TEAM AIR FORCE 1 VOL. 6 AKA STOP PM'ING US

[mnadel]

alot of these collectors are oblivious to the shape change of the af1

so they don't understand

Think about this way - if we were blind to the shape as well OR if a lot of the newer colorways released in the 90s, we would agree with a lot of their choices

We hate their choices because we are attuned to how nike ruined the sneaker but I guess they don't see it

 

[mnadel]

alot of these collectors are oblivious to the shape change of the af1

so they don't understand

Think about this way - if we were blind to the shape as well OR if a lot of the newer colorways released in the 90s, we would agree with a lot of their choices

We hate their choices because we are attuned to how nike ruined the sneaker but I guess they don't see it

 

[8tothe24]

To me the main killer is the quality of the leather and a lot of these funky material choices. I could look past the change in shape if the quality of the materials were 1000x better. Nike is charging reseller prices for retail and giving us variant quality (I guess that includes the shape as well).

 

[8tothe24]

To me the main killer is the quality of the leather and a lot of these funky material choices. I could look past the change in shape if the quality of the materials were 1000x better. Nike is charging reseller prices for retail and giving us variant quality (I guess that includes the shape as well).

 

[cmoneymontana]

Originally Posted by 8tothe24

To me the main killer is the quality of the leather and a lot of these funky material choices. I could look past the change in shape if the quality of the materials were 1000x better. Nike is charging reseller prices for retail and giving us variant quality (I guess that includes the shape as well).

QFT
The only time they give us good quality, they stamp Tier 0 on it, and make it next to impossible to get for retail.

Hopefully(crosses fingers) they make up for that @#@!+! 25th crap they dropped, and give us some gems for the 30th Anniversary. 

 

[cmoneymontana]

Originally Posted by 8tothe24

To me the main killer is the quality of the leather and a lot of these funky material choices. I could look past the change in shape if the quality of the materials were 1000x better. Nike is charging reseller prices for retail and giving us variant quality (I guess that includes the shape as well).

QFT
The only time they give us good quality, they stamp Tier 0 on it, and make it next to impossible to get for retail.

Hopefully(crosses fingers) they make up for that @#@!+! 25th crap they dropped, and give us some gems for the 30th Anniversary. 

 

[8tothe24]

Originally Posted by cmoneymontana

Originally Posted by 8tothe24

To me the main killer is the quality of the leather and a lot of these funky material choices. I could look past the change in shape if the quality of the materials were 1000x better. Nike is charging reseller prices for retail and giving us variant quality (I guess that includes the shape as well).

QFT
The only time the give us good quality, they stamp Tier 0 on it, and make it next to impossible to get for retail.

Hopefully(crosses fingers) they make up for that @+%%@% 25th crap they dropped, and give us some gems for the 30th Anniversary. 

Don't hold your breath... This is Nike idea of 30th Anniversary (AND they are calling this "Premium."  At least the last 2 years most premiums were the GRs of 2004-2005)...

http://sneakernews.com/2012/01/23/nike-air-force-1-low-premium-30th-anniversary-black/

Not only does the quality, shape, and material look horrible, this is now what is passing as "Premium."  Nike is really gonna stick it in our faces this year.  Most youngin's out there don't even know what pre 2003 looked like.

These look FAKE!

 

[8tothe24]

Originally Posted by cmoneymontana

Originally Posted by 8tothe24

To me the main killer is the quality of the leather and a lot of these funky material choices. I could look past the change in shape if the quality of the materials were 1000x better. Nike is charging reseller prices for retail and giving us variant quality (I guess that includes the shape as well).

QFT
The only time the give us good quality, they stamp Tier 0 on it, and make it next to impossible to get for retail.

Hopefully(crosses fingers) they make up for that @+%%@% 25th crap they dropped, and give us some gems for the 30th Anniversary. 

Don't hold your breath... This is Nike idea of 30th Anniversary (AND they are calling this "Premium."  At least the last 2 years most premiums were the GRs of 2004-2005)...

http://sneakernews.com/2012/01/23/nike-air-force-1-low-premium-30th-anniversary-black/

Not only does the quality, shape, and material look horrible, this is now what is passing as "Premium."  Nike is really gonna stick it in our faces this year.  Most youngin's out there don't even know what pre 2003 looked like.

These look FAKE!

 

[sergdamerg]

Horrid. On another note my favorite part of that video is those neon green joints that look like cones. Same color blocking and everything

 

[sergdamerg]

Horrid. On another note my favorite part of that video is those neon green joints that look like cones. Same color blocking and everything

 

[dens415]

^i think those were JD exclusives right?

 

[dens415]

^i think those were JD exclusives right?

 

[sp]

that " premium material" looks so weak. these are terrible. if this is what nike has instore for the 30th anniversary for air 1s. they should just kill it now.

 

[sp]

that " premium material" looks so weak. these are terrible. if this is what nike has instore for the 30th anniversary for air 1s. they should just kill it now.

 

[lexflex81]

It's a damn shame that the quality is so crappy, that is true. But I've learned to make peace with it because sourcing good quality materials just isn't as easy and cheap as it was, say up untill '03. The whole industry, hell the whole world economy is totally different; Nike can't just bully around their Asian production-plants around any more. They have rules and regulations to follow now. IMO the asian economy is fast overtaking the US/Western economy, so I think the factories can ask pretty much what they like for materials...plus Nike also doesn't really care what the quality is like as long as the shoes sell, so they just take the easy way out.
It's the flipside of the coin; Nike has to be more worker friendly and environmentally concious so that messes with the quality to retail price ratio.
I think that we need to realize that the quality we were used to is never coming back (at least not on retro shoes) but at least we are lucky to be into AFs because we can at least wear any old/vintage AFs we can get our hands on (unlike say, vintage runners or bbal shoes). And that's really what it's all about; being able to wear your shoes. Isn't it?

 

[lexflex81]

It's a damn shame that the quality is so crappy, that is true. But I've learned to make peace with it because sourcing good quality materials just isn't as easy and cheap as it was, say up untill '03. The whole industry, hell the whole world economy is totally different; Nike can't just bully around their Asian production-plants around any more. They have rules and regulations to follow now. IMO the asian economy is fast overtaking the US/Western economy, so I think the factories can ask pretty much what they like for materials...plus Nike also doesn't really care what the quality is like as long as the shoes sell, so they just take the easy way out.
It's the flipside of the coin; Nike has to be more worker friendly and environmentally concious so that messes with the quality to retail price ratio.
I think that we need to realize that the quality we were used to is never coming back (at least not on retro shoes) but at least we are lucky to be into AFs because we can at least wear any old/vintage AFs we can get our hands on (unlike say, vintage runners or bbal shoes). And that's really what it's all about; being able to wear your shoes. Isn't it?

 

[bip roberts]

LexFlex,

I don't buy that as a justification. You mention that Nike has figured out that the new breed of customer doesn't have standards anymore. That's the gist right there. The changing economy is a valid point (I'm a few episodes behind on my Planet Money podcast queue), but Nike can do what they did in the past if they thought it was important enough. The fact is, they don't.

Hey, did any of you guys use the BIN on that pair of '03 black/yellow (psuedo-Greeks)?

 

[bip roberts]

LexFlex,

I don't buy that as a justification. You mention that Nike has figured out that the new breed of customer doesn't have standards anymore. That's the gist right there. The changing economy is a valid point (I'm a few episodes behind on my Planet Money podcast queue), but Nike can do what they did in the past if they thought it was important enough. The fact is, they don't.

Hey, did any of you guys use the BIN on that pair of '03 black/yellow (psuedo-Greeks)?

 

[lexflex81]

Well, yeah I guess they could revert back to the old materials, but there would be no way you could get pair of that quality (great leather, thick, lush lining and I'm not even talking about the shape) for the amount it used to be (that was about 80 euro's over here). You'll be paying Tier Zero (maybe more) prices for the equivalent of a 90's GR.
Also recreating retro's exactly how they used to be is way too much of a headache for Nike; they would rather invest time and matrials sourcing in new models (Brons, Kobe's, Free's) and just make what is basically cheap knockoff of a retro shoe, knowing that today's consumer will buy it anyway out of "nostalgia"
Don't get me wrong, I'm really not condoning it, but having worked at Nike EHQ for a while at the iD counter, you get people from all over campus who sit with you to iD a shoe. So then of course you get to talking and when you start asking questions and you learn some things. I wish it wasn't like this, but I'm just imparting info I have picked up from here and there.

 

[lexflex81]

Well, yeah I guess they could revert back to the old materials, but there would be no way you could get pair of that quality (great leather, thick, lush lining and I'm not even talking about the shape) for the amount it used to be (that was about 80 euro's over here). You'll be paying Tier Zero (maybe more) prices for the equivalent of a 90's GR.
Also recreating retro's exactly how they used to be is way too much of a headache for Nike; they would rather invest time and matrials sourcing in new models (Brons, Kobe's, Free's) and just make what is basically cheap knockoff of a retro shoe, knowing that today's consumer will buy it anyway out of "nostalgia"
Don't get me wrong, I'm really not condoning it, but having worked at Nike EHQ for a while at the iD counter, you get people from all over campus who sit with you to iD a shoe. So then of course you get to talking and when you start asking questions and you learn some things. I wish it wasn't like this, but I'm just imparting info I have picked up from here and there.

 

[mnadel]

hey lex sell me those white/tan/navy samples broooo 

 

[mnadel]

hey lex sell me those white/tan/navy samples broooo 

 

[mnadel]

hey lex sell me those white/tan/navy samples broooo 

 

[mnadel]

hey lex sell me those white/tan/navy samples broooo 

 

[8tothe24]

As we discussed before, it costs Nike $5 to make a pair of shoes they sell for $100+. It comes down to that they are going to squeeze every penny out of their company to appease share holders. A company can only sell so many shoes. They make up extra profit by making internal cuts: personnel, resources, production techniques.

Nike could use the same leather but they choose to make money first. The fourth quarter earnings of 2011 alone was $645 MILLION (up 15%). Nike is at $101/share with 459 MILLION shares outstanding. Nike is anywhere from hurting.

So either real cows have become an endangered species or Nike is just yet another corporation seeking the all mighty dollar.

But I do agree, they are thinking they can pull a switch on a new generation of AF1 fanatics that don't know what they missed.