I'm just going to post this here, to shed some light on the whole grey market deal. This quoted from NikeDealer aka Rockdeep. So this is obviously QFT
I HAD to chuckle when I read the thread starters proclamation of Nike selling B Grades to websites.
I made a LONG post I cant find to reference but it made reference to fakes, and "extra's" leaving from the factories of Nike.
1. There is a HUGE difference between fakes and illegally sold Nikes.
Fakes are made from Fabricated materials OUTSIDE of a Nike website. There are several grades of Fakes. People need to get out of the idea that MOLDS are stolen and they are made that way. A mold is what Nike takes of feet to get an idea of an exact shoe size for their players.
People within Factories are getting ahold of Technical Packages called Tech Packs which are sent from Nike Product Line Managers/ Engineers to their counterpart in different factories. These files are not encrypted (which is completely possible)
From there the same process used to create a REAL Nike shoe is replicated either in a make shift factory or even at factories AFTER HOURS. How do I know all this? From doing ALOT of research when I ran a site called FakePolice.com years ago and working with a few folks within Nike to get a gauge of how the process works and where the failures are in the process.
I proposed a procedure which could save Nike literally BILLIONS in Lost revenue but these things fell on deaf ears, as CWK will attest many folks within the walls hate being told from someone OUTSIDE of NIKE how to FIX something WITHING Nike.
Smaller steps were taken to prevent this as ebay has significantly cut down on the amount of fakes sold on their site due to suits Nike threatened to make.
Next. Many sites get their shoes from actual factory workers who have the access to literally lift a crap load of shoes out in its OFF HOURS. To be clear.. and this is known by some but realized by many others, that fakes are not a HUGE terrorist support mechanism but it IS a huge part of the Asian Mafia.
Fake Nation has their own set of Designers. Their own set of Product Line Engineers making sure the shoes they produce fit the tooling they make. Hence the hideous and sometimes intriguing Hybrids and Mash ups you see.
They watch this and other Sneaker Websites to see what it is YOU clamor for that Nike is not producing and make it readily available. Cole Haans.. Reeboks.. EVERY shoe is replicated.. just not as much as Nike.
Their are other grades of fakes that are done in basements from folks who just do what they can with what they have.
I mean has anyone ever asked the question: Is everyone in Asia BORN with the ability to produce sneakers? I mean come on. The same folks IN the legal factories and I say legal when OPEN for business are the same folks working after hours. This isnt a skill you are born with and THIS and THIS alone is how you can see the difference in the quality of fakes.
For a time their were Jordan XI Concords which were produced in fake nation and still are which NEVER yellowed compared to the REAL Jordans which did. There was a time when Foamposite was made of a HARD sturdy yet malleable material which would eventually fit snug around your foot. Then Fake nation started producing a softer HORRID version of the Lebron IV which had Foamposite material.
Soon you had Nike making the Foam Lites. Coincidence?
Listen. There are soooo many layers to this I could write a book. But to think Nike would SELL their B Grades and NOT stamp them to unknown websites who will sell them early is the MOST absurd crap ever written.
For those asking about why Nike wont shut down certain websites, its because they dont put money into their IP (Intellectual Property) Lawyers . Reebok/Adidas and even New Balance put a large portion of money into keeping sites and factories from producing or selling fake items. Dolce & Gabanna, Coach and other Industry outlets do the same.
This is something huge that Nike has shown minimal interest in stopping. As I said before. if Nike isn't interested in doing more.. why should I care? Instead they want to bust barbershop dudes trying to hustle to make ends meet? Yeah its not right..... but just like busting drug dealers... they replace them with new runners.
When a site is taken down.. 5 more pop up. When you sue or bust someone at the flee market or barbershop plenty more will arise selling product. The means to stop it where it stops.. RIGHT in their building is the problem.
I mean I'll take it a step further... there were dudes selling REAL Nike Product to underground sellers on the PE Market... and all they did at first after a long time was move dude who was doing it to another section of Nike and the dude who let them know about it was fired. lololol.
Im still loyal to my boys who work there so when it comes to making your purchases... yes.. be cautious... but when it comes to Randy.. I guess alot of people forget Air - Randy aka Promo Shoes.. aka Kitty Pig used to all be the same person.....aka Dennis.
Dennis has ALOT of connections in Asia.. ALOT. He has the means to ALOT of resources as well. I'll leave it at that cause Im not one to knock the next mans hustle either..but I'll say this.. at least the shoes he's selling has the EXACT same materials and workers that Nike has....... You do the math...
If Randy were smart...he'd open back up his site.. lower his prices and make a killing because buying early's cool.... but threads like that will make everyone leary of doing it now.
Gain that trust back and go from there. I dont promote fakes... but I'll never hate on Marquee Sole, or other sites like it because they are hustling just like us here in the states...
