Jordan Retro 1 '85 Black/Red Feb 14th 2025

[Neocortex]

You know Niketalk has fallen when the mods will delete your posts for having too many swear words or something but let you openly promote fakes here unchecked

Even worse when all the counterfeit supporters here team up and pretend that giving money to counterfeit manufacturers won’t help scammers better scam the real collectors trying to avoid fakes

 

[brian8598]

Here is what I don’t understand.

For $250, they should manufacture these in the USA.. Literally NONE of the rep manufacturers are doing this so this would totally make these stand out. Instead we are getting the same old manufacturing/quality from Asia but now with an increased $250 price point for some reason.

Those Italian-made joints were like $1k. USA-made would either be similar availability and pricing, or more widely available, lower quality, and probably still about the same price. There just isn't a manufacturing base for footwear here except for New Balance USA-made stuff, boots in MN and the pacific northwest (VERY small scale relatively and slow-*** turnaround times), and super small scale operations. It isn't happening here, especially for $250.

 

[trappedintime]

Those Italian-made joints were like $1k. USA-made would either be similar availability and pricing, or more widely available, lower quality, and probably still about the same price. There just isn't a manufacturing base for footwear here except for New Balance USA-made stuff, boots in MN and the pacific northwest (VERY small scale relatively and slow-*** turnaround times), and super small scale operations. It isn't happening here, especially for $250.

Oh it could happen but it’d require hundreds of millions of dollars investment and flipping the entire Nike model of 40+ years on its head. So yeah, I guess it couldn’t happen

 

[staffsgtdignam]

Those Italian-made joints were like $1k. USA-made would either be similar availability and pricing, or more widely available, lower quality, and probably still about the same price. There just isn't a manufacturing base for footwear here except for New Balance USA-made stuff, boots in MN and the pacific northwest (VERY small scale relatively and slow-*** turnaround times), and super small scale operations. It isn't happening here, especially for $250.

I mean Adidas made Yeezy Foamrunners in the USA and Nike has waaay more resources than they or New Balance do.

If Nike/JB wanted to do it, they could-just like they made GRs of OG Air Jordan 2s in Italy in 1986.

 

[staffsgtdignam]

You know Niketalk has fallen when the mods will delete your posts for having too many swear words or something but let you openly promote fakes here unchecked

Even worse when all the counterfeit supporters here team up and pretend that giving money to counterfeit manufacturers won’t help scammers better scam the real collectors trying to avoid fakes

I mean what do you expect to happen when Nike/JB raise the retail price of a shoe that was $160 not too long ago and currently $180-$200 to now $250? This is only going to exacerbate the rise of fakes/reps, esp since quality has gotten better and better.

I’m not advocating for fakes but moves like this by Nike/JB undoubtedly fuel the rise of them.

 

[Neocortex]

I mean what do you expect to happen when Nike/JB raise the retail price of a shoe that was $160 not too long ago and currently $180-$200 to now $250? This is only going to exacerbate the rise of fakes/reps, esp since quality has gotten better and better.

I’m not advocating for fakes but moves like this by Nike/JB undoubtedly fuel the rise of them.

I expect desperate hypebeasts to keep doing desperate hypebeast things whether it’s fake Jordans fake Polo fake LV fake Rolex… but I expect members of a forum called Niketalk to not intentionally support a counterfeit industry that inevitably f***s over their fellow collectors

 

[brian8598]

I mean Adidas made Yeezy Foamrunners in the USA and Nike has waaay more resources than they or New Balance do.

If Nike/JB wanted to do it, they could-just like they made GRs of OG Air Jordan 2s in Italy in 1986.

Squirting foam into a mold is a process you could teach someone to do in an hour (once the machinery is set up). Making a reproduction of a shoe made in 1985 with natural materials is a completely different animal that takes more machinery, many steps and processes, and people who really know what they're doing.

 

[Bert.]

lol how are they a “horrible color way with zero appeal” when they are a plain white, decent quality leather shoe with a red outsole and swoosh?

Boring af design? Sure, but it’s not like they’re some hideous design like the Brotherhoods or Lettermans or something lol

Burgundy is not a popular color

 

[staffsgtdignam]

Burgundy is not a popular color

Based on what?

 

[staffsgtdignam]

Squirting foam into a mold is a process you could teach someone to do in an hour (once the machinery is set up). Making a reproduction of a shoe made in 1985 with natural materials is a completely different animal that takes more machinery, many steps and processes, and people who really know what they're doing.

So then how did Nike make several GRs of Air Jordan 2s in Italy in 1987? That includes all the steps you outlined.

 

[staffsgtdignam]

I expect desperate hypebeasts to keep doing desperate hypebeast things whether it’s fake Jordans fake Polo fake LV fake Rolex… but I expect members of a forum called Niketalk to not intentionally support a counterfeit industry that inevitably f***s over their fellow collectors

I don’t disagree with the former half of your comment but you really don’t think Nike/JB themselves are screwing over collectors by increasing retail prices for retros this much?

 

[engineer]

Chinese factories can make high quality shoes with high quality materials if that’s what Nike wants. It wouldn’t make much sense for Nike to try to move manufacturing to the US unless some crazy tariffs are imposed.

 

[Magic33]

So then how did Nike make several GRs of Air Jordan 2s in Italy in 1987? That includes all the steps you outlined.

That was 40 years ago. You don't think things have changed since then? Manufacturing, shipping and materials cost?

Gas also cost less than a dollar.

 

[Bert.]

Based on what?

Proof is on the pudding

Even white/red shoes in general aren’t hot

 

[Neocortex]

I don’t disagree with the former half of your comment but you really don’t think Nike/JB themselves are screwing over collectors by increasing retail prices for retros this much?

Is Gucci “screwing” anyone over when they charge $1000 for a shirt that cost $10 to make? That’s a terrible excuse to get fakes. Nobody is forcing you to buy these things

 

[Gordonson]

Yet another hilarious Jordan Brand decision. I'm still down for one pair, but at $250 miss me with all that scrambling for raffles and shooting my shot on every retailer ********.

I love Black/Red Is so I got $250 + tax for a pair with some soft leather and a nice shade of red as long as I can wake up and tap 'Purchase.'

 

[frank mucus]

Yet another hilarious Jordan Brand decision. I'm still down for one pair, but at $250 miss me with all that scrambling for raffles and shooting my shot on every retailer ********.

I love Black/Red Is so I got $250 + tax for a pair with some soft leather and a nice shade of red as long as I can wake up and tap 'Purchase.'

At that price it needs the correct shade of red, not that 2016 bs, bigger swoosh than the ones currently on the 85s, and a special packaging.

 

[Davey Magoo]

I’ll probably be dead in ten years.

…I just need one pair.

 

[Davey Magoo]

Yet another hilarious Jordan Brand decision. I'm still down for one pair, but at $250 miss me with all that scrambling for raffles and shooting my shot on every retailer ********.

I love Black/Red Is so I got $250 + tax for a pair with some soft leather and a nice shade of red as long as I can wake up and tap 'Purchase.'

Have any of the 85s had soft leather?

 

[andoneflip]

For $250 i hope I get one pair

 

[rainking]

Makes sense, even it's not financially convenient for many. If I'm Nike I'm raising price to near what these kids will charge after buying the shoes up. So yeah the arrogance of the modern resellers, the OG "sneakerheads" and "enthusiasts" not checking them, and even lauding them in many cases, and Nike (and it's shareholders as someone mentioned) feeling stiffed out of money, is what got us here today. I don't see how anyone is surprised. And honestly this cuts out the small time fledging resellers, which sucks for small time bright-eyed would-be entrepeneurs. I guess. But yeah....this was def coming. I honestly feel like this is later than I expected something like this to happen.

And I'll most likely be in for one pair. Mayyyybe two. But as I age...I'm getting over that "one to rock one to stock" mentality; the fake scarcity is a contributing factor this very price point. So I might just get one pair.

The upside to the price raise is that it squeezes out the resellers.

The downside to it is more people rocking fakes.

I understand this idea increased prices can dent resale on the surface, but I’m not convinced it’s really the main motivator. The reason, I suspect, Nike hasn’t just started charging resale prices for hardly anything is that it appears to me to be a smaller market than it may seem.

Nike’s trying to move hundreds of thousands of pairs. Within that buyer group are people willing to pay double, triple and more for select releases—but how many of them are there? Let’s say a release is made to the tune of 500,000 pairs. How many of those pairs truly trade on the resale market? Let’s say 100,000. That’s only 20 percent of the potential market that is actually willing to pay those prices, it’s not the majority of consumers. If Nike thought it could move these huge volumes at reseller prices, then I think it would have charged these prices for a long time already. The bottom line is that with each significant price hike on any product, it will reach a tipping point where the number of people willing or able to pay it automatically decreases. Even when we’re talking “luxury” goods and an affluent customer base. And it’s rather dubious to describe the majority of sneaker buyers as that, I suspect.

So why are these $250? Probably because Nike thinks it’s still a super hyped shoe that is so in demand and so popular that there are indeed enough people who are just willing to pay that price for this specific colorway and model, and still move all its inventory. If Nike REALLY gave a damn about killing resale, the solution is simple: make more pairs. Everything else is a smokescreen.

 

[ALNotSure]

Underrated comment.

$250 is wild for these Breds but they’ve also completely killed the AJ 1 hype already so I’m not sure how much resell is even going to exist on this pair.

Yup. $250 made in the same factories is wild.

 

[ShoeGod1423]

Gonna be limited as **** at that price.. watch..

 

[engineer]

I understand this idea increased prices can dent resale on the surface, but I’m not convinced it’s really the main motivator. The reason, I suspect, Nike hasn’t just started charging resale prices for hardly anything is that it appears to me to be a smaller market than it may seem.

Nike’s trying to move hundreds of thousands of pairs. Within that buyer group are people willing to pay double, triple and more for select releases—but how many of them are there? Let’s say a release is made to the tune of 500,000 pairs. How many of those pairs truly trade on the resale market? Let’s say 100,000. That’s only 20 percent of the potential market that is actually willing to pay those prices, it’s not the majority of consumers. If Nike thought it could move these huge volumes at reseller prices, then I think it would have charged these prices for a long time already. The bottom line is that with each significant price hike on any product, it will reach a tipping point where the number of people willing or able to pay it automatically decreases. Even when we’re talking “luxury” goods and an affluent customer base. And it’s rather dubious to describe the majority of sneaker buyers as that, I suspect.

So why are these $250? Probably because Nike thinks it’s still a super hyped shoe that is so in demand and so popular that there are indeed enough people who are just willing to pay that price for this specific colorway and model, and still move all its inventory. If Nike REALLY gave a damn about killing resale, the solution is simple: make more pairs. Everything else is a smokescreen.

They did something similar with the Chicago 2s. They retailed for $200 while every other cw was $170.

 

[staffsgtdignam]

Yup. $250 made in the same factories is wild.

I don’t understand the thinking of all the people who think this is acceptable.

This price increase seems like a total FU to loyal longtime Nike/JB customers tbh. In this short of a period of time, have we EVER seen a price increase on a model as bad as this?