Is there any body who works in the R&D department for JB?

[sideshow20]

Originally Posted by BigTy23

Yea, they are watching and posting. But since the whole crazy situation last year, no info is gonna be posted like before... Perfect example walletbreakers, BRB

Sigh.

what happen last year? anyone care to elaborate on this?

 

[jay1027]

they should just stop trying to replace nike air logo's with a jumpman and retro the white infrared and white cemement 4's with nike air on the back

 

[cwk]

I worked in several categories in NIKE Basketball and Brand Jordan (research and development, sports marketing, and retail). And yes, NIKE, Inc. has monitoredniketalk from the very beginning. R&D is responsible for creating and testing product, not forecasting launch strategies (those are joint decisionsinvolving feedback from sales, focus groups, marketing, etc...). As far as NIKE responding to the opinions expressed here, the shoe business is just like anyother business - fanatics make up a very vocal but relatively small segment of the global customer base. That's why there are in-line general releasesfor the general public and extremely limited releases for shoeheads. Each plan addresses a particular audience. NIKE is the best in the world at what it doesbecause it is incredibly efficient at creating demand and supply.

 

[qdiesel]

Originally Posted by CWK

I worked in several categories in NIKE Basketball and Brand Jordan (research and development, sports marketing, and retail). And yes, NIKE, Inc. has monitored niketalk from the very beginning. R&D is responsible for creating and testing product, not forecasting launch strategies (those are joint decisions involving feedback from sales, focus groups, marketing, etc...). As far as NIKE responding to the opinions expressed here, the shoe business is just like any other business - fanatics make up a very vocal but relatively small segment of the global customer base. That's why there are in-line general releases for the general public and extremely limited releases for shoeheads. Each plan addresses a particular audience. NIKE is the best in the world at what it does because it is incredibly efficient at creating demand and supply.

 

[qdiesel]

Originally Posted by CWK

I worked in several categories in NIKE Basketball and Brand Jordan (research and development, sports marketing, and retail). And yes, NIKE, Inc. has monitored niketalk from the very beginning. R&D is responsible for creating and testing product, not forecasting launch strategies (those are joint decisions involving feedback from sales, focus groups, marketing, etc...). As far as NIKE responding to the opinions expressed here, the shoe business is just like any other business - fanatics make up a very vocal but relatively small segment of the global customer base. That's why there are in-line general releases for the general public and extremely limited releases for shoeheads. Each plan addresses a particular audience. NIKE is the best in the world at what it does because it is incredibly efficient at creating demand and supply.

How is an extremely limited release helping the shoeheads?? The shoes that are being retroed should be GRs, right?? I can understand some limited shoes likethe Eminem IV's or Doernbacher 1's but how can JB or Nike justify QSing the Infrared VI or True Blue III? They were originallyGR's...shouldn't they be re released as such?

 

[cwk]

- Shoeheads created the demand for limited releases because we value rare and/or vintage shoes, not general releases.
- Most retro product IS general release and some are limited (LS, quickstrike, regional, etc...)
On the spectrum of releasing everything and flooding the market or releasing nothing to increase demand, NIKE picks and chooses which shoes will createinterest and help promote the brand.
Per your example, the Infared IV and the True Blue III are two of the most desirable colorways in the best-selling line of athletic shoe in history, so theyare treated as valuable commodities.

 

[qdiesel]

Yes but they are also influencing the reseller industry also which Nike does not see a piece of( or do they??) which drives up the price of a shoe to the pointwhere only a few can afford them. Where is the business logic in that? Nike/JB doesn't see any profit from a shoe that is sold 5 years later for double theprice. I think I speak for most (older) shoe heads when I say we ask for shoes cause we want to have them again to wear, to be able to walk into FL and grabthem when they release, not have to go on a wild goose chase, wait in line or pay double to cop.

 

[rockdeep]

Originally Posted by CWK

And yes, NIKE, Inc. has monitoreds niketalk from the very beginning. R&D is responsible for creating and testing product, not forecasting launch strategies -

fanatics make up a very vocal but relatively small segment of the global customer base. That's why there are in-line general releases for the general public and extremely limited releases for shoeheads
Yet, Nike created a Business solely dedicated to making money from the demand of Limited Releases aimed at "Shoe Heads" thus Killingtheir already suffering In-line Products.

Each plan addresses a particular audience. NIKE is the best in the world at what it does because it is incredibly efficient at creating demand and supply.

True statement about them addressing particular audiences with Energy Releases (Limited) as well as in-line releases (GR). However the arrogance of Nikerelying on its past successes to pull them through these tough times where ALL in the industry are suffering, is not giving them wha they thought as far as therevenue stream they predicted. Due to piss poor execution of ideas and direction executing those ideas.

But as shoe and sneaker heads.. JM BabyJ CWK and the like have come and told everyone under no certain terms, that if you continue to feed the hype Machinethen Nike will continue to give you whatever because you will buy it.

This sort of worked with the Premium Fusion IIIs as they still sit rotting in inventory, but for every miss Jordan has NOT selling something, there are 20 hitswith the masses buying the release out.

There will come a time when both Nike and Jordan will have to reinvent themselves and no rely on past Fusions and Hybrids to sell. Because the Generation thatknew Mike will have NO attachment. The generation who knew the late 80s and early 90s kicks will have no connection to those athletes or their kicks.

Nike employees come to NT to get a pulse of what being talked about, but still carry on Focus Groups with kids and young adults who dont consider themselvesshoe heads. Those who care about Function over style.

If you had the chance to talk to Designers or Product Line Managers... would you ask them about the insight into design OR whens the latest Jordan coming outor why this shoe hasn't been released?

Well if you picked the latter.. you'd be asking the wrong folks. You have to talk to Management and Marketing for those Fad questions and qualityquestions.

If you were interested in Design Flaws or Inspirations or wanted to jump on them about Designs you didn't like.. then you'd have your folks.

Many of you have to realize there is a business side to things and when you realize and understand that.. you will realize to make an impact you have to have abigger voice.

When NT whole heartedly hated on the Spizike and Dub Zero... it had INCREDIBLE sell thru stats.. meaning it sold VERY WELL. If NT and ISS didn't buy itsomeone had to right? Well those would be the rest of the buying audience out there.

Soo as a fellow Sneaker Enthusiast, I would invite you to keep those things in mind and instead of saying give us what WE want... You really mean.. Give NTwhat they want...Cause some folks buy anything with a Jumpman on it..

 

[cwk]

Well put, Rock.

It's been disappointing to watch the slow, steady decline of Jordan Brand footwear, most recently evident in the Air Jordan 2009. At best it is a rehashof the AJ XIV or an Eddie Jones Team shoe. The Dub Zero, Spi'zike, 6 Rings, and Olympia are blatant bastardizations of an incredible legacy - and BrandJordan is laughing all the way to the bank. I think a large part of this is due to the complete lack of competition. I haven't been keeping up with salesfigures, but I assume that adidas is still a distant third behind NIKE and Brand Jordan. I couldn't name a single current Reebok basketball shoe evenafter browsing Eastbay. But NIKE is too dominant and self-aware to allow themselves to be overtaken. Hopefully, they will shed the complancency and begin toinnovate again. It's like they're operating in a vacuum and they can't hear us screaming.

 

[qdiesel]

Well spoken, Rock Deep.

 

[eltouha]

dear jordan brand,
you've made it abundantly clear you do not want my business, so after 18 years of loyal patrionage, you shall receive no more.
sincerely,
eltouha.

 

[njstress03]

Originally Posted by swingshot

Originally Posted by sbfreak

at least why cant we get some off the shoes that are clearly being begged for (VI's, XI's, IV's, III's.etc) know

JB are watching. Even if somebody from JB DID post here and tell us why they do what they do, they'd never tell us the truth.

The real reason they make us wait is they want to squeeze every last penny out of those designs by first releasing shoes that have some likeness to them in terms of colorway or design.

Then they'll finally release the shoe, but the quality will be lackluster, the price will be a little higher, and they'll be limited in someway. People will be so tired of waiting, that plenty of them will put up with it.

The fact that they have to revisit past shoes so often to turn out new products doesn't cast the company in a very positive light.

agreed

 

[xavier23]

They are watching lol......

 

[jcliz]

Originally Posted by eeBS7eez

i'd imagine there's visits from them every day or two here, and from what i read i doubt it makes them feel too good about their company.

Then they look at their profits and their paychecks and they feel better about their company.

 

[sole investigator]

Nice info Rock and CWK. I heard from a reliable source that New Balance is behind Nike and Jordan in total money from shoe sales.

 

[retromj17]

they just want to keep doing business by making us wait for the real heat....business, my man, business.

 

[abernja]

If you really want to get your point across there's only one way to do it.

If the product is good then buy it, if they blatantly murdered the shoe (ex: CDP XI) then don't buy it. Stop settling for second best, when you can get thebest. That's the ONLY way we will ever get what we want.

We asked for VI's - they gave us the atrocious "olympic" VI - 90% of you guys complaining about releases went out and bought them. So who isreally to blame for the downfall of JB? Them or is it you? Think about it.



(And to contribute - I've seen people who work/worked on campus say when you walk through the offices 50% of the cpu screens would be blk/red. lol)

 

[aj27526]

theres R & D going on at JB?

 

[d e beatup]

I think of all people the blind allegiance to the Jumpman hurts, it really affects Nike Basketball the most. After somevery lackluster products following the huge success of the 2K4, Nike basketball appeared to had fallen off for a while, but over the past 2-2.5 years,they've been churning out some quality hoop products that don't get just due because of the infatuation with the Jumpman. Someone actually tried totell me that the CDP III's were a better quality retro than the Penny II's

 

[jordanpheen]

Originally Posted by d e beatup

I think of all people the blind allegiance to the Jumpman hurts, it really affects Nike Basketball the most. After some very lackluster products following the huge success of the 2K4, Nike basketball appeared to had fallen off for a while, but over the past 2-2.5 years, they've been churning out some quality hoop products that don't get just due because of the infatuation with the Jumpman. Someone actually tried to tell me that the CDP III's were a better quality retro than the Penny II's

wow

 

[auright]

They are always watching and reading. It's funny how everyone is bashing JB but they they still hype up and buy the product.

 

[rockdeep]

Originally Posted by abernja

(And to contribute - I've seen people who work/worked on campus say when you walk through the offices 50% of the cpu screens would be blk/red. lol)

True Statement. It cracked me up when I noticed it. Hell some folks dont even need to type it up when you reference it in a convo.. Its a Favorite or theyhave it ready to pop up on command.

 

[qdiesel]

Originally Posted by abernja

If you really want to get your point across there's only one way to do it.

If the product is good then buy it, if they blatantly murdered the shoe (ex: CDP XI) then don't buy it. Stop settling for second best, when you can get the best. That's the ONLY way we will ever get what we want.

We asked for VI's - they gave us the atrocious "olympic" VI - 90% of you guys complaining about releases went out and bought them. So who is really to blame for the downfall of JB? Them or is it you? Think about it.



(And to contribute - I've seen people who work/worked on campus say when you walk through the offices 50% of the cpu screens would be blk/red. lol)

Word!! I passed on almost all of the packs because of thae quality issue alone. For some to have them but be low quality is better than not having them sothe shoes will sell.

 

[ballinb]

I guess it's a combination of JB and people settling for sub par quality. JB will always make there money and most people will continue to buy the shoes nomatter how bad the quality is. I know a lot of people passed on many of the count down packs. However, there are not enough people that will pass up on shoesbeing released to make JB realize they need to make a change.