Phil Knight started his company by selling sneakers out of the trunk of his car. With the help of a budding young NBA talent named Michael Jordan, he turned a startup into the top selling shoe brand. Not only did Nike outpace the competition, it became a household name and the McDonald’s of its industry. McNike’s namesake is the Greek goddess Nike, whose wings symbolized the fleeting nature of victory.
Over the decades we have learned that victory does come with a cost. In the case of this sneaker giant the retail cost may be well in excess of $100. What about the other costs? The advertising so widely attractive to inner city youth has spawned whole cultures around rubber soles and leather “swooshes”. Air Jordan’s and Nike Air Force Ones have become the most celebrated of all sneaker lines and have carried Nike for many years.
But if the shoes are made out of the country to take advantage of cheap labor, why then you may ask, are the sneakers so expensive. The answer? Because people are willing to pay. In fact, people have been known to rob and kill over Nikes. While we cannot blame the manufacturer for end results such as these, there needs to be some sort of accountability. Firstly, the consumer needs to put his/her foot down even if it means it won’t be snuggly fit into a $200 pair of Nikes. Secondly, the manufacturer should be conscious of the cultural impacts of its market.
It’s no coincidence that young NBA players like Lebron James are offered lucrative endorsement deals to promote their own sneakers to an ever expanding fan base. Here too lies some of the blame. It can be said that there is a burning social need or desire in urban America to have the latest and greatest sneakers. Even if it means that the cost is far greater than the disposable income allotted, mothers (and fathers) across the land feel the pressure to provide for their children. The end result has been a downward spiral of instant gratification syndrome that for many years had no end in sight.
In steps New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury or “Starbury” as he was dubbed on Coney Island in New York City. When speaking about his mother, Marbury says “she just wasn’t spending that type of money for sneakers,”. He pleaded with her on occasion “Because it was just the shoe to have. It was a fashion statement,” Marbury said.
“Two hundred dollars was $200. It was a lot of money. It was a sacrifice,” said Mabel Marbury, Stephon’s mother. “Anybody that would take their money and buy a pair of sneakers and don’t have no food in their house — is silly.”
Now that he is considered an NBA veteran, he can certainly afford any sneaker that he wants. But understanding what actually transpires in neighborhoods across the country, like his in Brooklyn, Marbury decided to start his own shoe company. The “Starbury” line was released this fall and retails for $14.98. Obviously this is a far cry from the pricing points of his competitors.
Mark Cuban who is the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks was quoted as saying, “They’re aren’t many things we will do in our lives that will have an impact on culture and social change. To be able to send a message to kids and sell millions of shoes so the message gets through saying, save that extra $85 and buy your kid a guitar or some clothes. That is huge.”
“You can look at ‘NBA Cares’ all you want. You can look at the things I’ve done for charity all you want. The NBA has never done anything as impactful as what he has done.”
And these are quality shoes according to one expert interviewed on ABC News’ 20/20. The fact that people are willing to spend such a high premium on sneakers that will not make you perform better is well beyond comprehension. Stephon Marbury should be commended as the visionary he his.
While I still own Nike’s and don’t fear that their purchases will put me in danger fiscally, I understand that there is a need for alternatives in the market place. As a role model and lone endorser of “Starbury”, Stephon Marbury may have started a cultural revolution.
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