SMH I'm at school and just saw the Fila "America Cups".......why me?

[rfx45]

Originally Posted by Zen Baller

These Fila's are like fake Jordans, the only difference is it's legally made and sold to the public. If Fila made an Air Jordan XI Concords replica and look real similar except for the Jumpman, would you guys buy it even if it cost $50? I'll be surprised to see many people say yes.

Ok. I mean, I agree with you, that when one company copies another company's design it's almost like making fake shoes, but.......explain the BAPE phenomenon.

Bapes were just AF1's with a star instead of a swoosh, made in clown colors. Was the fact that a swoosh was replaced by a star enough to mean that they DIDN'T copy the design? Because the rest of the shoe is identical. If we're saying that, then we're saying that the only thing that made the AF1 special (as the #1 selling shoe in Nike's history) is the fact that it had a big swoosh on it.

Before I get started, I hate BAPE and what it has spawned in the society. Now that that is out of the way, BAPE had a great anrketing strategy, have a highprofile celeb be a spokeperson (Pharell), make everything limited (so everyone wants them) and make them extra expensive (so that not everyone could affordthem) equals good success in their hayday. When BAPES were real famous, everyone wnated limited shoe to keep (cus it's cool to have what not everyone has)or resell. So they flourished.

BAPE were just a copy but it was based of a shoe that plenty of people like. Fila copied a great looking shoe (to me) but plenty of peopel doesn't likeit, it's a 50/50 love and hate here on NT alone. But back to BAPE's, they also released some risky colorways that become a hit due to it's limitednumber and those were the style a couple of years ago.

 

[jmaddness2345129]

Not really. I'm a fan of A-Cups and if another company, Gucci or LV stole that look I wouldn't be allover it. A-Cups is Prada's staple shoe. If Prada charges $150 for these, or even $100, I would probably buy a load of them to last a lifetime. These Fila's are like fake Jordans, the only difference is it's legally made and sold to the public. If Fila made an Air Jordan XI Concords replica and look real similar except for the Jumpman, would you guys buy it even if it cost $50? I'll be surprised to see many people say yes.

See Zen Baller's post above for everything I wasgoing to say. I think it's about the brand more than the design. Nobody would buy Fila XI's, but when they were big, everyone would've bought Bapeor Ice Cream XI's. Not to mention Gucci and LV are far from streetwear fad brands.

 

[zen baller]

Originally Posted by RFX45

Originally Posted by Zen Baller

These Fila's are like fake Jordans, the only difference is it's legally made and sold to the public. If Fila made an Air Jordan XI Concords replica and look real similar except for the Jumpman, would you guys buy it even if it cost $50? I'll be surprised to see many people say yes.

Ok. I mean, I agree with you, that when one company copies another company's design it's almost like making fake shoes, but.......explain the BAPE phenomenon.

Bapes were just AF1's with a star instead of a swoosh, made in clown colors. Was the fact that a swoosh was replaced by a star enough to mean that they DIDN'T copy the design? Because the rest of the shoe is identical. If we're saying that, then we're saying that the only thing that made the AF1 special (as the #1 selling shoe in Nike's history) is the fact that it had a big swoosh on it.

Before I get started, I hate BAPE and what it has spawned in the society. Now that that is out of the way, BAPE had a great anrketing strategy, have a high profile celeb be a spokeperson (Pharell), make everything limited (so everyone wants them) and make them extra expensive (so that not everyone could afford them) equals good success in their hayday. When BAPES were real famous, everyone wnated limited shoe to keep (cus it's cool to have what not everyone has) or resell. So they flourished.

BAPE were just a copy but it was based of a shoe that plenty of people like. Fila copied a great looking shoe (to me) but plenty of peopel doesn't like it, it's a 50/50 love and hate here on NT alone. But back to BAPE's, they also released some risky colorways that become a hit due to it's limited number and those were the style a couple of years ago.


I'm with you there. I just think that it was sort of sad that on Niketalk, which is supposed to be a place for the DISCERNING shoe buyer, people werestill going "gaga" over those damn things. I read interviews with Nigo and he was literally laughing at the people that bought Bape and hyped it up,calling them "sheep" and such.

That was actually going to be something i brought up in the discussion, was the marketing strategy. If Fila released these under some new"premium" sub-brand and charged MORE than the retail of the prada A-cups, people on NT wouldn't be so quick to denounce them. And if they got apopular rapper to endorse them as well? ENDGAME. They would show up all over NT, and I think that's pretty sad.

Everyone here CLAIMS to be into sneakers, but really, it's all about marketing.

 

[rfx45]

^^^ Definitely, I think if Fila made a supposedly more "luxurious" brand and then released these, it might be accepted more but the fact stillremains that it looks too much like A-Cups. The minor design changes that Fila did have made the shoe more uneven and seem unblanced to me and the quality ishorrific so I don't think i'll still be that impressed. If they picked a more simple design though and put their own style into, kind of like whenGucci/LV copies Converse All-Stars or SK8-Hi's, it's that subtle difference and yes "brand Name" and logo that makes them look good anddistinct. ie: the Gucci Slip-Ons, it is just like the typical Vans slip-ons but add the premium leather, the brown canvas with the Gucci monogram and includehe subtle red-green-red stripe in the white midsole and you have a beautiful shoe that cost 5-6 times the original Vans. How they executed it just made it somuch better and the name definitely doesn't hurt, except your pockets.


I think that's another reason why BAPE's succeeded, the shoe was based on a simple design. The A-Cups aren't some complicated design by nay meansbut it has it's complexities and for some reason these Fila's just doesn't capture that. To some I may be reaching a bit but it is something Inoticed after owning a couple of A-Cups and seeing these Fila's in person.

 

[5dividedby4]

Originally Posted by RFX45

Originally Posted by Zen Baller

These Fila's are like fake Jordans, the only difference is it's legally made and sold to the public. If Fila made an Air Jordan XI Concords replica and look real similar except for the Jumpman, would you guys buy it even if it cost $50? I'll be surprised to see many people say yes.

Ok. I mean, I agree with you, that when one company copies another company's design it's almost like making fake shoes, but.......explain the BAPE phenomenon.

Bapes were just AF1's with a star instead of a swoosh, made in clown colors. Was the fact that a swoosh was replaced by a star enough to mean that they DIDN'T copy the design? Because the rest of the shoe is identical. If we're saying that, then we're saying that the only thing that made the AF1 special (as the #1 selling shoe in Nike's history) is the fact that it had a big swoosh on it.

Before I get started, I hate BAPE and what it has spawned in the society. Now that that is out of the way, BAPE had a great anrketing strategy, have a high profile celeb be a spokeperson (Pharell), make everything limited (so everyone wants them) and make them extra expensive (so that not everyone could afford them) equals good success in their hayday. When BAPES were real famous, everyone wnated limited shoe to keep (cus it's cool to have what not everyone has) or resell. So they flourished.

BAPE were just a copy but it was based of a shoe that plenty of people like. Fila copied a great looking shoe (to me) but plenty of peopel doesn't like it, it's a 50/50 love and hate here on NT alone. But back to BAPE's, they also released some risky colorways that become a hit due to it's limited number and those were the style a couple of years ago.

Bape has been around way before pharrell. B.I.G. was wearing it back in the day. They have always been really popular so I can't agree witheverything you said about their marketing strategy.

 

[mw2889]

I was rocking mines today, what school do you go to?

 

[rfx45]

Originally Posted by 5dividedby4

Originally Posted by RFX45

Originally Posted by Zen Baller

These Fila's are like fake Jordans, the only difference is it's legally made and sold to the public. If Fila made an Air Jordan XI Concords replica and look real similar except for the Jumpman, would you guys buy it even if it cost $50? I'll be surprised to see many people say yes.

Ok. I mean, I agree with you, that when one company copies another company's design it's almost like making fake shoes, but.......explain the BAPE phenomenon.

Bapes were just AF1's with a star instead of a swoosh, made in clown colors. Was the fact that a swoosh was replaced by a star enough to mean that they DIDN'T copy the design? Because the rest of the shoe is identical. If we're saying that, then we're saying that the only thing that made the AF1 special (as the #1 selling shoe in Nike's history) is the fact that it had a big swoosh on it.

Before I get started, I hate BAPE and what it has spawned in the society. Now that that is out of the way, BAPE had a great anrketing strategy, have a high profile celeb be a spokeperson (Pharell), make everything limited (so everyone wants them) and make them extra expensive (so that not everyone could afford them) equals good success in their hayday. When BAPES were real famous, everyone wnated limited shoe to keep (cus it's cool to have what not everyone has) or resell. So they flourished.

BAPE were just a copy but it was based of a shoe that plenty of people like. Fila copied a great looking shoe (to me) but plenty of peopel doesn't like it, it's a 50/50 love and hate here on NT alone. But back to BAPE's, they also released some risky colorways that become a hit due to it's limited number and those were the style a couple of years ago.

Bape has been around way before pharrell. B.I.G. was wearing it back in the day. They have always been really popular so I can't agree with everything you said about their marketing strategy.

True but were they making sales the way they did a couple of years ago? Did they have all these kids lining up in stores when a hoody or new shoereleaeses? Did they have kids camping out so that they can resell or buy these multicolored shoes? All of those were non-existant until Jordans became aresellers dream and started releasing limited edition. BAPE followed the same route and that's what got their name out there. Pharell would put in hislyrics that he was wearing "Ice Creams on his feet" and people went nuts and tried to find out what they were. Then you see him wear pants with weirdcartoons on the back along with weird characters on his shirts along with loud designs and weird allover prints. That's a marketing genius. Sure BAPE hasbeen around for a while but it was never a worldwide phenomenon like it was a couple of years ago, before that era (if you can call it that), BAPE catered tothose select few celebrities and most people had no idea what it was.

 

[theymademepick]

link for anyone looking Helmsan Low

 

[703 hwy]

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