Ask a former NIKE Basketball employee...

[nixonjames]

Maybe I'm too late to the party but it seems like you've would've been there when they were getting a lot of heat for their third world manufacturing work conditions/pay/etc.  That's one of the reason I stayed away from Nike until their track record to workers overseas improved. 

While that was going on was that ever a topic of conversation you partook in?  Sort of a necessary reality that would get better with time or was it really just glossed over as "It's Nike, of course they're doing it right..."

Thanks for an extremely informative thread that I'm honestly not through reading but I had a hunch this hasn't been touched on.

 

[beh235]

Being a huge fan of the BB4, I was totally disappointed. However, it seems that they made the shoe more wearable for those who did not plan on playing in them, as opposed to those of us who planned on doing so.

I've always thought that about retros. My thought was, since it's not a new shoe with new "tech", why would they spend the money to implement it AGAIN? Yes Nike makes shoes for function, but they also know by and large their shoes are used for fashion and non-athletic purposes. So it makes sense that aestetically it might look the same, but function wise it's totally different. I thought everyone understood this.

 

[flyerthandelta]

Can't you get discounts on phone orders if your a Nike employee??

 

[beh235]

Proprioception, that's what I was told right here on NikeTalk by Jason Petrie, as to how the vaunted Monkey Paw actually worked. I called hogwash, because if an apparatus is supposed to work through proprioception, then all that means is that the apparatus isn't needed in the first place, especially if being used for protective measures in so called performance footwear. The upper does the same thing when accompanied with the lacing system, especially if the heel of the foot is set back deeply, securely, enough into the heel cup of any shoe, which creates a stable environment for the ankle. When this occurs, there is no trickery needed, which was the other explanation coming out of Beaverton as to how the Monkey Paw works. It's supposed to trick the ankle during inversion/eversion, making the joint stabilize...

...if it actually did work, perhaps they should have attached one to Petrie's mouth.

The Monkey Paw was a gimmick one that did not work. Nike used it in several shoes, then discontinued the usage completely, now eliminating it in the retro of the BB4. This proves that when you see the hype train coming in regard to Nike product, be careful about buying their bull. There is no way that a LeBron X is going to be worth three bills, nor two bills even. Back when they had the resources, access to cheaper, yet high quality materials, they still used gimmickry in order to get over. They made some nice shoes, no doubt, but now that they are not using high quality materials anymore, I expect the gimmicks to become even more sophisticated. The NIke + thing is supposedly pushing their pricing way over the top now, as if athletes actually asked for a system to measure their jumping ability, outside of training. They know what they are doing, as most kids, well those who are gullible enough, actually think that the more expensive product, is the better item.

You ain't got the real ones, you got the ones without the +

Hopefully, just like with the Air Force 1 25 series, they are going to fall flat on their faces again, taking a big hit.

Soooo much truth in that. I said the exact same thing when I picked up the BB4 when it first came out. I noticed the heel cup and saw the monkey paw and thought it had no place. I knew it was a gimmick that had no purpose. Then I tried them on and really couldn't tell what the use of the monkey paw was. I also saw this I think in one of GP's shoes. I never bought into the monkey paw BS. And I agree, all Nike is are gimmicks now. They know the average consumer is a dope and would buy anything with a swoosh on it.

 

[beh235]

AKA are you certain of MJ owning the sneaker designs? Maybe Rock can comment on this but I find it highly unlikely for a corporation like Nike to let MJ own the actual designs themselves. The branding, 23, Jumpman, etc. most definitely.

Yup. You've got to remember, this deal was in place before the influence of the Retro market. Nobody knew how big it would be, including Nike.

If I remember correctly, back in 1997 he was given that right to the shoe line. JB started with the AJ XIII in terms of it being a sig shoe. No shoe has had Nike Air on it since the origninal VI. So I guess since he was given the rights to the shoes with the jumpman only he can take the shoes with him if he decides to leave, which is why I suppose he goes so hard to NOT have the air back on the shoes. I do remember the plan was to let JB completely be it's own entitiy apart from Nike (not even being under the umbrella). I guess Nike wants to keep JB close since it is more dominant that NSW and Nike basketball.

Presently, Nike's marketing has gone into overdrive. The Olympics has them on the world stage again, with really no competitors. They are everywhere. On Team USA, they have all Nike endorsers, which must make Coach K sit a bit easier, since he does not have to do this any more...

Is this thing about Country and athletic competition, or simply marketing product?

what a great pic, i love how D12 is holding a ball covering the logo.

Don't you also notice how coach K's foot is "stragetically" placed to cover Dwight's foot, to not show his shoe since he is an Adidas athlete?

 

[soledier]

The excessive obsession with lightness is ruining every company

QTF

 

[degenerate423]

so if Adidas is to do anything like Under Armour, it is in the advertising department, not design.

You've got to have a higher profile, be seen. Under Armour seems to get that, but their shoes are no way on par with that of Adidas, and it's not even close.

Aside from the Crazy Lights, Adidas hasn't had a design that piqued my interest since the T-Macs.  You're right that UA isn't on par with Adidas, but I wouldn't sleep on UA.  They're still relatively new and I can see them right up there with Adidas within 10 years.

On another note:

I don't know if you guys have seen this, but the women's USA soccer team has been catching flak for wearing this shirt after beating Japan in the finals.  I know you guys were saying Nike gives LeBron shoes to wear for each game, so I imagine Nike gave them this shirt and told them to wear it if they win.  Shouldn't Nike get most of the flak for the shirt then?

...

 

[daddyrabbit251]

How often have you seen employees promoted from the Retail Divisions into the corporate levels of the company? I'm in school now for Fashion Design/Menswear and was wondering are doors like that really open in the lower levels of the company.

 

[daddyrabbit251]

- No, I wasn't an EKIN but I worked with several of them while starting out in retail.


- I've helped a few NTers with NIKE job searches and I can write a detailed response including my personal story tomorrow.  For now, get a college degree and look for summer internships - I did two college internships after working retail for a few years.  Find out who the reps are in your area and email them.  ALL NIKE AND BRAND JORDAN EMAIL ADDRESSES ARE firstname.lastname@nike.com.  Then offer to VOLUNTEER with local NIKE events, such as camps, clinics, and marathons. 


- Regarding servers, I didn't work with nike.com, but I feel your pain.  It seems like the industry global leader could afford the necessary investment.  I assume it's a cost/benefits decision.  If any of you know Retrokid, last I heard he was working for nike.com.  I don't feel comfortable giving out his name and email, but you can find it if you dig online a little bit.


- There are a few friends I still keep in touch with on campus.  I'm actually an elementary school teacher now, so I didn't use those contacts.  I do still collect shoes and volunteer coach for NIKE Basketball camps.


- I wear a size 16 and I know how hard it is to find shoes.  From a brick and mortar retail perspective, it's not cost effective to stock anything above a 15 that will take up valuable space due to slow turnover.  I can send you a message with the websites I use for kicks and maybe we can exchange a list of personal inventories for a potential trade.

Whoops nvm my man

 

[winzz]

That's funny, because I've never seen anyone go nuts over any of Kobe's shoes here where I live, in NYC. In fact, I can go so far to say that you very rarely see his shoes being worn at all. I've been on a few message boards, and all of my NYC associates echo the same thing, especially those who actually play in their shoes.
However, LeBron's South Beach colorways do cause a stir, but not like Retro Jordan releases. IN fact, here in NYC, you can still find the LeBron Taxi Elite 9's all over the place. That shoes was hyped here on Niketalk, but didn't cause a stir here, nor in New Jersey. I cannot speak for the other states.
That said, all of the hoopla over certain Nike shoes can backfire on them as well, then probably had something to do with there present issues in regard to earnings. People see the news reports of a certain segment of society buggin' over the latest Jordan release, and those who are responsible, well intended, clear thinking, may stray away from anything associated with such madness, then supporting other brands.

i've been to lebron 9 thread and there is no hype at all for taxi becoz lebron never wear it on/off court , no hype at all for taxi if i'm not mistaken. maybe for kobe 7 the hype didn't strong as kobe V. i don't know back in 2008-2009 how is kobe V chaos, dark knight, bruce lee, even big stage home-away release in NYC ? pretty sure there is someone camp out for one of those.

 

[bucknuteagle]

i've been to lebron 9 thread and there is no hype at all for taxi becoz lebron never wear it on/off court , no hype at all for taxi if i'm not mistaken. maybe for kobe 7 the hype didn't strong as kobe V. i don't know back in 2008-2009 how is kobe V chaos, dark knight, bruce lee, even big stage home-away release in NYC ? pretty sure there is someone camp out for one of those.

No the hype was pretty strong for the taxis (I remember being caught up in it myself). But people realized rather quickly that no one outside of the NT-type community was actually purchasing elites at retail. So everyone just waited it out for sales/coupons. The only elite hype that spread to your everyday run of the mill sneakerhead was the MVs, which was as much for resell as it was for people actually liking the shoe (per usual these days).

 

[muzikfrk75]

Aside from the Crazy Lights, Adidas hasn't had a design that piqued my interest since the T-Macs.  You're right that UA isn't on par with Adidas, but I wouldn't sleep on UA.  They're still relatively new and I can see them right up there with Adidas within 10 years.

That's one helluva speculation my man! That's assuming that Adidas is in the same position that they are in now, in the next ten years.

On another note:




I don't know if you guys have seen this, but the women's USA soccer team has been catching flak for wearing this shirt after beating Japan in the finals.  I know you guys were saying Nike gives LeBron shoes to wear for each game, so I imagine Nike gave them this shirt and told them to wear it if they win.  Shouldn't Nike get most of the flak for the shirt then? ...

Nike has turned these games into there personal product showcase. The hoops teams have been photographed at various events, wearing different Nike Sportswear gear as well. They understand product placement better than anyone...but unlike in '92 Barcelona where it was cool, it now seems a bit too contrived. I remember going out to buy a Nike Olympic Track and Field tee after seeing the one the Micheal Johnson wore. I bought a pair of the baggy Nike track pants as well.

If I see another pair of Flyknits....lol

 

[corndogmcgee]

What some may not know and I'll share is check the classifieds and head hunter temp services in Beaverton and Portland. Nike is ALWAYS employing temps for different things ON and OFF campus. They always advertise it as working for a Global Footwear Company.. never by name.


Once you get in.. you are only allowed to work so many months before you have to take a month off and come back.. but if they like you they can request you by name.  Its another route to use when Nikebiz.com and sending your resume thru normal channels do not work.  Trust me on that one.  (You are welcome in advance)

cosigned on this. I worked for one of said head hunter temp services 5-6 years ago and we were among several recruiting firms that had an outsourcing agreement with Nike at the time. Not sure if they're still under contract, but you can look up jobs in Portland/Beaverton posted by "Kforce". As Rock mentioned, check the job description to read something about "our client is a Global Footwear/Retail Company..."

 

[corndogmcgee]

This thread used to be awesome.
now its just arguing

^THIS^

I was reading through pages and pages of CWK and Rock tell fun Nike stories around the campfire. Now it's just conspiring and flamesuits.

cheers

p.s. don't flame me

 

[jthagreat]

If I remember correctly, back in 1997 he was given that right to the shoe line. JB started with the AJ XIII in terms of it being a sig shoe. No shoe has had Nike Air on it since the origninal VI. So I guess since he was given the rights to the shoes with the jumpman only he can take the shoes with him if he decides to leave, which is why I suppose he goes so hard to NOT have the air back on the shoes. I do remember the plan was to let JB completely be it's own entitiy apart from Nike (not even being under the umbrella). I guess Nike wants to keep JB close since it is more dominant that NSW and Nike basketball.
Don't you also notice how coach K's foot is "stragetically" placed to cover Dwight's foot, to not show his shoe since he is an Adidas athlete?

yea i see that. i was also adding that D12 is the only one holding a ball allowing his arm to 'dangle' over the Nike logo clearly seen on all the other athletes shorts.

 

[corndogmcgee]

AKA, i respect your views and opinions. However, I think we should start a different thread since there doesn't seem to be much intended action "Ask a former Nike employee..."

even if AKA does reveal that he too worked/works at Nike, we can all continue to support a thread like "Inside the Swoosh", "Former Employees discuss direction of Nike", etc.

Again, for better or for worse, there doesn't seem to be any Q & A that CWK had originally intended.

 

[corndogmcgee]

Seems to everyone else that the thread is moving along just fine. I am sure that if you read through the thread, you'll see those exact same sentiments being echoed. If CWK were to complain, cool.
But he hasn't.
I respect that you may love Nike, and maybe you are correct, starting an I love Nike thread may be in order for you.

sigh. your statement proves my point. As I mentioned, AKA "I respect your views and opinions". In fact, you've had me looking at Adidas basketball shoes for the past few days after your recommendation in another thread. There was no sarcasm in my tone, although I understand it's tough to verify that on a forum board and us not knowing each other. Also, I didn't follow up with any slander.

your statement, probably just a tongue in cheek general, gentle jab at all of us on NIKEtalk, proves the point of needed flamesuit in here now. On that note, this back and forth is admittedly evidence of the thread being hi-jacked. I bow out, salute you and will see you on other threads.

 

[nikedealer]

I agree.. the questions did sort of stop pouring in .. but I think the lose of so much information in the Yuku switch killed alot of momentum. 

 

[michigan]

i have a question. Sorry if it sounds stupid or if it has been answered before but i was wondering why is nike having so many limited releases lately?  Wouldnt they make more money if they released more of a product?   Do they have limited releases to keep the demand high and to justify a price hike for the next year?

 

[theprinceofde]

^ I love it, thanks for sharing aka

 

[sdotc38109]

@AKA I have seen you say it was the the jordan XII (12) twice when actually it was the the XIII (13), "To start things off for the Jordan Brand company the Air Jordan XIII, Air Jordan Team, and Air Jordan Trainers debuted under the new name." via Sneakerobsession*com. Just correcting incorrect information.

 

[nikedealer]

Im not sure anti or not so great stories about Nike killed the thread.

I've gotten alot of inboxes asking about additional experiences and information and I've seen people asking more questions since... but maybe people just ran out of questions. 

 

[noblekane]

hey coach hubie you better watch it. wouldnt want you getting banned again.

i dont think ANYBODY needs to create an i love nike thread when this damn site is called niketalk.com...

 

[nixonjames]

i have a question. Sorry if it sounds stupid or if it has been answered before but i was wondering why is nike having so many limited releases lately?  Wouldnt they make more money if they released more of a product?   Do they have limited releases to keep the demand high and to justify a price hike for the next year?

Been thinking about this and I think it's mostly because limited releases drive the sales of the general releases.  **** last Saturday I was actually hopin for some navy patchwork 7s (sue me), which I didn't get.  And for an hour I had to talk myself out of snaggin the Fire Red 4s b/c they were there and I didn't wanna miss out on somethin else.  It made no sense, I know what I want for the rest of the year and have some set aside for qs's but b/c I didn't get what I wanted it made me wanna rush to scoop the reds, I was talking myself into 'em.  I ended up passing like I'd planned but I think that's a subtle consumer manipulation that not everyone will be able to identify and fight successfully. :/

Also limited releases keep them hyped up as celebrities like being the only ones with their toys and for a celeb that likes shoes, it's gotta be a huge bonus to rock the **** no one else has.  Which also builds hype for Nike.  I'm using hype to kinda cover brand interest/marketing/etc not necessarily hypebeasts.

 

[beh235]

i have a question. Sorry if it sounds stupid or if it has been answered before but i was wondering why is nike having so many limited releases lately?  Wouldnt they make more money if they released more of a product?   Do they have limited releases to keep the demand high and to justify a price hike for the next year?

Been thinking about this and I think it's mostly because limited releases drive the sales of the general releases.  **** last Saturday I was actually hopin for some navy patchwork 7s (sue me), which I didn't get.  And for an hour I had to talk myself out of snaggin the Fire Red 4s b/c they were there and I didn't wanna miss out on somethin else.  It made no sense, I know what I want for the rest of the year and have some set aside for qs's but b/c I didn't get what I wanted it made me wanna rush to scoop the reds, I was talking myself into 'em.  I ended up passing like I'd planned but I think that's a subtle consumer manipulation that not everyone will be able to identify and fight successfully. :/

Also limited releases keep them hyped up as celebrities like being the only ones with their toys and for a celeb that likes shoes, it's gotta be a huge bonus to rock the **** no one else has.  Which also builds hype for Nike.  I'm using hype to kinda cover brand interest/marketing/etc not necessarily hypebeasts.

It's consumer pshychology at it's finest. They fall for it every time