Looking eight years into the future, I hope that Nike can make a particular shoe that was featured in a classic movie, into a reality. The movie that I am referring to is Back to the Future Part II, and the shoes that I am alluding to are the hoverboard shoes that Marty McFly wore in that movie. I think that it would be pretty cool if we could one day have a shoe that automatically tied themselves once we put them on, and had bright neon lights in them. Also, I would want the hoverboard that accompanied the shoes in that film. Eight years from now, I would want that to be a reality. I hope that Nike and the right engineers can collaborate to make the Air McFly and the hoverboard a reality.
There is one aspect of shoes that I have not enjoyed for the past few years. One of Nikes biggest money makers come from their retro shoe line. Ever so often, Nike releases shoes that were very popular in the past. In fact, I like the shoes from the past more than the new shoes that are being made today. While I appreciate the fact that Nike is giving us shoe fans a chance at getting shoes from the past that we weren't able to get back then, they are not doing these "retros" justice. Instead of making the shoes the exact way that they were made in the past, Nike is cutting corners, and making slight, to drastic changes to their classics. Shades of colors are not being matched to the past models, materials are not up to par with the past counterparts, and wrong logos are being put instead of the original logos. I wish that Nike could release a decent retro instead of giving us these butchered classics. (Note: The brighter neon pair is the original, which was released back in 1990)
Every holiday season, Jordan Brand releases a pair of shoes right before Christmas arrives. There is a big difference this year though. Instead of releasing one pair of shoes, the folks at Jordan Brand are releasing the iconic Air Jordan XI and the Air Jordan XII. To commemorate the 23rd Air Jordans, which came out in the beginning of this year, Jordan Brand has released packages of Air Jordans. The two pairs of shoes in these packs would equal 23, when you would add the particular shoes. For example, the Air Jordan 7's came with the Air Jordan 16's. 7+16=23. For the past few months, packages have been coming out, which have equaled 23. The 11 and 12 package that is coming out this Saturday, the 20th, will be the last package to be released this year. This package is the most anticipated of the bunch, and people will definitely be lining up this coming Saturday to get their hands on these shoes. I am still on the fence whether or not I will be purchasing them this Saturday since I have spent most of my money on Christmas presents already. It also doesn't seem as desirable since I already have the two shoes that will be coming in this package. I wouldn't mind having more though. Good luck to all who are going to try to buy this pack on Saturday.
Producer/Rapper Kanye West has taken the music industry and world by storm since he stepped onto the scene back in 2003. Mr. West has been critically acclaimed for his soulful beats and ground-breaking songs by listeners worldwide. He is looked up to as an artist by many in the industry and has grown into one of the biggest stars in hip hop today. Not only is Kanye known for his music, he is also known for his keen fashion sense. The Louis Vuitton Don has become a fashion icon and has started many trends. With his ability to set trends, Nike collaborated with Kanye to create his own sneaker, the Air Yeezy.
The Air Yeezy was made specifically for and by Kanye. He was the one who designed the shoe; Nike went out and made the Air Yeezy a reality. There are a few similarities to previous iconic Nikes that were released in the past, which are seen in the Air Yeezy. The first similarity that stands out is the fact that the Air Yeezy has the same midsole as the Air Jordan III. Next is the tounge on the Air Yeezy. It has the same exact shape as the tongue of the Air Jordan V. There is also a strap that goes over the forefoot of the Air Yeezy, which was used abundantly back in the early and mid 90’s with other Nike sneakers. One cool feature that he decided to include on his shoe was a glow-in-the-dark sole, which went along with the title of his tour. There is no word yet if these shoes will be released to the public, but if they do indeed hit retailers, you can bet that I will be trying to get my hands on a pair!
Kobe Bryant entered the NBA back in 1996.The Charlotte Hornets selected him as the 13th overall pick.As most of you know, he would later be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.Coming into the 1996 NBA draft, Kobe Bryant had a whole bunch of hype surrounding him.He was the top high school prospect at the time, which made him highly sought-after by college and NBA teams.He would eventually bypass college and go straight into the NBA.Since Kobe was such a hot commodity, upon his entrance into the NBA, Adidas decided to sign Kobe to an endorsement deal.
With his new endorsement deal with Adidas, Kobe would have his own line of clothing and basketball shoes that would be made by Adidas.Since Kobe would be signed to Adidas, he would not be able to wear any other athletic apparel or footwear made by any other company, other than Adidas.Kobe’s tenure at Adidas would last for 6 years.With the popularity that Kobe had garnered for those 6 years, many companies were out to sign Kobe.
During his time as an “unsigned” endorser of athletic footwear/apparel, the top shoe companies would send shoes to Kobe for a test run.During the 2002-2003 season, shoe companies such as Nike, And 1, Jordan Brand and Reebok would send shoes to Kobe.It was unprecedented for a player of Kobe’s caliber to not be signed by a specific shoe company.Most of the best players in the league all have endorsement deals with the bigger shoe companies in the industry today.A variety of footwear was at Kobe’s disposal.Every game would bring a brand-new shoe, from a different company, onto the court.Instead of being relegated to wearing one brand of shoes for a whole season, Kobe had a plethora to choose from.Kobe would eventually sign with Nike in June 2003.He would have his own signature line of shoes and apparel.His latest shoe, The Hyperdunk, was released this past July.In my opinion, Kobe made the right decision by choosing Nike.
The athletic shoe industry has become a multi-billion dollar industry that has grown exponentially throughout the years.Millions of people around the world spend hundreds and thousands of dollars every year on sneakers.Unfortunately for my wallet, I am one of the millions that spend a ridiculous amount of money on shoes every year.With the colossal amount of money to be made on sneakers today, it was only a matter of time before people started to take advantage.What I am talking about are the numerous knock-offs that are out in the marketplace today.
In the sneaker world, knock-offs are referred to as “factory variants”.Just as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada bags are counterfeited, Air Jordan's and other popular Nike shoes are being made in the same illegal manner.To the untrained eye, many of these knock-offs look just like the originals that they were designed after.Due to the demand that sneakers have in our society today, the market is flooded with a bunch of fake shoes.If a person was to search for a pair of Jordan's on eBay, more than half of the shoes that appear on the search results are counterfeit.The problem with these “fakes” is the fact that they are made illegally, outside of Nike's factories.Also, the materials that these shoes are made of are inferior in quality, compared to authentic shoes.Fake shoes are also less than likely to hold up to the normal wear and tear that real shoes go through.
I would like to consider myself an expert when it comes to spotting real shoes and fake shoes.I have seen enough Air Jordan's and Nike's in my life to know almost automatically if the shoe is authentic or not.I feel bad for people that end up purchasing these “factory variants” thinking that they are getting a real pair of shoes, when in reality they are fake.People who are new to this hobby should try and educate themselves so that they do not spend their hard-earned money on a pair of fake shoes.Shoe message boards like Niketalk is a great place to start gathering information.Nike has made a concerted effort to put a stop to the production of “factory variants”.As a Nike/Jordan Brand loyalist, I hope that they are able to rid the world of counterfeits.My message to everyone is, “Say no to fakes!”
According to Wikipedia, media democracy is a “Production and distribution model which promotes a mass media system that informs and empowers all members of society and enhances democratic values.” PurpleGorrilla is a blog that is about sneakers, mainly Nike sneakers. Some may think that shoes and media democracy have nothing in common, but I beg to differ. One shoe in particular comes to mind in terms of enhancing democratic values. The shoe that I am referring to is Nike’s most important shoe of all time. It is essentially the shoe that put them on the map. This shoe is the very first Air Jordan, worn by the great Michael Jordan.
The Air Jordan I first came out in 1985 during Michael Jordan’s rookie year in the NBA. One thing that many people may not know is the fact that the NBA banned this shoe when Nike first made it. The shoe was predominantly black with red accents, to match Michael’s Chicago Bulls uniform. Most if not all sneakers that were worn in the NBA back then were usually all white. The NBA felt that all of its players should have uniformity with white sneakers, so they decided to ban the shoe from being worn on the court. Michael wore his sneakers anyway, and the NBA fined him $5,000 for every game that he wore them in. Due to Michael’s great play during his rookie season, his popularity grew and so did the demand for the shoe. Realizing how dumb it was to ban a shoe because of certain colors, the NBA lifted the ban and the rest is now history. The Air Jordan line has now grown into 23 separate models.
In my opinion, the NBA was running a dictatorship with their policy of white basketball shoes on the courts at all times. When Nike and Michael Jordan introduced the Air Jordan I, it was immediately turned away. In a democracy, people are all equal, and are entitled to their own thoughts and opinions, regardless of any outside variables. By bringing a little bit of “color” onto a pair of basketball shoes, I feel that Nike and Michael Jordan indirectly promoted democracy. Though they may have not intended to start a “shoe revolution”, Nike and Jordan did. Instead of the basketball shoe market remaining boring and bland with all white basketball shoes, Nike and Michael Jordan gave the market a breath of fresh air. Players in the NBA can now wear whatever shoe, with whatever color that they may want to wear. This is all attributed to Nike and Michael Jordan. In my opinion, the multi-million dollar basketball shoe industry began when Michael Jordan stepped onto the courts with the Air Jordan I’s. Basketball shoes were once in a dictatorship, but are now in a democracy.
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