- 999
- 3,586
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2013
ALD is cool but incredibly overpriced for mediocre quality. In terms of exposure with collaborations is something you typically earn. See a branding on the outside of a sneaker is something that should be earned. Correct me if im wrong but NB doesn't let many collaborators do that. So to let a company that you have only worked with for less than a year and can only move hyped product and models to put their brand is a bit suspect. The head of NB lifestyle is the type of guy that would do anything for some clout or collaborate with a brand for his own personal interest. If anything their relationship with NB has pushed me away from the brand. NB's real consumer don't feed into hype and overpriced streetwear whose brand will dissolve after 3 years. They feed into consistency, honesty and quality. All of which has slipped ALOT the past 3 years.
From what you're saying, i'm guessing you're talking about Joe Grondin, but surely there are those higher up that can be blamed for the logistics and quality issues, no? I don't know Grondin aside from him being their collab guy (is he empowered with more responsiblity?), but i haven't really found their quality slipping. I've bought a lot of NB product in the last 5 years, and I definitely agree with your earlier point that consistent distribution and is a weak point for them as you never know where a collab or even a GR will drop at xxxxxx stores/boutiques. I've seen their GRs drop one weekend at Boutique 1 then 3 weeks later at Boutique 2. I also don't 'get' their collaborations with these tiny boutiques, but i'm probably not their target market.
I think NB is a victim too much product (in the entire industry) coming out. Tooooo many collabs release that when 'collectors' don't see a boutique name tied to it, why bother? The ALD are in my opinion very basic and as someone else said, if they were a GR, they'd be on Joe's in 9 mths.
With that said, can we PLEASE get someone to update the NB1 color options and keep that social media account alive??? Keep all your collabs and GRs...gimme a steady palette of changing colors to play with every few months. Best product they make IMO because those are 1 of 1, and in some cases, better than these booty collabs.