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Method Man, I greatly respect and appreciate your analysis. I have been proposing this concern on this board for quite sometime now, yet no one has given me any intelligent feedback on this matter until now.
Thanks for the kind words. As you said, youve been voicing your concerns for months and so have many, many others. Some people fail to realize that this isnt a personal vendetta or crusade. So many Jordan brand fans feel the same or similarly, and that includes countless sneaker fans who dont even post on NikeTalk. I have discussions with guys who dont even know Jordans by number, but who recognize the very same problems that we enumerate here. Its not unique in any sense. If the number of people who feel similarly is increasing, its not because you or I or anyone else is convincing them its because these problems are apparent and intensifying.
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In all of these .5 series shoes, JB is limiting themselves to air technology, when we all know damn well that zoom air should be used. Zoom Air SHOULD have been in the 1.5. For $120, I expect heel and forefoot units. I just couldn't imagine why anyone wouldn't spend an extra $5 for a more current and far superior shoe in the Lebron II.
We as fans have been saying this for a long time and it holds true for the ENTIRE line now, with the exception of the flagship model.
I brought this up maybe 9 months ago with the 1.5 launch to someone at Jordan brand and the response was something to the effect that, We want to establish zoom as a premium cushioning product. Well, theres just one problem: Nike already did that TEN YEARS AGO.
Nike set the bar for zoom technology and these days you can find zoom air in $80 Nike basketball shoes. Theyre not fooling anyone into thinking that zoom air can only be found on top of the line shoes.
Similarly, although its subjective, MANY fans prefer zoom air to conventional air sole technology and why not? Nike spent millions to sell us on the technology and many of us have tried it for ourselves in shoes ranging from the Flightposite to the Jordan XIV. Weve had 10 years to try zoom, tuned air, shox, and IPS. Now, in 2005, they expect us to pay $120 for a shoe with the same cushioning technology as Nikes LEAST expensive products? It really is an outrage.
Well probably never see Shox in a Jordan product, so what were left with is a choice between ten-year-old cushioning technology and TWENTY year old cushioning technology. Im not buying 20 year old cushioning technology in ANY shoe other than a retro, period.
$110 for bottom of the line cushioning is a slap in the face. It gives credence to the argument of the most jaded and cynical of observers, chiding that we as Jordan fans will buy anything with a Jumpman. I try to make informed decisions when I purchase shoes. Im not overpaying for mediocre product no matter HOW nice it looks. The Jordan WorkM is a nice looking outdoor ball shoe and I wont buy it under any circumstance. It could hit $30. Why not jump at $30? I have a pair of VC 1s in black/red that I ordered from an outlet for $30, complete with FULL length shox array and monkey paw ankle support. Every year top of the line Nike basketball shoes hit outlets. Jordan offers no competition in that area, and the tie would go to Jordan brand in ALL cases with me. If you hold that type of advantage and you STILL lose, something is terribly wrong.
Where is MJ's fiery competitiveness? Nike should be their Larry Jordan: the older, bigger brother. You have access to the same technology. Shouldn't you strive to be better at EVERY area of your game, from value products to the very top of the line?
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Hopefully they straighten things up, cause otherwise I really don't see the brand going past 2010.
And I think we can agree, thats NOT good business. As I said, its nice if youre an employee with a PERSONAL agenda that extends beyond Jordan brand, but its horrible for long time fans of the brand or anyone with a vested interest in the brands continued success, like MJ himself.
Again, it looks like theyre flying high in 2005 but unless theyre SERIOUS about easing up on the retros and getting back to basics, were looking at another tragic tale of hubris.
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when and if the huge bubble bursts they will only be back where they were a few years ago AND they will continue to sell because we the core will still covet real colorways and thats what they will return to.you cant tell me you will be so turned off of jordans being oversaturated that if in 2007 they drop a picture perfect military iv you wont buy it,i dont believe that.
What happened when the bubble burst for other apparel companies? Did their core fans come crawling back once the posers cleared out? If it happens in 2007, you can salvage a decent percentage. If it happens in 2010, itll be like nuclear winter: only the hardiest of roaches will survive. What theyre doing NOW is alienating many of their CORE consumers, fans whove been loyal since MJs pre-title days. If wearing Jordan brand still makes you look like a basketball fan in 2007, you wont lose the core audience. If wearing Jordan brand makes you look like a little hype beast in 2007, youll begin to lose the core audience because itll have lost everything that made us wear it to begin with. Itll have lost its connection with basketball and the Jordan legacy, and its only value will be its appeal to immature status seekers who want a x of y limited edition product so they can feel better than the next kid and, guess what, theyll get bored and move on to the next fad soon enough.
Air Jordans used to be the BEST basketball shoes money could buy, worn by the best player on the planet. Can we still say that?
If Jordan brand still means something, if it still stands for something, it can inspire the loyalty of NEW fans while maintaining the support of its CORE fans. If they want to appeal to the lowest common denominator, they can factor me OUT.