SAY WHAT? Nike Total Air Pillar Dropping in 2012

[bip roberts]

...Maybe Nike does their research on these things and knows better than I, but I kind of feel that if you're going to re-introduce an obscured model whose support is based in the "sneakerhead" community, you're best to start off with the OGs. That way they have an existing fanbase. Dudes will cop and then others will see them on people's feet. At least this gives them a chance to gain a following. This is kind of what happened with the Griffeys, IMO.

If you lead with the Retro+ CWs, the OG heads just wait around for the OG colors, and you're left to hope the masses will make the shoe popular - why would they do that, think about it.... They're going to walk in to a store and buy a $170 shoe they've never heard of... one in a colorway readily available in Jordans, no less? Nike is betting on dudes who want the Neons being thirty enough to buy the appetizer, but it isn't going to happen. 

 

[ccastro02]

Originally Posted by BIP Roberts

...Maybe Nike does their research on these things and knows better than I, but I kind of feel that if you're going to re-introduce an obscured model whose support is based in the "sneakerhead" community, you're best to start off with the OGs. That way they have an existing fanbase. Dudes will cop and then others will see them on people's feet. At least this gives them a chance to gain a following. This is kind of what happened with the Griffeys, IMO.

If you lead with the Retro+ CWs, the OG heads just wait around for the OG colors, and you're left to hope the masses will make the shoe popular - why would they do that, think about it.... They're going to walk in to a store and buy a $170 shoe they've never heard of... one in a colorway readily available in Jordans, no less? Nike is betting on dudes who want the Neons being thirty enough to buy the appetizer, but it isn't going to happen. 

I've felt that way for the longest time. Nike makes some of the dumbest decisions when  it comes to scheduling. I hope the neons are released first. This way i don't have to wait through all those retro+'s to actually get the pair that i want.

 

[jae718]

black/reds look pretty good, ill cop if they hit disco, but these green ones on the other hand...

ewwwww they should have reversed the colors

 

[blco02]

Maybe Nike is finally bringing back the true to the original size air units.

 

[reener]

Neons but on a discount.

 

[reener]

Neons but on a discount.

 

[bgizzle1186]

Originally Posted by AlSnEaKs

just the neons for me and i'm good.

 

[swooshbeast]

I just came

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

@ he size of those air bubbles.
Hopefully pics of the neon's leak soon

 

[bip roberts]

Originally Posted by ccastro02

Originally Posted by BIP Roberts

...Maybe Nike does their research on these things and knows better than I, but I kind of feel that if you're going to re-introduce an obscured model whose support is based in the "sneakerhead" community, you're best to start off with the OGs. That way they have an existing fanbase. Dudes will cop and then others will see them on people's feet. At least this gives them a chance to gain a following. This is kind of what happened with the Griffeys, IMO.

If you lead with the Retro+ CWs, the OG heads just wait around for the OG colors, and you're left to hope the masses will make the shoe popular - why would they do that, think about it.... They're going to walk in to a store and buy a $170 shoe they've never heard of... one in a colorway readily available in Jordans, no less? Nike is betting on dudes who want the Neons being thirty enough to buy the appetizer, but it isn't going to happen. 

I've felt that way for the longest time. Nike makes some of the dumbest decisions when  it comes to scheduling. I hope the neons are released first. This way i don't have to wait through all those retro+'s to actually get the pair that i want.

Nike is a mutli-billion dollar enterprise, so I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I want to - borderline need to - believe that they do extensive market research on launch strategy to support their release schedule decisions regarding colorways, etc. So, I'm not always certain that what I "feel" is right. People underestimate the amount of research that major corporations do in areas like this, and they also have a very poor understanding of their own decision-making processes - we all do, it's well-proven. So, I hope for the sake of my sanity that they've researched this and that my instincts are wrong. Maybe more people do cop the retro+s this way just to get a fix. It would be amateurish of a Fortune 500 company to just be making these kinds of choices randomly though.

 

[righteouskungfu]

I really like these a lot. Anyone know a price?

 

[bip roberts]

Retail is $170

 

[wallyhopp]

BIP Roberts, it's been shown in the past that Nike will do as they wish, even when it goes against common sense. Check out last year's trainer sc II releases... Crap colorways sat on shelves for 5 months before the OGs came out, and by then, people had moved on to other models.

But even then, it's not a negative for Nike. They have outlets that will sell them, and even if a shoe retails for $170 bucks, they know in the back of their mind that their costs were only $40-$60. So selling thousands of products for $10-$20 profit far exceeds selling just one colorway of one model for $40 profit.. They are all about quantity > quality.

Nothing will change so we will have to wait it out a couple months until the Neons do come out. And if they do flop, Nike won't care for the reasoning behind it.

 

[bip roberts]

Originally Posted by WallyHopp

BIP Roberts, it's been shown in the past that Nike will do as they wish, even when it goes against common sense. Check out last year's trainer sc II releases... Crap colorways sat on shelves for 5 months before the OGs came out, and by then, people had moved on to other models.

But even then, it's not a negative for Nike. They have outlets that will sell them, and even if a shoe retails for $170 bucks, they know in the back of their mind that their costs were only $40-$60. So selling thousands of products for $10-$20 profit far exceeds selling just one colorway of one model for $40 profit.. They are all about quantity > quality.

Nothing will change so we will have to wait it out a couple months until the Neons do come out. And if they do flop, Nike won't care for the reasoning behind it.

Yes, of course. That's the dirty secret that people ignore in these discussions. Nike doesn't sell the bulk of their product to consumers; they sell their products to retailers. The common math on that is Nike makes and gets their products to retailers for about 25% of MSRP. Retailers pay about 50% of MSRP and then retailers double that. So, the cost doubles every time they change hands. So, I understand that Nike just needs to sell to the retailers to make their money - if they sit, that's the retailers' problem because Nike has already been paid. And, the retailers are so beholden to Nike for the real "heat" that they have to take whatever junk Nike makes a contingent of having access to their premium releases. All that said, that doesn't mean there isn't a way to maximize sales by studying launch strategy. And, Nike would be operating like a bush league team if they didn't invest in that kind of research. "A rising tide lifts all boats" as the neocon windbags like to say.  In this case, they'd be correct though. Maximizing their launch strategy would improve the overall bottom lines and consumer interest for both Nike and the third-party retailers. It would be hard to believe Nike is either too naive or full of hubris to have thought about this.

 

[ccastro02]

Originally Posted by BIP Roberts

Originally Posted by WallyHopp

BIP Roberts, it's been shown in the past that Nike will do as they wish, even when it goes against common sense. Check out last year's trainer sc II releases... Crap colorways sat on shelves for 5 months before the OGs came out, and by then, people had moved on to other models.

But even then, it's not a negative for Nike. They have outlets that will sell them, and even if a shoe retails for $170 bucks, they know in the back of their mind that their costs were only $40-$60. So selling thousands of products for $10-$20 profit far exceeds selling just one colorway of one model for $40 profit.. They are all about quantity > quality.

Nothing will change so we will have to wait it out a couple months until the Neons do come out. And if they do flop, Nike won't care for the reasoning behind it.

Yes, of course. That's the dirty secret that people ignore in these discussions. Nike doesn't sell the bulk of their product to consumers; they sell their products to retailers. The common math on that is Nike makes and gets their products to retailers for about 25% of MSRP. Retailers pay about 50% of MSRP and then retailers double that. So, the cost doubles every time they change hands. So, I understand that Nike just needs to sell to the retailers to make their money - if they sit, that's the retailers' problem because Nike has already been paid. And, the retailers are so beholden to Nike for the real "heat" that they have to take whatever junk Nike makes a contingent of having access to their premium releases. All that said, that doesn't mean there isn't a way to maximize sales by studying launch strategy. And, Nike would be operating like a bush league team if they didn't invest in that kind of research. "A rising tide lifts all boats" as the neocon windbags like to say.  In this case, they'd be correct though. Maximizing their launch strategy would improve the overall bottom lines and consumer interest for both Nike and the third-party retailers. It would be hard to believe Nike is either too naive or full of hubris to have thought about this.

I'm an intern scheduler for turner construction (construction management company), and I'll tell you nike can learn a thing or two from the way the construction industry manages the schedule of their projects. Every single decision regarding scheduling (im talking about down to the shipment of screws to a project), is carefully analyzed so that the project is as efficient as possible. Nike could easily increase their profits if they just made wise and analytical scheduling decisions.

I think one of the most weakest decisions made last year was the way nike released the xiv's and the concords. The concords didn't need the christmas buzz -- the xiv's did. Nike should've released the concords in October, allowing the xiv's to be the christmas shoe of the year. Guarantee you the xiv's would've sold out. But instead you had one shoe that dwarfed the other. Had nike paid  close attention to scheduling, the could've increased their profit margins for sure. Lol nike should hire me to be their lead scheduler.

 

[yelloo]

... why do people like ugly shoes like this

 

[young halo]

Originally Posted by yelloo

... why do people like ugly shoes like this

get this thru your young head bruh (i've seen you post this before btw).... just because YOU think their ugly, doenst mean they're actually ugly. 

i bet you signed up for NT when those blue foam pros dropped huh

  

 

[ninjahood]

coppin da neons for retail asap....ill check da temp of da water though and see how da public reacts to em....

 

[bip roberts]

Originally Posted by ccastro02

Originally Posted by BIP Roberts

Originally Posted by WallyHopp

BIP Roberts, it's been shown in the past that Nike will do as they wish, even when it goes against common sense. Check out last year's trainer sc II releases... Crap colorways sat on shelves for 5 months before the OGs came out, and by then, people had moved on to other models.

But even then, it's not a negative for Nike. They have outlets that will sell them, and even if a shoe retails for $170 bucks, they know in the back of their mind that their costs were only $40-$60. So selling thousands of products for $10-$20 profit far exceeds selling just one colorway of one model for $40 profit.. They are all about quantity > quality.

Nothing will change so we will have to wait it out a couple months until the Neons do come out. And if they do flop, Nike won't care for the reasoning behind it.

Yes, of course. That's the dirty secret that people ignore in these discussions. Nike doesn't sell the bulk of their product to consumers; they sell their products to retailers. The common math on that is Nike makes and gets their products to retailers for about 25% of MSRP. Retailers pay about 50% of MSRP and then retailers double that. So, the cost doubles every time they change hands. So, I understand that Nike just needs to sell to the retailers to make their money - if they sit, that's the retailers' problem because Nike has already been paid. And, the retailers are so beholden to Nike for the real "heat" that they have to take whatever junk Nike makes a contingent of having access to their premium releases. All that said, that doesn't mean there isn't a way to maximize sales by studying launch strategy. And, Nike would be operating like a bush league team if they didn't invest in that kind of research. "A rising tide lifts all boats" as the neocon windbags like to say.  In this case, they'd be correct though. Maximizing their launch strategy would improve the overall bottom lines and consumer interest for both Nike and the third-party retailers. It would be hard to believe Nike is either too naive or full of hubris to have thought about this.

I'm an intern scheduler for turner construction (construction management company), and I'll tell you nike can learn a thing or two from the way the construction industry manages the schedule of their projects. Every single decision regarding scheduling (im talking about down to the shipment of screws to a project), is carefully analyzed so that the project is as efficient as possible. Nike could easily increase their profits if they just made wise and analytical scheduling decisions.

I think one of the most weakest decisions made last year was the way nike released the xiv's and the concords. The concords didn't need the christmas buzz -- the xiv's did. Nike should've released the concords in October, allowing the xiv's to be the christmas shoe of the year. Guarantee you the xiv's would've sold out. But instead you had one shoe that dwarfed the other. Had nike paid  close attention to scheduling, the could've increased their profit margins for sure. Lol nike should hire me to be their lead scheduler.

Sorta apples to oranges though. Nike is selling products, but they are also marketing a brand. A brand has a lot of intangible qualities to it and turning up the hype machine so that people go crazy for things and that you make the news, etc. is a marketing strategy for Nike that extends beyond the product launch itself - it has a ripple effect that extends to their entire product line, if executed correctly. A construction company is maximizing their ability to do business. Yes, they want to satisfy their customer. And, yes, they want to protect and bolster their reputation. But, you are selling a service - Nike is selling a lifestyle, a set of values, and an image. So, it's not as simple as just saying use the natural product mover incentives to facilitate the sale of the weaker releases. Sometimes it's about making a huge splash. But, something like the release calendar for colorways of one specific model is a much more granular, self-contained exercise - there's certainly room to apply simple market research techniques to that. At the most basic, you can just do simple psych 101 level experiments. Take samples, get rooms of people, show each person each colorway and have them rate the shoe, mix up the order of the colorways and look for patterns. Repeat with a large enough sample size. Extrapolate.

 

[jordanxi45]

Neons are copped. Still have the OG Michigan joints somewhere at moms house but they're way too small. I still remember buying these from Champs when they originally came out.

 

[traviswade]

ooooooo okay , okay i see all the community favorites are dropping this year .

 

[wallyhopp]

BIP Roberts, the way I've seen some shoes release over the years, there is no research done. Complete and utter laziness in many regards..

ccastro2, I agree. Nike is funny sometimes. They add additional stuff to items that don't need help selling, almost to artificially boost those up some. And let other genres fend for themselves.. AJ IIIs had the OG box and tissue type paper. Sometimes it's the little stuff that adds up the most. They could release some shoes in plastic bags and they would sell. Other shoes, like Bo Jacksons, need some aid.. For Nike/JB, the popular remains popular, and the others are left to market themselves without any special gimmicks.

But it actually looks like they did it right this time. Someone got wise....

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Spoke with a Nike.com chat rep.

VOLTS: July
PINES: August
BLACK.RED: September.

And a curveball I asked at the end....
I asked about the NAVY colorway.. The response was:
I am seeing that the color way 400 is MIDNIGHT NAVY/VARSITY MAIZE that look like it will be available around November.

So you heard it hear first.

 

[jonathan79936]

Hip hip hooray.

 

[GaBeGRaMz]

Originally Posted by WallyHopp


And a curveball I asked at the end....
I asked about the NAVY colorway.. The response was:
I am seeing that the color way 400 is MIDNIGHT NAVY/VARSITY MAIZE that look like it will be available around November.

So you heard it hear first.

 

[panaricanretro]

^^^^Wally comin through! Great news, I might still get the limes but I'm definitely getting the navy/maize.