Question for "OG" MJ Consumers. Yes an Addendum due to Responses I've Read

[nonsense08]

Originally Posted by jordan23lilelias4

this sounds dumb

yea.. plus i dnt think age is tha only thing dat makes you an OG... ther are a few of us young ppl out there that hav more heat and experience thanalota older shoe heads... plus i realy wud not appreciate being excluded from a realease such as this because i was born too late... i think I would beentitled to this realease just as much as any 25 year old..

 

[supermanblue79]

Rock,
Just thought of something...
JB has an extensive research and developement department which has tons of data about their customers. The Jeter Baseball Contest, Flight Club, Nike, Incpurchases, and surveys that could be put together and backed by any give-away in which customers would be honest about submitting their age. Take thatdatabase and create an entire website devoted to OGs...like the employee discount site "Swoosh"...where each member above the age limit decided by JBwould have their own unique account number. These special OG releases should be available to first generation Jordan Consumers for a month, with all pairsthat did not sell within the month placed on NDC, Flightclub, or distributed to various NikeTowns.
One pair per household rule should be inforced.
Sure there will be issues, but this would be the most efficient way to handle these releases.

 

[yungpyro07]

there are a lot of passionate jordan collectors under 25. JB has made some bad decisions but they wouldnt even think twice about doing this. if u think theonly real collectors are over 25 then you got ur head in a box

 

[doyung9]

1. How DOES Brand Jordan KEEP you as a Consumer?
I just enjoy the Jordan Brand. I like the products.


2. Would you participate in such a Program where you weren't competing against other kids of the Younger Generation for the Shoes YOU Covet so much?
Yes, but I think the correct age minimum would have to be for those born in 1986 and above like myself. Simply because my 1st memories of MJ were the 1991finals, and since that was the Air Jordan 6, which was part of the "defining moments" pack, wouldn't it be un-fair to not include those my age?


3. If this type of release proved that the OG Consumer just can't be sustained because of Poor Sales, would you still complain that Jordan doesn't lookto Market to you anymore?

No. I think people wrongfully believe that Jordan Brand owes them something, when in reality, it does not.

 

[digitaljordan]

Most of you just do not understand what this post is about.

ther are a few of us young ppl out there that hav more heat and experience than alota older shoe heads
Yeah that may be true but us older heads are not talking about that. What we wanna bring back is the real experience of buying Air Jordans 1-13.No matter how much "heat" you have or how many issues you read of $.C. you will never understand.

there are a lot of passionate jordan collectors under 25

Once again that is correct but not many of them know about the experience of buying a pair of J's back then. Nobody ever said that olderJordan fans are any better then younger.

What does it matter if your parents bought the shoes for you? MJ transcended the game of basketball. Even a 3 or 4 year old growing up in the late 80's knew who MJ was
You did not understand what I was saying. It's fine if your parents bought your shoes. %!## my parents bought all my J's up until the XIV

What I hate is when you have a kid born in89-90 and they may of had some j's as a kid so they claimto of been down since then. What you younger guys do notunderstand is it's not about the shoes. It was the feeling we had for the shoes back then.

Someone born after 1988 cannot understand this piece.. Watching DVD's of Jordan highlights or seeing pics of weathered OG's here does not cut it......



And there it is. It's not a I'm better cuz i'm older it's just that things have changed.

Going to JC Penny to cop J's

Having to wait all year for that new commercial before seeing a glimpse of the next Jordan.

Being able to watch MJ do things never before seen and then putting on the same pair (no pe's the same pair) and trying to do the same moves on the nerfhoop.

Trying to make your parnets think that $100 for a pair of shoes is not that crazy.

Being the only kid in school with the new J's on. Now i'm like the only person in the mall under thirty without some sort of J's on.

 

[mayhemgatz]

1. How DOES Brand Jordan KEEP you as a Consumer?

I would like to JB bring the OG shoes like they have been doing (playoffs, aquas, grapes), just with a little more quality.That would make me believe that they care about what we wear on our feet rather than caring only about the name Jordan being on our feet. I'm not sayingthat the newer releases should be abolished because like many others, i buy what i like, plain and simple. Maybe even a tasteful reinvention like mixing upcolorways along with mixing up entire shoes could bring in both OG's and kids under the same umbrella. i'd faster cop an aqua colorway of the VII or aspacejam colorway of the VIII's than a spizike or dub zero. colorways like the nubuck XII's and cool grey IV's were really hot in my eyes, and thequality was very good. i still have mine nice and clean after 40+ wears, and thats just to show that i support non-OG colors just because it was tasteful andunique, like all of the jordans were when they originally released. As a 25 year old, i'm on the borderline of the old generation and the new generation, iappreciate the OG's i never had because i saw them on the teenagers that used to punk around the little kids like me because they wanted to see how toughwe could be. now are we getting punked around by the company

? maybe to see how much wecan take before we call it quits

? maybe to see who really wants the shoes instead ofthose that want the resell profit

? maybe i just want a pair of X's that won'tsqueak when i walk or need powder to stop the squeaking

? maybe i just want thekicks that i grew to love to love me back with some good quality....

2. Would you participate in such a Program where you weren't competing against other kids of the Younger Generation for the Shoes YOU Covet somuch?
I'd participate in any program that didn't require me camping out, pre-ordering, online ordering, networking withstore employees, or anything related to the hype train that pulls into every single shoe release that i like.


3. If this type of release proved that the OG Consumer just can't be sustained because of Poor Sales, would you still complain that Jordan doesn'tlook to Market to you anymore?
if it was done right, with good quality, with enough to go around.....then no.....and i don't think the beancounters at NIKE would complain neither

Rock, tell those suits on campus....that they could take our nike airs....they could take the little differences that count.....they could take the red pulltab off.....but they can never take the game! lol j/k had to get my braveheart on real quick

 

[23collector1985]

Rock: First let me say thank you for this thread. I am 34 years old and have had a passion for Jordans since the very beginning in 1985. I have often tried to share or express my passion for J's on message boards such as NikeTalk, only to be ingnored or completely misunderstood by the teenage population who make up the majority of sites such as NT and ISS. So, thank you for initiating yet another intelligent discussion that reminds others, like myself, that there are a few of us OG heads still out there.

Now, to address your questions:


1. How DOES Brand Jordan KEEP you as a Consumer?

As another member mentioned, Brand Jordan keeps me as a customer by releasing Retros that LOOK close enough to the OGs to make me feel that nostalgia. No, the quality isn't the same and it may not say "Nike Air" on the heal, but if they LOOK close enough to a shoe I bought and wore back in, say 1988 for example, then I get that nostalgic feeling, and I am happy to pick up a pair or 2... or 3, lol.

2. Would you participate in such a Program where you weren't competing against other kids of the Younger Generation for the Shoes YOU Covet so much?

I would absolutely participate is such a program. However, paret of me feels that everyone should have the chance to experience these special shoes and what they represent, and I have nothing against the younger generation (afterall, I was a young Jordan customer at one time too), but what I have a problem with is having to compete against 15 year olds, some of whom have never even seen or care to see a tape of MJ playing, for a shoe that I have been obsesesd with for more than 20 years. Part of me, however, believes that they should have a chance to experience these special shoes, just as I did when I was 15, but so many of them just don't care about the history of the shoe or who they represent. They care more about what outfit the shoe is going to match with. When I buy a pair of Air Jordans, it's because I remember either playing ball in a particular pair and how I felt in some way (as crazy as is sounds) that I had an edge over the competion because I was wearing J's... or it's because I remember watching the man himself live... hitting "the shot on Ehlo" or making that "spectacular move" against L.A. in their first title run. That's why I think the OG generation, who are not necessarily better, but are at least set apart from today's younger Brand Jordan who, again, for the most part don't have that sense of history that we have. Long story short... YES, I would participate!

3. If this type of release proved that the OG Consumer just can't be sustained because of Poor Sales, would you still complain that Jordan doesn't look to Market to you anymore?

For me, the answer simply is that I don't complain now... so I would continue to support Brand Jordan regardless.

Thanks again, Rock!

Sean

 

[eorr23]

honestly i think that would add to the hype factor which is a thing og collectors dont like

 

[dunkadelic2k3]

Okay, I'm 33 years old and I've been wearing Jay's since the original white/black/red I's. I don't think this minimum age thing would workbecause it would just be creating another group of older resellers. I can just imagine 35 year old men going into a store and buying all of the shoes to sellon ebay. This is just another way for JB to use limitedness to create hype for a release which causes the reselling to take off.

What I truly would like is for JB to just release one retro a month max, in it's original form with good quality. I don't want an online release or LSor package or anything. Just release the shoe as it was and as a GR. I'm not one of those people who wants to be the only one with a certain shoe, and Icouldn't care less about kids wearing the same shoes as me. All I really want is to be able to purchase the shoes I liked as they were.

The thing that bothers me about JB's direction is that I don't want to have to pay reseller prices to get a certain shoe I had back in the day, and Idon't want a garbage quality shoe (like Military IV's).

 

[metalmaned]

Rock.. some interesting ideas and my comments/suggestions will be below. I read over some of the responses but am trying to keep my answers from me and nothave influence from anyone else's answers no matter how good or bad they may have been. Here goes...

Would YOU PARTICIPATE ....If Brand Jordan Jordan Brand, JB or whatever you call em, down the road were to start an OG Release Program where there was a LIMITED RELEASE... IN STORE for Those 25 and Up...maybe twice a year which Retroed a Shoe THE EXACT way it was the way it Originally Released?


I would absolutely participate and purchase them!!! The problem is HOW "limited" they were. If they were so limted I still would have a hard timegetting the shoes then it still wouldn't really solve anything. Some people would get them and some whouldn't, which is where we are now with limitedreleases.

Would this appease to those who think the Brand has driven away from them?
Would YOU BUY EACH RELEASE?


Would I buy each release? Honestly... No!!! Reason being I personally do not like EVERY numbered Air Jordan shoe BUT I would DEFINATELY buy EVERYONE that Idid like!!!

Instead of an Online Release which would cost more to have Warehouse folks working to send out releases to EACH Consumer... take it back to YOUR Youth where YOU took a trip to the Store and ONLY Fought with Folks of YOUR AGE to get a Release?


Well I will admit that for the most part in todays age I try to buy as much as I can online so my lazy %%! doesn't have to leave the house, LOL But if theprogram was only available in certain stores then YES I would have no problem going to the store and getting the release. These kids today lining up for a shoe3-4days early is just crazy!!! Maybe some of them do it to be cool and say they did it but being 36 and making good money and having a life, I'd ratherspend double on the shoes I wanted because in the long run it would cost me less money because my time is more valuable then that. In the last 3 years there isonly 1 time I have stood in line for a pair of shoes and that was only for 45mins until my boy got there and got me in early!!! When shoes were coming out thatI wanted I went out of my way to hunt down the mom and pop shops that were going to get them and became friendly with the owners and next thing you no nowaiting in line anymore!!!

But if you had to SHOW ID that proved you were a certain age in order to purchase an OG Release would you participate?
If it meant me getting the shoes i wanted, HELL YES!!!! And on top of it as someone else stated I think you should only be allowed to get YOURSIZE!!! The ONLY way a program like this would work is if it was policed by Nike/JB... Meaning a good starting ground would be at Niketown stores.

See what we ALL must realize is, alot of us who WERE buying Jordans as 16 and up Year Olds are 30 somethings that don't wear Jordans AS much anymore... thus we are not the Consumer BASE anymore. Some of us have Kids....some of us are Dead, because we were Dope Dealers who led the Charge of being the only one's who could afford Jordans. Some of us are in Jail because of the previous sentence.

However, our Loyalty is STILL there, so we still have a Connection which brings us forward to purchasing Jordans for our Kids if possible.
I bought my first pair of Jordans in 85 and I was 14. I must have had 20 or so pairs of Jordan I's from 85-88 because we used to skateboard inthem and thrash them. This was the first shoe I ever had that I considered it a "fashion" item. Since 1985 I have been pretty damn loyal to Nike andnow JB. So much infact, I could could on both my hands the number of pairs of "other brand" sneakers I have bought in the last 23 years!!!

1. How DOES Brand Jordan KEEP you as a Consumer?
I have been happy with the fact that the retro's have been coming out so i can wear shoes I used to back in the days. We all all agree thequality is not what it once was but being the age I am I realize this isn't always possible as so many things change over the years but I am just happy tobe able to wear shoes like the Grape's again. Finding out that shoe was retroing really is what got me HEAVILY into the sneakers again. I know alot ofpeople complain about the quality and the loss of Nike Air but i realize it's a business and they are their own brand now. Its like Lexus is made by Toyotabut doesn't have Toyota logos on the outside of it, they want the brand to be their own and I honestly don;t see anything wrong with it. I didn;t think thejumpman looked that bad on the back of the III's, IV's and V's. I didn't like the IV's with the leather pulltabs though, that didn'tlook good cause the jumpman was flush wit the leather and not sticking up. I also don't agree with putting the Jumpman on the back of the I's... i cansee it on the III-V's because they had the logo there but with the I's? Come on!!!

2. Would you participate in such a Program where you weren't competing against other kids of the Younger Generation for the Shoes YOU Covet so much?
As stated above i absolutley would!!!

3. If this type of release proved that the OG Consumer just can't be sustained because of Poor Sales, would you still complain that Jordan doesn't look to Market to you anymore?
Of course not because at least they TRIED to do something and that's all alot of people are asking, just that they TRY to make some of thepeople happy.

Let me hear you....
In closing, I think the idea has some potential but the only way this could happen and actually work is if JB held focus groups all across the USto get input from people to figure out the specifics of what people would want and want would work. I mean you will NEVER please EVERYONE but going out oftheir way to TRY to make a difference would definately hold some weight with a lot of the people that are constantly bashing them.

Thanks for the topic Rock, maybe you can get some of the JB brass to start thinking...

 

[chitown4eva]

1. How DOES Brand Jordan KEEP you as a Consumer?

Keep it simple. Make good quality shoes available to public. Be smarter about what you make limited. Creativity.

2. Would you participate in such a Program where you weren't competing against other kids of the Younger Generation for the Shoes YOU Covet somuch?

It's not that serious. It's not that difficult to make a faithful reproduction of a shoe and make it available for everyone. A notch up in qualityand Nike Air will not negatively alter the sales of a particular retro. Everybody wins. I would rather for it to be all inclusive instead of some corny,marketed exclusiveness. Throw Nike Air on the kids releases too.

3. If this type of release proved that the OG Consumer just can't be sustained because of Poor Sales, would you still complain that Jordandoesn't look to Market to you anymore?

When did buying a retro become so complicated? I would rather JB do the right thing with the shoes they mass produce. Everyone deserves to ownthe shoe in all its og glory. "OG" as a description of person already sounds elitist, so I wouldn't advocate leaving younger guys behind. They're just shoes.

Now, it would be cool if there was some type of pre-release, through membership, for the older cats to ensure their pair. But I don't see why using bettermaterials and a logo would require a special program/release.

 

[trethousandgt]

I would be down for something like this, if I could get an OG shoe, released the EXACT way it was released I would definitely be on line to get my pairs.

 

[superblytrife]

My first pair of J's were the Carmines--and yes, I got them the year they originally released.

HELLS YES I WANT SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. I'd support it 100% ONLY if the quality was up to par.

 

[nbloomaz]

I like the idea of the OGs releasing and not competing. However, I have been into jordans and nikes since I was 6, and now I'm 22, so I don't like theidea that I have been a jordan loyalist and I watched MJ play in his prime and I get excluded from the program by a couple of years.

Also, I hate competing to buy the shoes that I want and shoes that I actually play ball in, not to fit into a fad. However, I think the main problem of notgettiing sneakers easily are the resellers that snatch the shoes up, not the younger crowd. The younger crowd does not always buy every new jordan out as theyoften are still in school and dont have jobs yet to pay for the sky high prices every single time. Around me I see whole lot of younger kids with fake jordansthan actual ones bc they dont have all that money to buy them.

It would be more beneficial for JB to release OG shoes as GRs to satisfy everybody by allowing everyone easy access to good shoes, while making more money forJB due to increased volume, and deterring resellers from digging into other people's pockets. Many OG collectors may not like that idea bc it just meansmore kids are wearing those prized jordans they have had for years. However, OG versions will still be OGs and you just get a few more pairs to beat up playingball in, or wear around daily.

 

[rockdeep]

Well I can say this. I appreciate ALL the responses EVEN if you didn't really get the understanding behind the questions.

Of course I wouldn't post some GRAND scheme that I would want to get approval of ... hell Im no decision maker, but its all about getting thought provokingtopics that get diverse answers.

Someone even PMed me to say, I was clogging up the board with meaningless crap, and was using my "POWER" to do surveys... lolololol...

I didn't realize I had Mind Control Powers to make everyone that responded do so. I might also add, that I haven't noticed alot of interactive topicswhich actually make people think which I know others within Beaverton will read and discuss.

I pay folks like that no mind, as I would never take advantage of folks here, as I am a Sneaker Dude first then Business person next. I am trying to find thatfine line where I can determine if all the Target consumers are truly represented on NT and get some reaction that is useful and have a thread or two to give avoice where I know it's being read.

So thanks again.

When I come here and start pushing products like I designed them.... I encourage Ska ijapino and any other Mod or Admin to delete not just lock the thread...

I think this Message Board is the truest possible Focus GRoup there can be so if your responses can actually HELP get what you'd like..I hope I can provokeresponses like I've gotten so far in both Threads.

 

[mannchyld]

Thanks Rock, it's posts like these that remind me of how much I love Jordan's. Brings back the good old memories.

 

[retrospect90]

Yea this was a good post even though im not a "OG" consumer,or no where even close, it was a good read.

 

[creature206]

Hey im over 25 and im game for anything that makes it eaiser to obtain the J's I truly want to see produced without having to wade through seas of childrenand resellers to get them. More importantly something that brings the fun and excitement back to a Jordan release day, replacing the panic and fear of notknowing if your gonna get your pair.

 

[yeerp]

buy em and get jacked in the parking lot by a 17 year old holding a pistol

 

[damianglass]

1. How DOES Brand Jordan KEEP you as a Consumer?
I will stay loyal as long as they keep the OG color retro going, but at a slower pace with something to look forward to each year. This pack %$## is horrible.Im running out of room with having to buy 2 at a time.

2. Would you participate in such a Program where you weren't competing against other kids of the Younger Generation for the Shoes YOU Covet so much?
Absolutely

3. If this type of release proved that the OG Consumer just can't be sustained because of Poor Sales, would you still complain that Jordan doesn't lookto Market to you anymore?
Im not going to complain about who they market to. They follow the money, as they should. It is a business.

 

[the warehouse 13]

I'm 26 and would participate in a heartbeat. Maybe they could have some sort of "call in to order and pick up at the closest Niketown to you"

Wishful thinking......but I would definately participate.

 

[bohrdom]

i'm 25+ and i support the age limit simply out of spite, esp. for all those times some punk kids buying up all the pairs, crowding all the lines, all inthe name of this collecting b.s.
just give me one release week where i can simply walk in on an afternoon, after work, get to try on a pair of xi's to see it fits good, and walk out inpeace.

 

[schmity14]

Rock how I like the idea of the age minimum. I have a few questions maybe to be considered.

#1. How are you going to determine the true OG sneakerheads? The younger generation might just get there parents to go get it and if we hype the shoe on hereor other avenues , the resellers will just go and purchase all the shoes and throw them on ebay. Maybe I shouldn't even just say the resellers b/c somepeople who consider themselves "sneakerheads" just flip shoes, look at all the sig's with people trying to sell Jordan's.....

The idea itself would be a great idea. I like the idea Jordan is doing with Packs coming out this year. I like the idea of the Retro but I feel if Jordanstopped doing retro's just for 1 year, then came back and made them really limited it would enhance the brand.

Again we have to realize Brand Jordan is a business, they do care about the consumer but ultimately they are here to make money. I know that, that's why wehave so many retro's but I just wish something could be done so Jordan's bring back the rareness to them.....

 

[metalmaned]

Originally Posted by nbloomaz

However, I have been into jordans and nikes since I was 6, and now I'm 22,

No offence to you but how can you HONESTLY say you were into Nikes and Jordans at age 6 and expect us to take you seriously? I mean maybe yourparents bought you a pair of Nikes or Jordans at age 6 but don't try to claim that you have been "into" them since then because that is astretch!!!

 

[arog27]

I'm 26 yrs. old, my first pair of Jordans were the Infared VI's

Yes, I would participate in a program that involved me going to the store and purchasing a high quality issue of a sneaker. The last pair of Jordan's thatI bought in store were the Cardinal VII's I think.

I miss the days where I would get up early on Saturday morning and buy the new Air Jordans at the mall.

I hate having to call 5 stores around the area to see which one is gonna have the shoes. I don't mind the limited idea, bought honestly, if I see a shoe ilike, i want it....not because its limited but because I like it.

Price is also a huge factor. I haven't bought any of the Countdown Collezione Packs because I'm not gonna pay $350 for shoes that retailed at $140 orless a piece. As an original buyer, i feel insulted having to put up with prices set because of an over-inflated market. I bet 85% or more of the TitaniumXX3's were purchased specifically to be re-sold.

Back in the day.....re-selling had no relevancy.

I continue to love Air Jordans and always will, but i dont buy garbage colorways nor do i fall into "exclusives."

Having said that....JB is making its money with all the younger people. Just look at the sales. And younger people put up with more crap than us OG guys do.Not necessarily a bad thing, but JB has become what it is because of the younger generation.

And for the record, I purchased the latest color of the XX3 because i like the colorway and the look of the sneaker...and more importantly because i saved $40off of retail .