Is Nike no longer as cool as it used to be?

[Mark Antony]

I support what they’re saying. Nike and resellers…especially resellers need to hear it. A LOT of people have given up and just by fakes. I mean, the fact that they’re called ‘replicas’ now.

I didn't even know what the **** he said, salute.

 

[fluid hips]

Most dudes buy shoes to impress other dudes

Not I

 

[Brownstone]

What product innovation do other brands give you? They're kicks. New Balance, Saucony and Asics are pumping out retros. On, Hoka and Skechers pump out a bunch of ugly kicks in convenient locations.

People don't care about product innovation, it's the new IT word to use.

Eh, I have stopped purchasing nikes all together because at this stage of my life I really wear sneakers for performance reasons, working out ect... I personally think Nike's look better than any other brand I just can't buy them anymore to run, or workout in. I tried the Pegasus, unwearable.


Asics, NB and to a lesser extent Hoka have usurped Nike when it comes to performance imo

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

They aren't part of any culture I'm involved in nor do they set any, so they're irrelevant to me

Agreed. Maybe it’s a regional thing but the younger generation where I live dress nothing like the clowns in that post. Nikes and Jordans are still very popular.

Two Americas.

 

[krazy88s]

Nike will always have a place in the culture, but its lack of product innovation and market saturation have left the door open to other brands.

Facts. Nike's best products are kicks that came out 30, 40 years ago. AM90, AM95, AF1s, foams Jordans etc. Even Kobes came out some years ago.

 

[Magic33]

So when Nike was putting out ZoomX and Nike Adapt you guys were running out to buy this new tech?

Y'all were trying out boost before Kanye told you too?

Please

 

[WASHED KING]

I remember the Nike React Elements being hot for like a year

 

[krazy88s]

So when Nike was putting out ZoomX and Nike Adapt you guys were running out to buy this new tech?

Y'all were trying out boost before Kanye told you too?

Please

not those but the Joyrides, yes. then Nike discontinued them

 

[langfor5]

So when Nike was putting out ZoomX and Nike Adapt you guys were running out to buy this new tech?

Y'all were trying out boost before Kanye told you too?

Please

*Raises hand*

ZoomX was Nike's last real product innovation that was geared towards performance. React was also good. Before that it was Lunar. All three were very good. Adapt was a gimmick but I still bought the first Adapt BB.

 

[WASHED KING]

Nike's catalog is just so big than even without innovating much anymore there's so many retroes they can give us to keep the gravy train rolling.

Only issue is now I think what pushes the demand for Nike products is no longer the athlete.

 

[daruma]

give me some vomero 5s

 

[shogun]

Cushioning is usually the newest tech / innovation. So yeah, if basketball or running shoes have new cushioning then of course people will buy them to try out.

 

[WASHED KING]

give me some vomero 5s

Those aren't technically new either unless you count 2010 as new.

 

[HankHill]

Nike's catalog is just so big than even without innovating much anymore there's so many retroes they can give us to keep the gravy train rolling.

Only issue is now I think what pushes the demand for Nike products is no longer the athlete.

Yeah from what I'm reading air force 1s are their biggest movers followed by other tennis/basketball court style shoes (blazers,dunks,jordan 1s) and classic runners. Those silhouettes pretty much sell themselves over the past few decades all in.

 

[nako xl]

So when Nike was putting out ZoomX and Nike Adapt you guys were running out to buy this new tech?

Y'all were trying out boost before Kanye told you too?

Please

I bought the first 3 versions of the Pegasus turbos because of the zoom x. Nike didn’t support the shoe.

You couldn’t even find any of the early good colorways of those models after the first couple of weeks because of Nike’s fake sellout policy and desire to manufacture exclusivity. Fake sellouts for some running shoes (that I wore casually)!

Meanwhile adidas at the exact same time was flooding the market with restocks of ultraboosts.

 

[Magic33]

I bought the first 3 versions of the Pegasus turbos because of the zoom x. Nike didn’t support the shoe.

You couldn’t even find any of the early good colorways of those models after the first couple of weeks because of Nike’s fake sellout policy and desire to manufacture exclusivity. Fake sellouts for some running shoes (that I wore casually)!

Meanwhile adidas at the exact same time was flooding the market with restocks of ultraboosts.

Since you used Ultaboost. When were Ultraboost and NMD's hot, same as dunks, when they were hard to get. This is something done industry wide.

 

[nako xl]

Since you used Ultaboost. When were Ultraboost and NMD's hot, same as dunks, when they were hard to get. This is something done industry wide.

There’s hard to get because a shoe is popular and selling well and you’re waiting on a production restock (Adidas always restocked eventually.)

And what Nike does which is put shoes up for 1 hour then take them down because it’s “sold out” and deny stock to a consumer to manufacture exclusivity and demand (because they’re getting a cut of the resell too.)

Speaking of, remember what they did with the Zoom GT Cut?

Then when they were called out for it they claimed supply chain issues.

 

[Magic33]

There’s hard to get because a shoe is popular and selling well and you’re waiting on a production restock (Adidas always restocked eventually.)

And what Nike does which is put shoes up for 1 hour then take them down because it’s “sold out” and deny stock to a consumer to manufacture exclusivity and demand (because they’re getting a cut of the resell too.)

Speaking of, remember what they did with the Zoom GT Cut?

Then when they were called out for it they claimed supply chain issues.

Adidas does the same thing. They did it with FOG and they've done it with Yeezy

 

[jape]

Adidas does the same thing. They did it with FOG and they've done it with Yeezy

which fogs?

 

[Magic33]

which fogs?

Those joints in December didn't sell out. They were sitting in a FSR just like the tan joints.

 

[jape]

Those joints in December didn't sell out. They were sitting in a FSR just like the tan joints.

oh ok. i know the white ones did.

 

[WASHED KING]

Those joints in December didn't sell out. They were sitting in a FSR just like the tan joints.

Yup, pulled them because they didn't want FOGs sitting.

 

[us3less]

I think the layoffs article from a few weeks to a month ago was posted already, but if not: https://www.removepaywall.com/https...ys-off-more-than-1500-people-ceo-john-donahoe

It's funny, 'cause a lot of people are referencing this as a literal moment of a popular scene from Silicon Valley, which I can really see in that article.

First thing I thought when they announced that John Donahoe, a former CEO of ServiceNow [a Bay-Area-based tech company], was taking over back in 2020 was, "Oh no, a CEO from a techie company in the Bay Area..." Also read that he's also the chairman for PayPal.

At least with Mark Parker, he grew with Nike. The direction with John and everyone around him is questionable, because it just makes me wonder how truly familiar he is with Nike. Then again, maybe somewhere high up there, they want to continue the push of being a marketing company and Donahoe could've been the best person suited for that. ****, I mean that's what marketing has done for them: push them to a point of being the 2nd most (if not the 1st most) recognized logo/brand in the world. Steve Jobs was right: Nike is for real a marketing company. If they sucked at it, them Shein-quality white/black Dunks would be way less popular and people would be extremely furious about its quality.

Kinda crazy thinking about there are companies that show they're one type of company but can be actually another (or possibly are another type) behind the smoke and mirrors. Nike is a marketing company selling shoes, Google is an advertising company with a search engine/phone/web browser/etc., Beachbody (P90X, Insanity) is an MLM selling fitness programs... list could go on.

Anyway sorry, Saturday thoughts.

 

[langfor5]

Great analogy. In its early years Nike truly lived by their slogan that if you have a body you are an athlete. Everything they made in the Kitchen was geared towards athletic performance. Once they went public and the board was answering to share holders they realized that they couldn’t just sell performance footwear and apparel. That is when they really started to lean into Weiden & Kennedy for their marketing services and how they could evolve as a brand.

 

[DCAllAfrican]