From Jordans to Kobes, collectible-sneaker market has grown, evolved since 1980s
By Jonathan Starkey, Washington Post
Of the many thousands of people who watched the Lakers game on Christmas Day, some didn't tune in to admire Kobe Bryant's prowess; they swooned over his sneakers - even if they might have been inspired by the Grinch (designed, perhaps, to steal attention).
The shoes, the Christmas Day edition of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, are a spectacle in lime-green, detailed with red trim and polyurethane nodules that look like a snake's skin.
Leveraging an athlete's superstardom and calling to mind a much-loved children's story, they stitch together status and nostalgia and are the sort of thing that kids and adults alike might hope for as they bound out of bed and race for the Christmas tree.
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After reading the article, in a 2 paragraph response (a minimum of 5 sentences for each paragraph), answer the following questions. In paragraph # 1, summarize the article in 5 main points. Which point do you think stands out the most and why? Be specific with your thoughts. Read the following quote from the article. "The days of the dead-stock collector are long gone," said Halfhill, explaining that many are abandoning an old sneakerhead tradition of not wearing the shoes they buy. "People don't care so much about the flair or the flash they might have cared about in '06 or '07. They are caring more about a shoe they can get a lot of use out of." In paragraph # 2, discuss whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Why do you feel the way you do? Be specific with your thoughts.
Please sign you name to the bottom of your blog entry.
This Article is mostly about Air Jordan’s, made by Nike. It explains a little of the history of Air Jordan’s. It also talks about how successful the shoes are, and how much people are willing to pay for them. It defines such sneaker-addicts as a “sneakerhead”. Air Jordan’s will always be really successful and really popular.
ReplyDeleteI don’t care about shoes. I feel like being addicted to shoes and spending thousands on them is stupid. I buy one pair at a time, and that’s it. I like shoes, but not to that extent. Once my shoes are done for, and falling apart, I get a new pair. I would never buy a pair of shoes and not wear them, that’s such a waste of money. If I buy something, I’ll be sure to use it.
- Luis Reyes
ReplyDeleteThere are many points in this article and some of the important ones are the pricing of the shoes, how much they have made, and how much the company of Jordan’s has increased sales over the years. Many people love Jordan’s and will pay huge amounts just for a single pair of them. Now a days people are wearing there shoes more and not just buying them to have them and wear them maybe once a week when they go out somewhere wear they can attract a crowd with them by looking fresh. Its all about getting the shoes to wear them all the time now and have them do what there supposed to do for you.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don’t agree with that statement. People still buy new fresh shoes and wear them once or twice a week and protect them like the shoes are there babies. I think having multiple amounts of shoes is dumb because it’s a waste of money. I mean yeah shoes should look neat and nice but that means you have one pair for recreational uses and another for looking good in, not 50 pairs and one for each day of the week. It’s a waste of money because shoes are already expensive enough for what they’re made more.
Jeremy Wagner
The article basically just touched on the fact that Kobe’s shoes were one of the main attractions on Christmas day. It also talked about the material the shoe was made from. The article stated that the shoe was based off of the cartoon “The Grinch That Stole Christmas”. The article compares the way that Kobe and Jordan go about selling their shoes. The article also shows how Kobe is following Jordan not only on the court but in the business world also.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement because it is very true. People today don’t care as much about who is selling the shoe but more what it looks like and how much use they can get from. I know because the former NBA player Penny Hardaway who is not known to be one of the greatest just re-released his shoes and they are selling like crazy. Whereas Magic Johnson, who is one of the greatest, is having problems selling his sneakers. Guys like Kobe and Jordan won’t ever have trouble selling shoes because of the shoe looks as well as their skills
This article is about the evolution of the sneaker from just a shoe a person could wear, to a shoe that looks good and is flashy. Air Jordan came out with its first signature shoe in 1985, which spearheaded a shoe revolution. Now, people are buying flashier shoes, because in some areas, it brings street cred. The flashy shoe era started earlier than Jordan; it started with Dr. J. in the 1970s, when he had red Converses to match the 76ers uniform. This makes sense, because if you don’t wear black everyday, and want to put color and style on your shoes, why not get a shoe like Reebok, Nike, Adidas, etc?
ReplyDeleteThat one guy Halfhill said that people aren’t necessarily buying shoes for flash anymore. He contends that people are buying shoes that they can get a lot of use out of. I don’t fully agree with him, but I see his point. People want to get use out of their shoes, but on the other hand want to look good with colors. Some people have tendencies to buy stuff for long term use, while others buy shoes to look good with colors and designs and not wear the shoes everyday.
-Joey "Boom" Dolan
first things first. Kobe shoes are destined to fail. As soon as he starts losing, say goodbye to his shoes. Next, those shoes will only be popular during the holidays. Jordans will never fail. Thats it. They will not fail. they are forever good. Plus, Kobe shoes are just Halloween and Christmas shoes. 1 billion dollars a year. That is what stands out the most. Jordans cannot fail because they have to big a fan base.
ReplyDeleteI think that in Jordans, functionallity and style coexist in these amazing sneakers. I think that Jordan sneakers can do anything but hardcore running and sports that require kleets. thats it. Jordans are amazing. They are the nest in basketball and just in regular old style.
Danny
There are many interesting things in this article. One of the main points was that people buy basketball shoes that they would never wear to actually play basketball. In this article it talked about how shoes have been changed in the last decade. Another main point was how Kobe Bryant wore special Christmas shoes on the Christmas game. Those are the main points.
ReplyDeleteI think that it’s dumb for people to buy shoes that they are never going to wear. It’s stupid because it defeats the purpose of the shoe. Shoes are made to be worn. Shoes are supposed to get dirty and be replaced. That is why I feel the way I do.
Abel Henok
This article, which is about a variety of different shoes, has many different interesting details in it. One main point is about how back in the 70’s and 80’s, if you wore a pair of shoes seen on someone such as Erving or Magic Johnson around in an urban area, it showed you had street cred and was not afraid of getting robbed. Another interesting point was how popular the Jordan brand was. It started off strong, but they had no idea it would make more than $1 Billion a year. Talking about a variety of different shoes also seems to be one of the main topics in this article. Just by page 2, they have already mentioned the new Bryant shoes, the premium skateboard Nike shoes (which sell for up to $400), and the majority of the Jordan shoes. One more main topic is how much money people are willing to spend on just one pair of shoes. For instance, the premium skateboard Nike shoes sell for up to $400. Another pair, the Cool Greys, sold for up to $325 at Fight Club. The final main topic is how shoe production has increased over the past few years. Around the 80’s shoes would sell for around $50 a pair. Now, some of them sell for up to $400, and that price is still increasing. It is amazing what a shoe goes for these days.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Halfhill that wearing more valuable shoes is coming back around, but I do not agree with the fact that people are stopping the Sneakerhead tradition of not wearing the expensive shoes as much. I would much rather just get a nice pair of shoes that I could wear for a long time then a pair of $400 shoes that I would just hide in my closet and not get any use out of. However, many people would disagree with me. People still think that hiding your shoes in the closet is the correct thing to do. Everyone has their own opinions; it’s just a matter of how much you care about your shoes.
The five points of the article are price, pronmotion, people, product and place. tthey are all explained in detail and significance to what they all do. I believe the most important point is people because the people buy and sell which helps bring in profit and revenue thus helping bussinesses and companys. This article is about air jordans and the company Nike. It tells the histroy and how they are increasing on how many people are buying them in the market.
ReplyDeleteI dont really focus or have an interest in shoes because a shoe doesnt make a person. since i dont care that much about shoes im not going to spend lots of money on them so when they are all used up ill throw them away and get a new pair. I dont get why people spend lots of money on shoes and never wear them.
Jake Mallow
I think that the one most thing that stands out to me is that people are starting to go from jordan shoes to kobes. Because jordan shoes have been out since 1985. Now people are starting to forget them and go with kobe's shoes. In the late 2000's people care more about what shoes that they have and style of them. Also now it is rare for people to find the 1'st or 2'nd and so on, year of jordans. Thats why i think people are starting to go with kobes because they think its going to be the way jordans are now. I can agree with that statement because people do what a shoe they can do a lot with. Also now a days shoe companys are leaving stuff out of the shoe and some are just making shoes that no one wants. in 06' and 07' I agree, yes people did want to be more flashy because of the time of the age. Now I think that people with try harder to find the perfict shoe to go with the outfit.
ReplyDeleteThis article is about sneakers that I person buys and than wears the shoes cause he thinks they look good to buying they just to be flashy. Air Jordan are shoes that are made by Nike and they came out in the mid 1980’s that changed the shoe revolution. Than Dr. J got his red converses to match his Philadelphia 76ers uniform that he had on during the games that was during the 70’s. I think that makes a lot of sense since it matches the uniform id rather have shoes that match rather than flashy so I think that’s a great idea. Also the shoe that Kobe had on during the Christmas game was cool that it had Christmas colors that also I think was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI think that’s it’s a good idea kinda you should buy shoes so that you can wear them I wouldn’t buy shoes just to have them you want to show they off when you get them. Plus they cost a lot just to have but also cost to much to wear if you wear them out than you wasted a lot of money. So if I was getting these shoes I wouldn’t wear them so that you got them dirty. I probably wouldn’t buy them since I go through shoes pretty fast. Theres really no point in having shoes if your not going to wear them.
Keith Krause
I think that the 5 points in the article are product, price, place, promotion and people. Each one of these is explained in great detail in the article. The point I think that stands out the most is people. In the article it talks about people getting street cred if the were the shoe or people who are sneaker heads.
ReplyDeleteI this that I halfway agree way agrees with this statement. Some people buy the shoes and don’t wear them and some people buy them and wear them. But the people who wear them usually keep there shoes really clean so that the always look like new. The reason I think that people started wearing the shoes is because the raising price of the Jordan’s. Shoes are so expensive these days that you almost have to wear them.
tommy Sklopan
This Article is mostly about Air Jordan’s. It talks about the success it has on selling the product. Air Jordan’s has always been successful and popular for our generation. Not only does it talk about Jordan’s, it also talks about how people are shoes addict. They’re known to be called “sneaker head.”
ReplyDeleteI think buying shoes isn’t a crime but the amount you spend is just ridiculous. People spend thousands of dollars a year on shoes when that money can go for other things. I understand buying a pair a month but people buy so many pairs that they want new shoes everyday.
Bryant’s new shoe might spring into a shoe line, like Jordan’s. People suspect Bryant of using his shoes to steal attention during his Christmas game. Many people are “sneakerheads” as defined in the article as people who buy shoes, put them in a closet and never wear them. Most people who buy these shoes will never ever use them on a court, or let them do what shoes do. Shoes are designed to be worn out and used.
ReplyDeleteShoes are meant to be worn out, they are designed to wear out eventually, that way you have to go and buy new shoes. I think if you spend $200 on shoes, you better wear them. It’d be a waste of money to lock them away in a closet or never use them. If people started wearing their shoes, they might realize that thousands of other people bought that exact $200 shoe because they saw Kobe Bryant wearing it on the same night.
Luke
This article is all about shoe industry. It talks about how people started buying shoes in the mid 1980s as a collection. It also talks about how people just buy the shoe to have it, but they do not want to use it. Another thing about the article is that the sales of shoes are doing very well even on this recession. One thing that stands out is how expensive these shoes are. They can even be worth $400.
ReplyDeleteI think that the quote is trying to explain that people are using what they are buying. And I totally agree with that statement. I think that is foolish to buy something, specially that expensive, and not use it. These people that waste thousands of dollars on a pair of sneakers that they would probably never use is dumb. You can use money to do other things like save it or invest it, buy not buy that many sneakers.
Jaime Avila
This article explains how popular these shoes are among people and why. These shoes show how much confidence and style a person has by owning a pair of them. It also shows how much money this person has because these shoes are so expensive.Even with the recession and the money issues Yu says he is making just as much money as he did in 2006.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. Alot of people dont have the kind of money to spend on 300 dollar shoes and want to save money. The best way to do that is to either buy cheaper shoes or ones that may be a little more expensive but that they can use for a long period of time. I dont know many people that will spend alot of money on a pair of shoes they will not wear that often.
Andrew Foster
The first point of this article is that shoe collecting is very common in the American culture today. There has been a “sneakerhead” mentality sine the 70s and 80s but now it is to extreme heights. Anther point is that sneakerheads will pay anything they have to to get the shoes they want. Even though there is a recession shoes are something that has not been affected very much. Popularity in shoes has come from musical artist and sports stars alike and they are what influence the sneakerhaed mentality. Those who collect shoes can even make profit off there collection.
ReplyDeleteI think that it depend on the person. Some people have multiple pairs of shoes they don’t wear to certain place because they know they might mess them up. Others want to show off their new kicks so they are known for always having the new trends. There is a need for durability and quality because people do not accept crappy shoes. If they are willing to pay the money they want something that they could wear if they wanted to.
MAggie Sawyers
I think what’s really interesting of the shoe is the snake theme as it has the lime green and detailed with a red trim. What was also interesting was not that many people admire Kobe’s new product the Christmas edition of the Nike zoom Kobe VI. Kids have thousands of dollars in filling their closet full of shoe but barely use them. The first Nike Air Jordan in black and Red were in 1985.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement because I think it’s dumb to spend so much money on your shoe that you would barely use but instead buy the shoes the your going to use so often and get your money worth spending on.
The main reason on this articl is that lots of people get obsessed with atletict shoes. Its jordans shoes at that time he was the best basketball player to have his shoes it ment a lot the the american people.Also The article basically just touched on the fact that Kobe’s shoes were one of the main attractions on Christmas day. For me i wish i had Ronlado's shoes he is a soccer player from brazil at that time he was the world best player and he still play's soccer.Any ways now people are stuck with kobe they admire him because he is now the best player but he has lots of comptition.
ReplyDeleteThe article is about the Nike's Air Jordan and it has a little of history on it so i might have to agree with it because the statement is true. and the market has grown since 1980's the main reson is jordan and kobe have lots of fans so the nike campany made lot about it.people now this days dont care about the seller they just want the shoe and be happy. But spending thousands of money on shoes is a wast of money i dont think i would do the,but i like shoe not that kind of way.
This article starts out by talking about Kobe's new shoe and how they are attention grabbers. Then it shifts and starts talking aout Air Jordan's, which are made by NIke. It gives some background information about the brand and then brags a little about how successfull the shoe is. "Sneakerhead" is a term that is used in this article to describe someone who is willing to spend a ridiculous amount on shoes, in which he/she will most likely never wear on the court.
ReplyDeleteLike i have said before i dont care about the way my shoes look, or how many i have. I personally will only buy shoes that "match" with anything i wear, that way i dont have to have a new pair of shoes with every outfit. I think that is a waste of money to do and kind of looks retarded. I agree with this quote to some extent becuse i still see people buying and wearing flashy shoes around that probably has horrible quality.
This article is about the new Zoom Kobe VI Christmas Day edition shoes made by Nike. Kobe wore the new shoes on the Lakers Christmas Day basketball game. The new Nike shoes was inspired by the story, Grinch, and worn by Kobe Bryant. The article also explains a little of the history of Air Jordan’s as well and how it has become very popular. It also talks about how successful the shoes are, and how much people are willing to pay for them. It has grown so much that from kid trying to show off new kicks at school and becoming sneaker-addicts or “sneakerheads”.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement, because many people who buy the new edition shoes, later on don’t wear the same shoes anymore, because they think they are old fashion. People today don’t care as much about who is selling the shoe, but more about what it looks like or how much they cost. For example, in soccer, there are new soccer cleats worn by Ronaldo, that many people now just look at it and see if they really need it or not. I feel this way, because I am one those people. Sometimes I see shoes that other players or famous people wear and don’t really care anymore, because most of the time I don’t really need them. I used to care about who wore them, but now it's not the same anymore.
Anna Vallejo
The article is mainly about Air Jordan by the company Nike and how they are advertised. It talks about how much people are willing to spend for these novelty shoes. It includes things such as the pricing, how much they have made and more off of the series. I think the main point is the popularity of the shoe and how well it sells once a new one is out on the market, especially when being advertised by someone like Kobe on such a big stage such as the Christmas game. It includes things about how successful the shoes are, they always will be and have been popular.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with that statement but only to an extent, because many people will buy the new Jordan series shoes because of the looks, but they are often used on the court to maximize performance. While earlier in the 21st century there were tons of shoes more centered towards looks mainly, it does seem that there is a sway these days towards the durability. Especially with a recession hurting the economy many people want their expensive shoes to last as well.
Andrew frawley
The shoes, the Christmas Day edition of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, are a spectacle in lime-green, detailed with red trim and polyurethane nodules that look like a snake's skin. Nike's black-and-red Air Jordan I, Now in its 25th year, the Jordan brand is a $1 billion-a-year franchise that operates independently from Nike's broader basketball business. With this release, Nike has built on its own tradition of creating shoes that inspire a cult following. Indeed, kids happy to sport cool kicks at school sometimes grow into devoted collectors - or sneakerheads - who dish out thousands of dollars for a closet full of shoes they might never dare wear on a court.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Halfhill’s statement. Back then, it was all about the look of your shoes. Nowadays, more people care about the quality of their shoes. You see more running shoes outside and in schools. No one really wants to buy a shoe that looks old after a few days of wearing because of the creases on it. Shoes that don’t wear and tear, easily, are what people look for nowadays.