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?

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.

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.