Niketalk

There is one website that I visit on a daily basis. This website provides me with all of the information that I could ever need when it comes to sneakers. The website that I am referring to is Niketalk. I discovered Niketalk back in 2000, when I was a Junior in high school. I wanted to find a website that could supply me with the most in-depth and updated information with regards to Nike/Jordan Brand sneakers. I simply performed a Google search and eventually stumbled upon the site. Niketalk is a community-based message board, where registered members discuss, give information, and showcase sneakers. Back in 2000, Niketalk was a pretty small community. Since Niketalk’s start on December 9th, 1999, it has grown to over 71,000 members, and over 16 million member posts. It is safe to say that Niketalk is the most popular message board for sneakers, and the destination for anything sneaker-related.

Prior to Niketalk, I would not know when upcoming sneakers would release in the stores. I would have to rely on word-of-mouth, or head to the actual store and ask an employee when a particular shoe would come out. Most of the time, the information that I would receive from others would not be true, or would be pretty vague. With Niketalk, most of the information that is divulged is very accurate. The members provide information about which stores are going to get a particular shoe, when they are going to get them, and at times, the quantity that a store may have. Niketalk has helped me obtain many shoes on numerous occasions.

Niketalk has grown so much that even some Nike employees have become members. These Nike employees have also provided beneficial information on upcoming shoes. There have been instances on Niketalk where a Nike employee has given out too much information. Some employees have leaked information onto Niketalk that was not supposed to be known by the public. Images of Air Jordan’s and Nike’s that are slated to be released have been shown on Niketalk, when they were not supposed to be shown at all. The Niketalk community benefited from these pics, but the folks at Nike were not happy at all. Since Niketalk is a non-profit organization, it would probably be a PR nightmare if they were to take legal action on the website. It has also been known that Nike employees, who are not Niketalk members, snoop around the site to find out which sneakers we like and dislike. Niketalk has essentially become a huge focus group for Nike/Jordan Brand. They watch our moves and we watch for theirs. I am glad that I found Niketalk back in 2000.

Eight years from now...

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.

The Rant

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)

Holiday Season

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.

Air Yeezy

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!

Black Mamba

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 Problem With Factory Variants

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!”