all time favorite.
Commemorating the first every commercial rendition of the now heralded Air Max, the Swoosh is releasing the first color way that ever hit the market: the “University Red” Air Max one.
Clean red, white, and grey leathers canvas the upper in a distinctly Air Max way while more subtle hits of black and hyper crimson rubber take a back seat on the sole. Of course the air bubble in heal is present, but the traditional makeup of the shoe isn’t the only thing that is special about this drop. Certain details like the date “3.26” (the date of Air Max Day) are stitched into the tongue and a special message takes shape on the insole.
It is crazy to think that all that time ago Tinker Hatfield was inspired to create this piece of art work by looking at the facade of a Parisian museum. Here we are, all of these years later, and the shoe has it’s own day. That speaks a little to what Tinker has meant to not only Nike’s development as a brand, but to the evolution of sneakers as well.
Brand: Adidas
Silhouette: Gazelle PK
Name: “Mardis Gras”
Mardis Gras may be on it’s way out, and All Star Weekend is all ready in the rear view, but don’t tell that to Nola based sneaker boutique, Sneaker Politics. This weekend, they partner up with Adidas for a collaboration that is empirically New Orleans.
The Gazelle PK (Prime Knit) being the weapon of choice, the Louisiana footwear institution really lets the paint brush fly as they smattered hues of green, purple, and gold all over the upper of the shoe. These colors are woven into the knitting as an off-white or creme shade covers over the top. Pops of gold on the aglets, tongue tab, laces, and insole do a fabulous job of sprucing up the model, while a gum sole ties it off with a bang.
It is cool to see Adidas reaching out to creators in such abundance this year. With so many collaborations already in the books, and many more on the horizon, it appears that the brand is starting to win over many popular influencers. It doesn’t hurt that a lot of these collabs, like this one, are killers either.
Brand: Jordan
Silhouette: Jordan 15
Name: Obsidian
Widely regarded as the shoe that ended the Jordan retro line, the Jordan fifteen has been getting a lot of love this year. This being the second release of the infamous silhouette in 2017, the classic obsidian look gets a revive this Saturday.
A white heal counter, midsole, and the tongue that resembles Jordan’s iconic tongue out face are paired with hits of navy throughout the upper. Classic features like the mesh forefoot and uniquely fifteen design on the midsole remain the same.
With a strange, futuristic appearance, the Jordan fifteen isn’t for everyone. Maybe it’s the jutting tongue or the odd shape, but something about the fifteen is off-putting. However, a select few do rock with this model.
Brand: Reebok
Silhouette: Instapump Fury
Name: “Doraemon”
These are incredibly weird to me and I’m not really qualified to talk about them.
The instapump is a strange silhouette as it is, but mixed with an anime show about a robotic cat from the future and it’s escapades with a socially challenged, tween boy… Thats not really in my realm of knowledge. It took a pretty sizable amount of research to figure out what was even going on here.
Think what you may, but I will give fair warning that fur and shoes usually don’t really mix well.
Question Of The Month: What collaboration are you looking forward to the most: AdidasXKith/Naked or JordanXKaws?
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