2007 - Whole Lot Of @#%$ Has Changed.

I've not been one to flame but you know what Gentry, @#%$ YOU!
AN FRANCISCO GIANTS
AN FRANCISCO GIANTS
 
this thread is going to be huge and is gonna cause so much controversy.....

here is my 2 cents....

JB has oversaturated the market with retro and team jumpman shoes. These terrible colorways are being made and marked as limited making the public feel that the shoe is "exclusive" and will stop at nothing to purchase them. We are all puppets to JBs game and the greed has run them downhill. The crazy colorways started in late 2005 and continue to flow till this day. There is no way that JB will succeed if they keep BSing us with all these useless colorways and retros. It is killing classic shoes and making the shoes less popular because we keep seeing the same shoes over and over. They cant keep it up forever and IMO retros should be done only a few times a year. JB is milking what we value so much and not caring about the consumer just the paycheck at the end of the day. So until they get the plan right this business is going to be ran to the wall.
Team Weezy F.
"I been ready since 81 and I was born in 82"
 
PLOT

Listen to these words of wisdom. Open the youtube link and quickly minimize the window.

When you hear the words spoken, translate them with the word key. This is how I feel.

WORD REPLACEMENT KEY:

JEDI KNIGHTS: JB

OLD REPUBLIC: 1985+

DARK TIMES: 2007+

EMPIRE: NEW JB

VADER: GENTRY

DARK SIDE: $


[/b][/center]
 
Quote:
This goes for quality,colors,and the return of us seeing any "Nike Air". Sure there will be some coming out I.E. the AJ III etc. but for the most part there will always be some small changes done to the shoe.


V.GIF


That's all I needed to hear.


So fakes will be more accurate than authentics, eh? Nice work, gang. Way to read the market.


I WOULD buy retro versions of old favorites IF they were faithful to the shoes I grew up with. If not, forget it. Older collectors have originals. Young kids have fakes. We don't have to settle for this middling crap. If I can't get a faithful reproduction, I'm not buying it. I have no reason to.

Wealthier and more discerning consumers will just buy originals on ebay. Less affluent and discriminating consumers will buy fakes. Either way, baby gets nothing.

Pinch those pennies any harder and you'll squeeze yourself right out of the market.
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i'd like to see them forget the slightest notion of producing retros for at least another 10 years.

i feel the focus should be shifted to the present and future, and the qualtiy that JB is supposed to stand for.

i have no clue as to what goes on behind closed doors, but from where i stand it seems a whole lot of time and energy is wasted on retros when it could be spent on new technology and style for future NEW releases.

i'm most definitely Pro for the emergence of more Team Models, especially signature style lines (ie melo) for Ray, Rip and whoever else on the team is ripping it that year.

quit flogging the dead horse JB, look to the future.
MyBishukketsu
 
A faithful reproduction brings loud repercussions. That's all they really need.
Also, I will not buy these stupid BS team jordan or these ugly carmelo shoes. 21s were ugly ....

I buy retros becaus ei never had chance to get them b4, now i do, all i wish is for something similar. retro plus colors are okay but some are sh8t. just keep it real..
 
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3rd - The Team Line will be the future corner stone of Brand Jordan. This retro craze will in fact slow down and demand will lower/subside.


:smh: When this starts, I'm done. I just saved a bunch of money by switching to addidas.
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1st - Forget about seeing exact replica's appear. The Days of '99 are done and no one is even thinking of bringing it back 1 more time.

:smh:
nono.gif

Man, I guess I'm done then. As I get older I start to care less and less about models that don't have strong significance to me and as it stands the only models I really care about are the III, IV, and V. I'm also real big on having NIKE AIR, won't buy them without it. At least I got most of what I wanted...
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Thanks for the info Baby J

Gentry has no one to blame but himself. Its really a shame to see such a great company go out in this fashion, but no one can really feel too sorry for the man. Turning the Air Jordan into a retro driven line, alienating, and ignoring veterans and loyal customers, altering shoes to the point that what JB is offering is much worse than what variants are producing, off-the wall colors, unjustified price increases while offering a poorer product, greed, I can go on and on. The fact is he blew it. Its blatantly obvious that the line has lost its luster


R.I.P. Air Jordan Line: 1985 - 2008 (if its lucky)
 
JB is currently experiencing its greatests profits and revenues ever. That is a fact.

The toughest part of running a business though is sustainability. Gentry and the rest of te JB team can clearly see that the retro craze which has been helping them soar to these current hights will not last forever.

I have to commend them for realizing it this early, as there are many companies that don't recognize that they have to plan for their future until their future is their present and their numbers have already started to decline.

While I think a greater focus on the team line is important, I also believe that stepping away from the yearly Air Jordan Signature Shoe would be a huge mistake. Each February, whether we love them or hate them, we look forward to the release of the highest-end basketball shoe. Even if just to try it on, and question its price, we all have an opinion about it. The XXI was loved and hated by many, but that is the point. It is stll relevant. As a person who has worked in retail for many years, I know how important it is for a Brand to have a staple, showcase, product. To step away from that would be a huge mistake in my eyes.


I wish JB the best, as they have definetly provided me with a great deal of fun through out my life, as it has now been 17 years since I wore my first Ar Jordan. I just hope that the Air Jordan Signature line continues. I, for one, am very intrigued by the idea of rocking the Air Jordan XXX.

-Kast


PS. This fire Gentry thing HAS gotten old. Sadly, the people who keep saying it don't understand how foolish it makes them look.
formerly "OUTKAST", I am still OUTKASTED!
 
Alright, here's my take:

Blame Gentry, but in the end ... how reasonable is it to think that a brand can survive that long without it's 'main guy' playing anymore?

I honestly thought it would be the end of the Jordan line when he retired from the Bulls. I thought that the line would continue to maybe a XVI ... MAYBE a XVII ... but that there would definitely NOT be an XVIII. That's what I thought the first time he 'definitely' retired 'for good'. But then he came back ... and he wore his shoes again all the way up to the XVIIIs (in game) and then we saw a few pics of him in the XIX's. Now, here we are a few Jordans after he's DEFINITELY 'definitely' done ... and it looks like the end again.

Yeah, Gentry screwed up a lot of things, but some of you guys majoring in marketing and business and what not ... answer this:

Is it really reasonable to expect that a line can continue to be successful after the main guy has called it quits?

Could the Nike JORDAN line be reasonably expected to succeed after JORDAN is no longer playing? Could the Nike LEBRON line be reasonably expected to succeed after LEBRON is no longer playing? Could the Reebok IVERSON line be reasonably expected to succeed after IVERSON is no longer playing?

Second ... is it possible that Nike is saying "Out with the old; in with the new"?

"Out with Jordans; in with LeBrons."

?
<>< ><> <>< ><> <>< J-RODS (sz. 11-12) [/b]
(http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/Chick_Hearn_Bio-50564-59.htmlI grew up going mainly to ANGELS and LAKERS games, but I will ALWAYS cheer for my wife's home team (UK WILDCATS) and ALL the rest of MY home teams (SPARKS, XTREME, CLIPPERS, PADRES, DUCKS, TROJANS, CHARGERS, AVENGERS, DODGERS, BRUINS, L.A. KINGS, GALAXY).​
 
jacksonvilleNC:
If Air Force ones can last then Jordans will last without Jordan.
But who is Air Force One? See, that's not a person; it's just a shoe model. The Jordan line is not just a shoe model; it's an entire line. And the line is based on a person; Mr. Jordan. Air Force One is not a person; Jordan is.

You know?
<>< ><> <>< ><> <>< J-RODS (sz. 11-12) [/b]
(http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/Chick_Hearn_Bio-50564-59.htmlI grew up going mainly to ANGELS and LAKERS games, but I will ALWAYS cheer for my wife's home team (UK WILDCATS) and ALL the rest of MY home teams (SPARKS, XTREME, CLIPPERS, PADRES, DUCKS, TROJANS, CHARGERS, AVENGERS, DODGERS, BRUINS, L.A. KINGS, GALAXY).​
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​
 
All I care about is that the Grapes are def. comming out.

They can do whatever the hell they want to the brand, as long as I get what Ive been waiting for for 15 years.
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[/url]
 
wow...

to a point, all these retro releases are getting a bit out of hand. but why end it all? why release all yellow iv's and scrap the xi's? what? and if the aqua viii's and the carmine vi's dont come out next year all hell is gonna break loose....
 
Quote:
Blame Gentry, but in the end ... how reasonable is it to think that a brand can survive that long without it's 'main guy' playing anymore?.


It's not about blaming one person. Gentry's simply been the mouthpiece for much of the strategies that dedicated fans have found so objectionable over the years. He's responsible for some of my favorite shoes, too. The problem is, I've gone from buying a pair of Jordans every couple of weeks to buying maybe two a year.

Air Jordans SHOULD have incredible sustainability beyond the career of Michael Jordan himself - and anyone who doesn't think so shouldn't be managing that brand.

Boxing gear isn't exactly ubiquitous. I used to rock some Everlast gear back in the 80s, but let's face it, boxing isn't basketball. That said, IF boxing had the influence on culture that basketball does - don't you think a Muhammad Ali line would have the potential to own the market? I never saw the man fight LIVE, but I harbor a tremendous deal of respect for him both as a man and an athlete. No active fighter can POSSIBLY compete with Ali's legacy. He's simply legendary, and his bouts and abilities have taken on mythical proportions. People who never even saw him fight consider him the greatest of all time. Now if I offered you the choice between Ali gear and Bernard Hopkins gear, which would you buy? Take your pick of ANY fighter competing right now. NONE of them could even come close to achieving the clout of an Ali brand.

Such is the case with Michael Jordan. Yes, those who never saw MJ play in his prime are more likely to foolishly believe that players like Kobe Bryant or Lebron James can play at a similar level - but only one man is the Michael Jordan of basketball: and that's Michael Jordan. Everyone else is, at best, "Jordanesque." If there is a single dominant player that stands head and shoulders above all other "superstars" in the next decade, that player will simply be considered the Michael Jordan of their era. It would certainly help if Jordan brand had signed a true superstar talent like a Dwyane Wade, but suffice it to say the Jordan brand holds an unmatched pedigree simply as a result of its affiliation with the greatest basketball player of all time.

Lebron can move shoes with a Swoosh, but don't you think he could move just as many shoes - if not more - with a Jumpman? There's NO reason why the brand has to die with the cessation of Michael Jordan's playing career.

I applaud Jordan brand for reluctantly shifting its focus to ORIGINAL designs, but at this point it seems as though the transition has been dictated by necessity rather than savvy foresight.

The Air Jordan line has already extended beyond Jordan's playing days. It's supposed to set the bar for the best performing, most stylish, and most luxurious basketball shoe on the market. That's the expectation they've created.

Now, what do people visualize when they think of the "team" product? These are the LESSER products - and you're not going to escape that until you reinvest in the QUALITY of these items. The designs have run the gamut from brilliant to awful, but they've always been several notches below the flagship product in terms of build quality, innovation, and technology. You're fighting an uphill battle if you want people to EVER see a "melo" shoe in the same light as an Air Jordan. If, on the other hand, you have some of the best basketball players in the world wearing THE Air Jordan XXV or what have you, you're carrying on a tradition of excellence.

At present, they're simply decapitating the line and there's no surer way to expedite its death. At this rate, the brand might as well just fold back up under Nike. If you're not going to play the game differently than Nike, what's the point? Just put Melo in a Hurache, and call it a day. Nike's certainly just as capable of running a retro into the ground as Jordan brand.

The Jordan brand should be about heritage and a commitment to honoring the legacy of the game's greatest player as expressed to an UNCOMPROMISED devotion to creating the highest quality line of basketball sneakers on the market.

If you're going to do any less, just save us all some heartache and fold back up under Nike already. There's no sense squandering the greatest opportunity in the industry.
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baby j, thanks for the post.

Quote:
1st - Forget about seeing exact replica's appear. The Days of '99 are done and no one is even thinking of bringing it back 1 more time.

then i am done too.

ska, jb did have something special: the strong loyality of many people who would've kept buying retro J's to get the colors they wanted as a child. i mean, look at how many people on here swear to keep wearing jordan's when they're in a retirement home.

now, jb has made it clear that they don't care about those loyal buyers. they're going in a new direction, and they're going there alone. they've alienated the loyalty they did have, and in a few years they'll be depending on the team line, but it's going no where if they don't incorporate new technology and better designs.

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That said, IF boxing had the influence on culture that basketball does - don't you think a Muhammad Ali line would have the potential to own the market?

to add to this.... look at lemond bikes.

and like you're saying.... jb and nike rose to power cause of great advertising, but also cause of quality, design, and innovation. now look at jb. they don't have advertisting, they don't have innovation, they seem to mess up designs on purpose, and they've forgotten about quality, although that would be one of the easiest things to preserve at this point. trash in = trash out. what else does JB expect when they don't deliver a good product?





licious
I am the Kobe Stopper​
, good luck with your cousin. PM me some day with what happened.
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