Nike made dubious news in announcing their $315 LeBron X shoes. Turns out the shoes may be worth only $290.
Gee, I stand corrected.
The fact of the matter is there is no business that Nike or any shoe company should advertise any sneaker north of $150 – let alone $315, $290 or whatever the hell those LeBron shoes cost. I don’t give a damn if the LeBron X features dynamic Flywire technology, Hyperfuse construction, and Nike Plus functionality – whatever the hell that is.
All this will do is possibly raise the black-on-black crime – and possibly murder – rates in cities across the country. I remember young brothers getting jacked and murdered over those damn Air Jordans way back in the day. There was a spot near my grandmother’s house in Brooklyn, NY where a kid got murdered over those shoes when I was a kid myself.
Look, I know LeBron is doing the damn thing in the charity arena. He is well-known for his philanthropy in his hometown of Akron, OH. After all, he did give lots of money to the Boys and Girls Club – though it was during the biggest “look at me” moment of all time known as “The Decision”.
The fact of the matter is Nike is once again putting its bottom-line over what is good for the consumers – especially in this economy. And why the need to make a bunch of money off of sneakers? Does Nike even need it?
All this off the backs of cheap labor in China, and at the expense of the self-worth of our young black boys – and young and stupid black parents.
It’s a goddamn shame…
Categories: NBA, sports story
Klown – I love you like a brother, but your brain has blown a gasket on this one.
Nike is in business to sell merchandise at a profit. Consumers can decide to buy their product or not buy it based on price, style, comfort, performance, etc.
Isn’t that how business is supposed to work? I think $315 for a pair of basketball shoes is outrageous and I won’t pay it. But I defend the right of others to spend their money as they wish. I paid more than twice that for an IPad. Maybe some folks think that’s outrageous but it’s my decision.
Jimmy Choo, Prada, Gucci, Cole Haan and many companies have shoes on the market that go for $1,000 or more. No one complains that the companies or the fashion models and actresses who promote them are wrong for selling them at such a high price. No one asks if Jimmy Choo “needs it”.
Sure, there are some items whose cost has to be regulated due to the fact that it’s a monopoly or is a basic need, like utilities, public housing and food. But athletic shoes do not fit this criteria.
I sympathize with you on being concerned about criminal activity regarding these shoes. But do you really mean to suggest that Nike and LeBron put a cap on what their shoes can sell for in order to reduce crime? That’s crazy. Should we ban the sale of Rolex watches and expensive jewelry because people often get held up or their homes broken into for them? Yes, it’s unfortunate that these expensive shoes get stolen and can perpetrate violent activity but that’s for law enforcement to mediate, not Nike and LeBron.
Question: How much can Nike and LeBron charge for a pair of shoes without risking your ire? What’s the limit according to you? $75? $100? $150? Do you want a law passed to prevent such sales? Just curious.
If you drink top shelf liquor, then you can’t talk crazy about Nike charging $300 for shoes.
If you’ve ever spent money on a 5-star dinner for your lady, then you can’t talk crazy about Nike charging $300 for shoes.
Pardon me but, when did we have so much concern over black-on-black crime, poor people and folks killing each other? With all due respect, we’re sports bloggers. Those epidemics are continuing with or without high-priced shoes, so for us to get on our moral high horse because a $300 shoe drops….seems out of place.
If you’re going to point the finger at Nike, then fine. Just be ready to point the finger at anyone who exploits cheap labor, anyone who spends above and beyond their means for a premium product on occasion and the fact that Nike has 1000’s of shoe options that are fair priced. This is the Lambo of Nike hoop shoes. Not a Ford Focus.
-Ed.
Well, I’m too cheap to drink top-shelf liquor, so lol…
I do get the whole quality thing, but I just think it’s too exorbitant for my tastes. I did like the Ford Focus comment…
Kneegrows will be kneegrows no matter the price of some shoes. Now, let me go take a dump in my $2000 toilet. Peace!
Race is not the issue. Whites waste money on purchases that they don’t need and can’t afford also. Ever seen “Friends” or “Sex in the City”? I don’t know the figures but I see plenty of whites wearing upscale basketball shoes. There is a stereotype out there that blacks can’t handle money and spend it frivolously. Yes, it’s true in some instances but we have plenty of company.
One more thing Klown – with all due respect- I don’t understand what you mean by “young and stupid black parents”.
Are these shoes only being purchased by blacks who became parents at a young age? Are white and latino parents smarter than black ones and therefore do not make ill advised purchases?
Is every black parent who buys these shoes for their child stupid? What if they can afford it? What if the young man did something exceptional and the parents wanted to reward him. Do young black boys who buy these shoes have no self worth? Since you used the term black, it begs the question, if someone white buys these shoes, does it speak ill of his self worth?
Again, I ask the question, how much do shoes have to cost before you label the purchasers stupid? What’s the dividing line between an intelligent purchase and a stupid one?
If a white person had used the phrase “young and stupid black parents”, would you be offended?
Nike is a joke and to political…they can keep the garbage they make..overseas off child labor sweat shops..never will buy and will toss everything i own of nike into the dumpster..my own protest….isnt america beautiful..
I respect your opinion, even if I think it’s silly to burn something that you already spent good money on. And yes, America is beautiful and is a bad-ass country, and I love it…