Question about retros

[123jd]

I'm not sure this is really the right forum for this but anyway...

I was wondering when and why Nike started retro-ing old shoes? Back when I was in highschool I always thought the Nikes of the time were the coolest shoes andthen like after '98-2000 their shoes all looked plain and boring so I started buying originals from 96 on ebay like the Nike Slants in my avatar to keepwith their old style I like.

I was really glad to see they started retro-ing some of the shoes from those years. But why don't they make new designs but with the 90's style ratherthan just remake the same old ones again? Why are all the new non retro shoes plain and boring?

Thanks

 

[ruxxx]

I agree with you.Aesthetically,a lot of the new stuff put out by the companies does lead to a big yawn fest.I would venture to say that more is put into theactual tech/performance aspect and not so much how dope the shoe looks.One of the many things I respect about Mr. Hatfied is that whenever he decides to FULLYmastermind a sneaker or just simply participate in the creation of one,he always leaves something unique and bold,that "geek out" element that hespoke of a few years ago in an interview.It's the complete freedom to CREATE and pushing ones imagination to the limit that's sort of diminished overthe past 7 to 8 years.There have been a FEW gems in that time period,but still not anything remotely close to what we witnessed in the 90's.........just my2 cent on the subject.

 

[1c3m4m]

Go to the Nike section of this board, you will be amazed at some of the new sneakers Nike puts out.

 

[swingshot]

Nike realised fairly early on that some shoes are 'timeless'. When the AF1 was canceled... at some point in the 80s... can't remember the year...retailers banded together and
asked Nike if a special order production run was possible. That production run sold quickly, as did several more.


Around 93, Nike threw the gauntlet down. They used their pre-existing market position, their resources, to fund more aggressive design and marketing.
The other companies came up with some interesting shoes, but they couldn't compete, and fell by the wayside. Nike don't push the envelope so muchnowadays because
they don't have to. They're effectively living off the benefits of solidifying their market position in the mid90s to early 2000s.

The consequence of their efforts in the 90s, and their relative lack of effort now, is that some of those 90s shoes are also now "timeless".

In a way they really have it made. They can continue to put out relatively uninspired new shoes, because they pretty much run the athletic footwear market.
At the same time, they can reissue those shoes from the 90s which helped secure their position in the first place... albeit as cut down versions, modified toclaw back a few cents from each shoe produced.

 

[purplehazen]

it aint easy to come up with these designs..lol. i feel you though, they dot make them like they use to. thats a good question about retro's and when itfirst happen. that should be a thread. what was the first nike ever retroed... wow im gonna guess out of three shoes. nike blazer, cortez, and aor force 1high. i doubt im right but thats as far back as i can go.. yeah and at the end of the day if a sneaker did very well it would hurt to try again.. its all aboutthe money