"Power to the People" Nike Air Max 95 360 (PIC)

[Methodical Management]

Originally Posted by MaZeDOwNeR


Via: KixandtheCity.com

More Pics/Info [HERE]

In the midst of Black History Month and with the 2008 Olympics approaching this Summer, Nike recently created a pack dedicated to the poignant memory of a historical Black Olympic moment. Inspired by Tommie Smith and John Carlos' "Silent Gesture" of raising their black gloved fists in the air as a sign of Black Power during 1968 Summer Olympics' 200 meter award ceremony (Smith won Gold, John Carlos won Bronze), the "Silent Gesture" carries on the memory of their, at the time controversial, yet heroic act.

With this in mind, Nike utilized a mix of Black (for their glove) and Metallic Gold and Bronze (for their medals) onto the upper of the 95 360. The upper is fused onto a Black/Team Red Air Max 360 sole.

The "Silent Gesture" Nike Air Max 95 360 is available now at select Nike accounts.

So, are they actually going to donate to a worthy cause in honor of this - or is this just another crass attempt to exploit and commercialize somethingNike doesn't own the rights to? That's just a DISGUSTING marketing tactic. Seriously, how is it supposed to be an "honor" to have someonecreate a for-profit product and make money off of your back without compensation?
Why do sneaker news sites fall for this garbage? Nike CAN'T publicly say "these are transformers shoes," "this is the Homer Simpsondunk" etc. because they'd get sued. They don't have the rights. So, what do they do? Oh hey news blog that'll print whatever our publicistforwards you, oh hey shoe store employee who'll post whatever our Ekin tells you on NikeTalk, oh hey retailer who needs an angle to move this crap, justbetween you and me *wink wink* this shoe is based on a VERY popular license.... that we haven't secured and refuse to pay for. So, you know, spread theword. STOP THAT.

If Nike wants to make a shoe in honor of Tommie Smith and John Carlos - make them do so LEGITIMATELY, not under the table.

We seriously need to take a stand on this. Don't be surprised if we start blacking this garbage out on NikeTalk. Post pics of the shoes if you want,but the illegitimate "nickname" marketing has GOT to stop. It's BEYOND classless and unethical - but then this IS Nike we're talking about.

This whole silly product idea is beyond ironic to begin with, because both Tommie Smith and John Carlos wore Pumas during the '68 games - though obviouslythey took them off for the medal stand protest.

 

[vandalshark]

not bad, outlet cop

 

[macgyver35]

Quote:

This whole silly product idea is beyond ironic to begin with, because both Tommie Smith and John Carlos wore Pumas during the '68 games - though obviouslythey took them off for the medal stand protest.

----------------------------------------------------

exactly, not nikes.
and i'm still searching for my size in the mexico's.

I feel what you're saying Meth, I'm sure you're also aware that NT is one of the major mediums used to promote these inspired colorways for profit.

 

[gunzmonstar]

I feel Meth, Lets stop helping nike because they dam sure don't be helping me with their crappy products. Oh maybe they do, less money to spend :%

 

[cels the younggod]

Originally Posted by samhash

OMG........those kicks are ugly!!!!!

my exact thoughts

 

[send one]

Originally Posted by Prolific Sole

Those really not much of a "silent gesture" at all

Not at all.

I'd like to give those another gesture.

 

[Methodical Management]

and i'm still searching for my size in the mexico's.
You mean these?

I feel what you're saying Meth, I'm sure you're also aware that NT is one of the major mediums used to promote these inspired colorways for profit.
If you read my post, you'll see that I quite clearly acknowledged that this was being done - albeit without the consent of the staff. Peoplepost it as news and, for that reason, we've left it alone. It's one thing to try and take advantage of pop culture phenomena like Pee Wee Herman... ifhe doesn't get his royalties I won't lose any sleep at night, even though the concept of illegitimately leveraging a license you don't own isdespicable, but this "tribute" is just plain offensive and I'm seriously considering blacking out these "nicknames" from our forums inhopes that the news blogs etc. will follow our lead and STOP playing along with Nike's unscrupulous and unethical marketing ploys.

 

[macgyver35]

Meth,

those are the ones, i got try and find my munich ones. they're in my closet some where. i've been looking for these for sooo long. they pop up on ebayevery now and then, but it's been a while.

everything you say is on point, i don't personally have a problem with NT taking action. As long as we still got older heads on here who know about shoeslike the pumas we're talking about and aren't impressed with nikes embarrassing attempt, imma be here. To me those members are a bigger contribution tothe board, then people hyping inspired colorways.

 

[Methodical Management]

those are the ones, i got try and find my munich ones. they're in my closet some where. i've been looking for these for sooo long. they pop up on ebay every now and then, but it's been a while.
Yeah, the Munich pair is nice also. I believe the story with these is that they were produced, but not officially released. So, what's outthere is all more or less back channel stuff. I was fortunate, because Rev hooked me up with the whole set, but it's disappointing that these weren'tmade available via retail.

The detailing on the insoles is probably my favorite part:

At any rate, I'm not proposing that we do away with the news - just the illegitimate nicknames - because we all KNOW that's just coming via parrot fromNike. It's not like fans are giving the shoes these nicknames. It's a "viral" marketing campaign enabled 1) by the popularity of thelicense they DIDN'T compensate and 2) by the reach of websites like ours. We're doing all the heavy lifting just to get a fraudulent message out to asmany people as possible.

Again, when you're stepping on Pee Wee Herman's toes.. it's hard to get motivated to take a stand. When they're exploiting John Carlos andTommie Smith's historic protest for a cheap buck, that's lower than low. I hope they get nothing but negative buzz on this shoe, and from here out ifI were to have my way we'll play no part in furthering these unethical marketing campaigns.

 

[tr1ll]

I'm seriously considering blacking out these "nicknames" from our forums in hopes that the news blogs etc. will follow our lead and STOP playing along with Nike's unscrupulous and unethical marketing ploys.




I'm with it.

 

[macgyver35]

quote:
Yeah, the Munich pair is nice also. I believe the story with these is that they were produced, but not officially released. So, what's out there is allmore or less back channel stuff. I was fortunate, because Rev hooked me up with the whole set, but it's disappointing that these weren't made availablevia retail.

------------------------------------

i remember you made a post about them, also thanking Rev! i would of hit Rev! too but i could of sworn Shoe Biz in SF had them. I saw some ebayer selling abunch of them in scattered sizes, i was able to get the Munich. But i had my heart set on those Mexicos. Dope pic Meth!

where's Rev! at!!!

 

[cucumbercool]

a silent gesture is donating money...
there's nothing silent about this bright shoe. stop making shoes that go on discount

 

[typecast3]

oh well there have been much worse shoes so this one is not my taste but no the worst

 

[briannnnn]

Originally Posted by typecast3

oh well there have been much worse shoes so this one is not my taste but no the worst

Those "Heaven's Gate" Dunks immediately come to mind.

 

[dunks r nice]

interesting, but not feeling them.

 

[mazedowner]

Originally Posted by Method Man


At any rate, I'm not proposing that we do away with the news - just the illegitimate nicknames - because we all KNOW that's just coming via parrot from Nike. It's not like fans are giving the shoes these nicknames. It's a "viral" marketing campaign enabled 1) by the popularity of the license they DIDN'T compensate and 2) by the reach of websites like ours. We're doing all the heavy lifting just to get a fraudulent message out to as many people as possible.

Again, when you're stepping on Pee Wee Herman's toes.. it's hard to get motivated to take a stand. When they're exploiting John Carlos and Tommie Smith's historic protest for a cheap buck, that's lower than low. I hope they get nothing but negative buzz on this shoe, and from here out if I were to have my way we'll play no part in furthering these unethical marketing campaigns.

Nike DID NOT nickname these sneakers. The sneakers are merely inspired by the "Silent Gesture". They could have been nicknamed anythingrelated to the moment, or, anything at all really. The nickname could have been the "200 Meters in 1968", or the "Black Gloves", or the"Gold and Bronzes", or the "Black/Team Red-Metallic Copper-Engine" Nike Air Max 95 360, or "Whatever You Want to Nickname Them"Nike Air Max 95 360, or the "February 2008" Nike Air Max 95 360, or just that new Nike Air Max 95 360. The "Silent Gesture" is a nicknamethat comes from the inspiration behind the palette for the purpose of cataloging/designating the sneaker from the many other Nike Air Max 95 360s.

I understand your point when it comes the "Transformers", or the "GI Joes", or the "Hashin Tigers", or the "Lakers", orthe "Guns n Roses", or the "Enter Trademarked Name Here", but this isnt directly the case with these sneakers.

If you would like me to change the title of this post to something that is easier to deal with then I will do that.

Also, I would like to point out that I am pretty confident that part of the success of this Forum (or at least part of the initial success and definitely in agoogle search for someone looking for a "Nike Forum") is due to the fact that the forum is named NIKEtalk.This is in essence doing the same thing that a lot of these "unethical" nicknames are doing, attracting a consumer, in the case of this forum areader, by indirectly aligning itself with a popular and marketable entity. This Forum could easily be named SneakerTalk and it would accomplish the same goal,people would talk about sneakers. By naming it NIKEtalk, the forum will attract more people, period. By the same token even if it were named AdidasTalk, itwould probably not attract the same amount of readers.

I would also like to point out that by naming it NIKEtalk and by having three of the four sneaker related forums dedicated to NIKE brands (with all the othersgetting lumped into an anonymous "OTHER" forum) this Forum is promoting and helping out Nike anyway, whether the sneakers were nicknamed or not.

Also let it be known that I have no problem with Nike. I don't overly concern myself with the nicknames or color inspirations behind their sneakers and Ihave no problem with this forum being called NIKEtalk or that 3 of the 4 forums are dedicated to Nike's products. I choose to worry about more pressingissues in life. Not trying to belittle anyone's worries or anger here but, I am qualifying where I am coming from with this post.


MaZe

 

[Methodical Management]

Originally Posted by MaZeDOwNeR

Originally Posted by Method Man


At any rate, I'm not proposing that we do away with the news - just the illegitimate nicknames - because we all KNOW that's just coming via parrot from Nike. It's not like fans are giving the shoes these nicknames. It's a "viral" marketing campaign enabled 1) by the popularity of the license they DIDN'T compensate and 2) by the reach of websites like ours. We're doing all the heavy lifting just to get a fraudulent message out to as many people as possible.

Again, when you're stepping on Pee Wee Herman's toes.. it's hard to get motivated to take a stand. When they're exploiting John Carlos and Tommie Smith's historic protest for a cheap buck, that's lower than low. I hope they get nothing but negative buzz on this shoe, and from here out if I were to have my way we'll play no part in furthering these unethical marketing campaigns.

Nike DID NOT nickname these sneakers. The sneakers are merely inspired by the "Silent Gesture". They could have been nicknamed anything related to the moment, or, anything at all really. The nickname could have been the "200 Meters in 1968", or the "Black Gloves", or the "Gold and Bronzes", or the "Black/Team Red-Metallic Copper-Engine" Nike Air Max 95 360, or "Whatever You Want to Nickname Them" Nike Air Max 95 360, or the "February 2008" Nike Air Max 95 360, or just that new Nike Air Max 95 360. The "Silent Gesture" is a nickname that comes from the inspiration behind the palette for the purpose of cataloging/designating the sneaker from the many other Nike Air Max 95 360s.

I understand your point when it comes the "Transformers", or the "GI Joes", or the "Hashin Tigers", or the "Lakers", or the "Guns n Roses", or the "Enter Trademarked Name Here", but this isnt directly the case with these sneakers.

If you would like me to change the title of this post to something that is easier to deal with then I will do that.

Also, I would like to point out that I am pretty confident that part of the success of this Forum (or at least part of the initial success and definitely in a google search for someone looking for a "Nike Forum") is due to the fact that the forum is named NIKEtalk. This is in essence doing the same thing that a lot of these "unethical" nicknames are doing, attracting a consumer, in the case of this forum a reader, by indirectly aligning itself with a popular and marketable entity. This Forum could easily be named SneakerTalk and it would accomplish the same goal, people would talk about sneakers. By naming it NIKEtalk, the forum will attract more people, period. By the same token even if it were named AdidasTalk, it would probably not attract the same amount of readers.

I would also like to point out that by naming it NIKEtalk and by having three of the four sneaker related forums dedicated to NIKE brands (with all the others getting lumped into an anonymous "OTHER" forum) this Forum is promoting and helping out Nike anyway, whether the sneakers were nicknamed or not.

Also let it be known that I have no problem with Nike. I don't overly concern myself with the nicknames or color inspirations behind their sneakers and I have no problem with this forum being called NIKEtalk or that 3 of the 4 forums are dedicated to Nike's products. I choose to worry about more pressing issues in life. Not trying to belittle anyone's worries or anger here but, I am qualifying where I am coming from with this post.


MaZe

The nickname isn't the problem. The problem is that they're attempting to profit from John Carlos and Tommie Smith's courageous and historicprotest - one of the most famous and iconic moments in the history of sport - and Nike had NOTHING to do with it. As far as we know, they're not donatinga CENT of the proceeds to ANY worthy charity, nor have they secured the consent or blessing from those whose act "inspired" this act of shallowcommercialism. You can call them whatever you want, the problem is that you're regurgitating an illegitimate marketing pitch.
Nike NEEDS you to make the connection between the protest and the shoes - because they CAN'T do so legally in their advertising. I think it'shigh time that we stopped playing along.

You can take that constructively, or you can get defensive.


As for our name, first of all we OWN www.niketalk.com. We secured the rights legally. We paid for it. We make it abundantly clear that Nike has nothingto do with the site. What's more, we've never attempted to profit from the site - ALL of the proceeds have gone to various charities and we'vedonated in excess of $40,000 thus far, since running ads last summer.

Nike hasn't secured the rights to sell Transformers, GI Joe, Simpsons, Marvel comics merchandise, and so on and so on ad nausaeam. That's allprivate gain, none of the legal rightsholders have benefited to my knowledge, much less any charities.


Obviously Nike's profited tremendously from the existence of NikeTalk, but we're not in the business of shilling. We're not beholden to NikeInc. or any other company, so we have no reason to play a role in perpetuating their illegitimate marketing campaigns. You're free to choose whether ornot your site will be used to that end or not, but as far as NikeTalk is concerned we're no longer going to broadcast that message. Let Nike earn itssuccess legitimately like any respectable business should.

I think it's absolutely disgusting that they're trying to profit from the '68 games protest and I want no part in it. I would love for thesneaker community as a whole to come together and take a stance on this, but it's up to each individual and site to choose their own way.

We're not going to help Nike exploit one of the most heroic images in sport.

 

[mazedowner]

Originally Posted by Method Man

Originally Posted by MaZeDOwNeR

Originally Posted by Method Man


At any rate, I'm not proposing that we do away with the news - just the illegitimate nicknames - because we all KNOW that's just coming via parrot from Nike. It's not like fans are giving the shoes these nicknames. It's a "viral" marketing campaign enabled 1) by the popularity of the license they DIDN'T compensate and 2) by the reach of websites like ours. We're doing all the heavy lifting just to get a fraudulent message out to as many people as possible.

Again, when you're stepping on Pee Wee Herman's toes.. it's hard to get motivated to take a stand. When they're exploiting John Carlos and Tommie Smith's historic protest for a cheap buck, that's lower than low. I hope they get nothing but negative buzz on this shoe, and from here out if I were to have my way we'll play no part in furthering these unethical marketing campaigns.

Nike DID NOT nickname these sneakers. The sneakers are merely inspired by the "Silent Gesture". They could have been nicknamed anything related to the moment, or, anything at all really. The nickname could have been the "200 Meters in 1968", or the "Black Gloves", or the "Gold and Bronzes", or the "Black/Team Red-Metallic Copper-Engine" Nike Air Max 95 360, or "Whatever You Want to Nickname Them" Nike Air Max 95 360, or the "February 2008" Nike Air Max 95 360, or just that new Nike Air Max 95 360. The "Silent Gesture" is a nickname that comes from the inspiration behind the palette for the purpose of cataloging/designating the sneaker from the many other Nike Air Max 95 360s.

I understand your point when it comes the "Transformers", or the "GI Joes", or the "Hashin Tigers", or the "Lakers", or the "Guns n Roses", or the "Enter Trademarked Name Here", but this isnt directly the case with these sneakers.

If you would like me to change the title of this post to something that is easier to deal with then I will do that.

Also, I would like to point out that I am pretty confident that part of the success of this Forum (or at least part of the initial success and definitely in a google search for someone looking for a "Nike Forum") is due to the fact that the forum is named NIKEtalk. This is in essence doing the same thing that a lot of these "unethical" nicknames are doing, attracting a consumer, in the case of this forum a reader, by indirectly aligning itself with a popular and marketable entity. This Forum could easily be named SneakerTalk and it would accomplish the same goal, people would talk about sneakers. By naming it NIKEtalk, the forum will attract more people, period. By the same token even if it were named AdidasTalk, it would probably not attract the same amount of readers.

I would also like to point out that by naming it NIKEtalk and by having three of the four sneaker related forums dedicated to NIKE brands (with all the others getting lumped into an anonymous "OTHER" forum) this Forum is promoting and helping out Nike anyway, whether the sneakers were nicknamed or not.

Also let it be known that I have no problem with Nike. I don't overly concern myself with the nicknames or color inspirations behind their sneakers and I have no problem with this forum being called NIKEtalk or that 3 of the 4 forums are dedicated to Nike's products. I choose to worry about more pressing issues in life. Not trying to belittle anyone's worries or anger here but, I am qualifying where I am coming from with this post.


MaZe

The nickname isn't the problem. The problem is that they're attempting to profit from John Carlos and Tommie Smith's courageous and historic protest - one of the most famous and iconic moments in the history of sport - and Nike had NOTHING to do with it. As far as we know, they're not donating a CENT of the proceeds to ANY worthy charity, nor have they secured the consent or blessing from those whose act "inspired" this act of shallow commercialism. You can call them whatever you want, the problem is that you're regurgitating an illegitimate marketing pitch.


Nike NEEDS you to make the connection between the protest and the shoes - because they CAN'T do so legally in their advertising. I think it's high time that we stopped playing along.

You can take that constructively, or you can get defensive.


As for our name, first of all we OWN www.niketalk.com. We secured the rights legally. We paid for it. We make it abundantly clear that Nike has nothing to do with the site. What's more, we've never attempted to profit from the site - ALL of the proceeds have gone to various charities and we've donated in excess of $40,000 thus far, since running ads last summer.

Nike hasn't secured the rights to sell Transformers, GI Joe, Simpsons, Marvel comics merchandise, and so on and so on ad nausaeam. That's all private gain, none of the legal rightsholders have benefited to my knowledge, much less any charities.


Obviously Nike's profited tremendously from the existence of NikeTalk, but we're not in the business of shilling. We're not beholden to Nike Inc. or any other company, so we have no reason to play a role in perpetuating their illegitimate marketing campaigns. You're free to choose whether or not your site will be used to that end or not, but as far as NikeTalk is concerned we're no longer going to broadcast that message. Let Nike earn its success legitimately like any respectable business should.

I think it's absolutely disgusting that they're trying to profit from the '68 games protest and I want no part in it. I would love for the sneaker community as a whole to come together and take a stance on this, but it's up to each individual and site to choose their own way.

We're not going to help Nike exploit one of the most heroic images in sport.

First off, understand that this isnt a personal attack on you, but you can get defensive if you want to as well.

1. The nickname isnt the problem? You said, "At any rate, I'm not proposing that we do away with the news - just the illegitimate nicknames - becausewe all KNOW that's just coming via parrot from Nike."

2. No one from Nike pitched anything to me, at all. I NICKNAMED (a fan) THIS SNEAKER after doing some research into the inspiration behind the sneaker. If Ihad not posted the sneaker or nicknamed the sneaker, it would have most likely gone nicknamless and backstoryless, if that makes you feel better.

3. Yes you (general plural) own the name Niketalk, obviously I am quite aware as to how domains are purchased. I understand that you secured the rights andpurchased it. I do not know the answer to this but, did anyone from the founding team of NikeTalk ask Nike's legal dept if they could use NIKE's nameas part of the name of this board? Now obviously I know that you dont have to, I could start NikeSpeak tomorrow without any recourse, but as I am pointing outwith my argument, this board benefits from the name. You can't deny that.

4. I never said that NikeTalk profited. I said that NikeTalk attracted. I honestly find your charitable donations quite admirable but that wasn't my point.

5. I also never said that NikeTalk was in the business of shilling or that it was beholden to Nike, I merely stated that Nike benefits from this board whetherthe board perpetuated the "illegitimate" marketing campaigns or not. The fact that this board exists, that it is named Niketalk and that 90% of thethreads created in "The Kicks" forum are Nike based, helps Nike, period, again, nicknames or not.

6. "Nike hasn't secured the rights to sell Transformers, GI Joe, Simpsons, Marvel comics merchandise, and so on and so on ad nausaeam. That's allprivate gain, none of the legal rightsholders have benefited to my knowledge, much less any charities." - I said I understood your point on this one.

7. "You're free to choose whether or not your site will be used to that end or not" - Thank you.

8. "We're not going to help Nike exploit one of the most heroic images in sport." - I offered to change the name of the thread, I am aware thatyou could do it yourself if you would like to. Feel free to.

All in all, this conversation is drawing much more attention to the sneaker than it would have probably received anyway. As a grown man, I do not want to argueabout sneaker nicknames and their business/ethical ramifications on a sneaker forum at 1am. Thanks for your engaging conversation and have a great night.

MaZe

 

[macgyver35]

quote:

I think it's absolutely disgusting that they're trying to profit from the '68 games protest and I want no part in it. I would love for the sneakercommunity as a whole to come together and take a stance on this, but it's up to each individual and site to choose their own way.

--------------------------------------------------

lets start by changing the title of the thread. thanks for posting pics of the shoes, this is the first time I've seen them. But i'm just going to sayi'm uncomfortable with this shoe and it's inspiration to motivate sales. Nike had nothing to do with their protest and for them to make money off thisand not donate a portion of the earnings is upsetting. I will note that no one knows for sure if nike will take some sort of responsibility and make an effortto give back and contribute with this release, that would be the honorable thing to do. This month is dedicated to honoring influential blacks not make aprofit off their contributions.

 

[mazedowner]

I would also like to add that the very ironic this about this entire situation is that I took time in nicknaming these sneakers. I personally felt the same waythat macgyver and Meth do, this is one of the more important moments in sports history.

Now with that being said, I orginally nickamed the sneaker "The Power to the People" Nike Air Max 95 360 as evidenced in the URL. http://www.kixandthecity.com/2008/02/08/power-to-the-people-nike-air-max-95-360/

Now knowing their inspiration, I renamed the post (the original nickname stays in the URL) to "silent gesture" because I FELT that it would be agreat way to teach my reader about this act. An act that I am sure that many younger "sneaker heads" have no idea about. I AS AN EDITOR felt that itwould be great to try to connect this sneaker to this act so that people could learn something.

As evidenced by these lines in the post on the site:

"For more info on Tommie Smith and John Carlos' gesture, click [HERE], or,read [this article] on Tommie Smith's bookSilent Gesture (from which the nickname for this sneaker is derived)"

I honestly dont care how much money Nike makes off of this sneaker, I just care that the people coming to my site know that the palette is inspired by the"Silent Gesture" and that they learn a little something about the "Silent Gesture" in the process.

Oh, and thread renamed.

MaZe

 

[Methodical Management]

1. The nickname isnt the problem? You said, "At any rate, I'm not proposing that we do away with the news - just the illegitimate nicknames - because we all KNOW that's just coming via parrot from Nike."
The specific wording of the nickname isn't the problem. If they called the Transformers shoe theOptimus Prime, if they called the Hulk shoe the Bruce Banner, if they called the Homer dunk the Simpson, would it be any less exploitive? Nike isn'tpaying for these licenses. The ONLY reason they're able to get away with Heineken shoes, Dr. Doom shoes, et al. is because they're able to convincethird parties to do their marketing for them, to send out a message they can't legally send. There's a reason these shoes aren't labeled as suchon the box - but what do you think the kids ask for when they show up at the store?

Yet at the same time, people come down like a ton of bricks on stuff like the Gourmet Jordan "inspired" canvas shoes.

2. No one from Nike pitched anything to me, at all. I NICKNAMED (a fan) THIS SNEAKER after doing some research into the inspiration behind the sneaker. If I had not posted the sneaker or nicknamed the sneaker, it would have most likely gone nicknamless and backstoryless, if that makes you feel better.
Let's think about what purpose it serves to connect this shoe to the protest. If people are fans of the protest, they'll be interested inthe story and more interested in the shoe than they might have been if it was simply called "Black/Team Red-Metallic Copper-Engine," as will appearon the box, right? Yes, it's a story and that'll help get your site hits, but at the end of the day it's no different than calling the black/whitefoam pro the "Dr. Doom" or what have you. The only difference, to me, is that I find it far more vulgar to try and capitalize on John Carlos andTommie Smith's protest. That's just unconscionable. Obviously Nike's not HIDING the inspiration for this shoe. Quite the contrary, they'relooking to benefit from it - and by telling that story you're helping them accomplish this. They obviously can't run a print ad for the shoe andinclude a photograph of the medal stand protest without obtaining the proper rights - but if someone were to post it on NikeTalk FOR them.... well, then theydon't have to pay ANYTHING to achieve the same result.

Personally, I think it would be best if these WERE simply known as the "Black/Team Red-Metallic Copper-Engine" AM 95-360s. Let Nike earn their ownsuccess for the product rather than merely stand on the backs of John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Perhaps it's a less interesting read, but if Nike WANTS toget that kind of angle for their sneaker, shouldn't we encourage them to start donating portions of the product price to charities or, at the very least,compensating the people whose endorsements they IMPLY with stories like these? I think so.

Adidas has an actual star wars Superstar - not an illegitimate star wars rip off like the "yodas." Even lowly Reebok put out the Volton pack. Whycan't Nike do the same? Wouldn't it be better for those who are actually fans of the properties Nike's attempting to leverage? It's not likethey don't have the money.

3. Yes you (general plural) own the name Niketalk, obviously I am quite aware as to how domains are purchased. I understand that you secured the rights and purchased it. I do not know the answer to this but, did anyone from the founding team of NikeTalk ask Nike's legal dept if they could use NIKE's name as part of the name of this board? Now obviously I know that you dont have to, I could start NikeSpeak tomorrow without any recourse, but as I am pointing out with my argument, this board benefits from the name. You can't deny that.
Does Nike approve of NT? Hey, they're not hurting because of it - that's for damned sure. You won't get one "official"stance, though. Nike's a huge company. Many people employed there LOVE NikeTalk, some have gone so far as to say that they couldn't effectivelyperform their jobs without it. Others, like those upset by the release of early sample pictures and the like, are less enamored with the site. At the end ofthe day, though, I think you'd be hard pressed to find too many people at Nike who'd deny that they've generated millions of dollars from NikeTalkalone. When we started the site in December of '99, it began as a fan site - like NikePark, 23JumpmanSt, etc. In 8 years, we haven't advertised oreven registered with a search engine. It's never been our goal to try and leverage Nike's popularity. We're just sneaker fans talking aboutshoes. Even as the site has grown, spawned countless peripheral sites, and so on we haven't changed our mission. We're still here to serve the fans. Despite the opportunities, we haven't tried to turn a profit. So, we benefit in a profoundly different way than does Nike.

To suggest that we have no right to criticize from Nike's business practices simply because people visit our site to discuss sneakers makes little sense. A magazine like Consumer Reports benefits from the popularity of the products they review, does it not? Yet we, as consumers, expect and hope that they willcriticize these companies should they find their products deficient in some regard. NikeTalk exists for sneaker fans, not sneaker brands. We're allsneaker fans and NikeTalk grants us the opportunity to share our opinions with one another and with the world. We have every right to critique Nike'sbusiness practices - or any other business for that matter. Do we "benefit" from the connection? We're not deriving personal profit from it. At "worst" we're parlaying that popularity into charitable donations. I think that's different from the way Nike's taking advantage bothof our forum and these properties.

Plenty of companies sell parodies, and those obviously benefit from the subjects that have inspired them. Spaceballs benefits from Star Wars, etc. That'spretty standard and we see it in the apparel industry all the time. Undrcrwn does it, supreme/undftd practically only have a name because of it, etc. Thatsaid, you have to admit that it's in bad taste for a company with as much money as Nike to try and get us to sell their crap for free using someoneelse's license, though - especially when dealing with something as sacred, really, as this is.

Can they get away with it legally? Of course. They have been for years. What irritates me is that they basically use sites like ours to accomplish it. Would it work as well, or at all, if we weren't complicit? Perhaps we should find out.

It's not that they "can't" do it - it's that I want no part in ENABLING it. I don't want to be used to perpetuate it. If they MUSTtry to exploit licenses they don't own, let them try and gain marketing buzz themselves - to whatever extent they're legally able. Why should we do itfor them? You can't look at the shoe you just posted and say "oh, that reminds me of the Mexico City games and the medal stand protest." Theonly reason consumers have that connection in their minds is because sites like this one convey that message.

6. "Nike hasn't secured the rights to sell Transformers, GI Joe, Simpsons, Marvel comics merchandise, and so on and so on ad nausaeam. That's all private gain, none of the legal rightsholders have benefited to my knowledge, much less any charities." - I said I understood your point on this one.
Shouldn't we do something about it? We have the ability. These are the mediums Nike chooses to transmit this sort of marketing. I honestlythink we should black that out on principle. I'd love for you and other news blog sites to adopt a similar position if you feel the same way.

For me, this instance is even worse because the subject matter, the back Nike's standing on to imbue this retread with appeal, isn't a big soullesscorporation. Would we stand for it if Nike tried to make a Gandhi dunk, a Cesar Chavez Goadome, a Dr. King Blazer? I think most people would consider thatvulgar - and so is this.

8. "We're not going to help Nike exploit one of the most heroic images in sport." - I offered to change the name of the thread, I am aware that you could do it yourself if you would like to. Feel free to.
I'd prefer to reason with people than exercise 'brute force.' If we do adopt a policy of blacking out these types of marketingcampaigns, I would like the users to agree with our policy and we'd ideally like as many other sites to agree as possible. Nike, and other companies, areusing us to exploit other properties - and they're the only ones coming out on top. At the very least, you'd think they could kick something tocharity when they try to tether a shoe to social justice issues but, then, this IS Nike we're talking about....

All in all, this conversation is drawing much more attention to the sneaker than it would have probably received anyway. As a grown man, I do not want to argue about sneaker nicknames and their business/ethical ramifications on a sneaker forum at 1am.
Hopefully it's attracting negative attention at this point, if people agree that trying to link a sneaker, without compensation, to the 1968Mexico City games protest is shameful.

We're all sneaker fans, so I don't see the point in trying to belittle those with an interest in discussing sneaker news in their free time.

 

[dom90]

nike messed up with these

 

[wallyhopp]

great point about puma. myself included and im guessing hundreds of thousands of others probably didnt know that the guys who these shoes are made after orinspired by didnt even wear NIKES. thats just a really sad reality.

 

[Methodical Management]

great point about puma. myself included and im guessing hundreds of thousands of others probably didnt know that the guys who these shoes are made after or inspired by didnt even wear NIKES. thats just a really sad reality.
Nike wasn't even NIKE in 1968, it was still "blue ribbon sports."

 

[corporatejp]

Emo's and rich kid's are all over these bad color combos on hybrids.

Just wait.